Prof. Alexander P. Veselov
Loughborough University
In search of ideal shape of polyhedra via spectral graph theory
Thursday, June 4, 2026 - 16:30
Room 1A150 Torre Archimede
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For an arbitrary polygon, consider a new one by joining the centres of consecutive edges. Iteration of this procedure leads to a shape which is affinely equivalent to a regular polygon. This regularisation effect is usually ascribed to Count Buffon (1707–1788), but the phenomenon allegedly was known already to ancient Roman mosaic craftsmen.
I will discuss a natural analogue of this procedure for 3-dimensional polyhedra in relation with deep results from spectral graph theory due to Yves Colin de Verdière and László Lovász.
Short Bio
Alexander P. Veselov is Head of the Geometry and Mathematical Physics research group at Loughborough University (UK), where he has been based since 1995. He previously held positions at Moscow State University and the Landau Institute for Theoretical Physics. He obtained his PhD and, in 1991, Doctor of Science degree under the supervision of S.P. Novikov, Moscow State University.
His research lies at the interface of Integrable Systems, Geometry, and Mathematical Physics. His wide-ranging contributions include integrable maps and discrete systems, Calogero-Moser problems and their quantum deformations, Baker-Akhiezer functions, Yang-Baxter maps, Huygens' principle, Frobenius structures, and connections with algebraic geometry and representation theory.
He is the author of over 150 research articles published in leading international journals, including Annals of Mathematics, Communications in Mathematical Physics, Advances in Mathematics, and Inventiones Mathematicae. He serves on the editorial boards of several journals in mathematical physics and geometry.
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