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Alexander Kasprzyk

@amkasprzyk.bsky.social
492 followers 366 following 1.2K posts

kasprzyk.work Algebraic Geometry • Combinatorics • Mirror Symmetry • Machine Learning Mathematician at the University of Warwick. Editor-in-Chief for “Experimental Mathematics”. Member of EPSRC’s Math Strategic Advisory Team.

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Alexander Kasprzyk @amkasprzyk.bsky.social · 14m
The types of people drawn to the subject will probably change. Certainly the culture around mathematics will change. All this is inconsequential to OpenAI, but extremely consequential to us.
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Alexander Kasprzyk @amkasprzyk.bsky.social · 14m
Clearly maths has changed dramatically and incomprehensibly rapidly. It has a future, no doubt about it. It might be a much smaller discipline: fewer students and hence fewer researchers. The most influential research might move out of universities into private institutions.
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Alexander Kasprzyk @amkasprzyk.bsky.social · 14m
They will read the inevitable news articles in New Scientist and the Guardian about today. So will the teachers advising them. They will likely draw very negative conclusions. It doesn’t need to be existential to be very damaging to the future health of our subject.
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Alexander Kasprzyk @amkasprzyk.bsky.social · 14m
It seems to work with their target audience: governments and investors. However I kind-of don’t care about that side of the equation here. What bothers me a lot is the message this is sending to young would-be future mathematicians. They are paying attention, and questioning their life’s dreams.
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Alexander Kasprzyk @amkasprzyk.bsky.social · 36m
I’ll have a careful read later. Anyway, all this is by-the-by — nice looking paper! Congratulations!!!
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Alexander Kasprzyk @amkasprzyk.bsky.social · 44m
Examining a PhD viva today. An excellent young mathematician with a lovely thesis that he’s invested four years of heart and soul into. These are the things that matter in life. #MathSky #AlgebraicGeometry
A photo taken from a PhD thesis I’m examining today. This is a schematic illustration of the singularities on a particular hypersurface in weighted projective space. I took the photo because I thought it was aesthetically beautiful.
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Alexander Kasprzyk @amkasprzyk.bsky.social · 1h
A bit like what you wrote: I think I asked a PhD student to look at this idea about 8 years ago, but he didn’t take to it. I’ve tried on-and-off with other students over the years, but without luck. The original idea some from conversations with Sergey at least 15 years ago now (where does time go?)
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Alexander Kasprzyk @amkasprzyk.bsky.social · 1h
The best thing we could do would be to start promoting the continuing value of mathematics, targeting 14-16 year olds. We need an advertising campaign. Large. Soon. I don’t see this as a “fight” between us and OpenAI: frankly I don’t think they will even notice. Maths is not where they are aiming.
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Alexander Kasprzyk @amkasprzyk.bsky.social · 1h
It’s not about us. You and I care about the influence our work has in our community. OpenAI also cares about influence, but it’s not the mathematics community they are concerned with. This is fire-and-forget from the point of view of mathematics. It’s about capturing the public and policy narrative.
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Alexander Kasprzyk @amkasprzyk.bsky.social · 1h
Ha ha no problem! This stuff happens.
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Alexander Kasprzyk @amkasprzyk.bsky.social · 2h
Releasing so many results at once is a choice to maximise the media impact. It was designed to increase the value of their company and their dominance in the conversation about what the future will look like. It was not done, even slightly, for a love of our subject. They don’t care.
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Alexander Kasprzyk @amkasprzyk.bsky.social · 2h
…assistance of professional mathematicians in the areas, and chose to attempt to answer not just one or two, but as many as possible. This is about power, and nothing to do with mathematics. They’re forcefully asserting their dominance over us. They’re saying, “We are in control; you are powerless.”
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Alexander Kasprzyk @amkasprzyk.bsky.social · 2h
OpenAI didn’t simply stumble upon all these results down the side of the sofa whilst cleaning. They chose to systematically invest huge sums of money to produce them. And to keep on going. And going. And going. They systematically took our motivational questions, perhaps with the… #MathSky #LLM
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Alexander Kasprzyk @amkasprzyk.bsky.social · 2h
Good paper. I wish I’d known you were working on this with Sergey — I have a student working on very similar (obviously not identical) questions about closed one-step lattice walks and mirror symmetry. How do you reconstruct the terminal toric Fano? Ah well, not a big deal.
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Reposted by Alexander Kasprzyk
Tim Marchman @timmarchman.bsky.social · 14h
SCOOP: OpenAI has been telling mathematicians it was going to dump at least 100 newly solved problems on Github today. They now say no release time is set, but mathematicians are angry about how the field is being treated; meanwhile, OpenAI workers consider math dead as a field of inquiry.
wired.com
OpenAI Is Pissing Off a Bunch of Mathematicians—Again
“There’s a perception of mobster behavior” from leading AI companies, one mathematician tells WIRED as OpenAI prepares to release more than 100 new solutions to unsolved problems.
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Alexander Kasprzyk @amkasprzyk.bsky.social · 15h
Research time “reduced to 25 per cent under the plans”, down from 1/3. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...
researchprofessionalnews.com
Nottingham staff ‘will have much less research time’, says union - Research Professional News
Fears for research at Russell Group institution amplify after university’s council approves cost-saving plans
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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 17h
'The Future Nottingham programme, approved by the university’s council on 5 October, will cut 560 jobs, close departments including modern languages and music, and increase staff-student ratios.' The future is bleak.
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Alexander Kasprzyk @amkasprzyk.bsky.social · 20h
"Lecturers on strike till Christmas -- welcome to @uniofnottingham.bsky.social" Quite a headline from The Times. Think of the enormous sacrifice striking staff are making. This is love for their colleagues, the students, the subjects, and yes, the university. www.thetimes.com/uk/education...
thetimes.com
Lecturers on strike till Christmas: welcome to Nottingham University
Bad business decisions have been blamed for the decision to shut entire departments — as academics protest it is students who suffer
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Barbara Fantechi @barbarafantechi.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
No, I do not think we would have been better off asking an AI. Faster or not. Speed isn't everything.
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Alexander Kasprzyk @amkasprzyk.bsky.social · 21h
"Replacing one to one tutoring would be a team-based support model called 'Tutoring for Students [sic] Success'". Oh well, if it's for students [sic] success then that's different. #Nottingham www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
University of Nottingham approves controversial savings plan
Changes will see job losses, axing modern languages and music degrees and cutting support services.
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hannah @hannahkateboast.bsky.social · 21h
Most universities are cutting jobs now, but the scale at Nottingham speaks to extreme failures of management and governance. Heads should roll over this catastrophe - but we all know that these people just fails upwards.
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Alexander Kasprzyk @amkasprzyk.bsky.social · 21h
That’s a very good point, and I’m ashamed to admit I didn’t notice the switch.
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Alexander Kasprzyk @amkasprzyk.bsky.social · 22h
"Music will also be axed, but #Nottingham said that music-related research will continue within its School of Computer Science ... to examine the intersection of music, technology and innovation." Quite. Sums it up rather neatly really. Congratulations. www.timeshighereducation.com/news/notting...
timeshighereducation.com
Nottingham confirms course closures with hundreds of jobs affected
Languages and music departments to close despite strikes and protests but university insists it has addressed staff concerns in revised plans
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Alexander Kasprzyk @amkasprzyk.bsky.social · 22h
"Students will be able to undertake a modern language module ...[and] that it 'remains committed to a vibrant music culture on campus' through choirs, orchestras, performances and creative opportunities." #Nottingham Such respect for the subjects. A hobby. www.nottinghampost.com/news/notting...
nottinghampost.com
Uni to axe hundreds of jobs and scrap courses to cut costs
The university said the changes are 'among the most significant' in its 145-year history
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Alexander Kasprzyk @amkasprzyk.bsky.social · 22h
@uniofnottingham.bsky.social is top of the rankings! (For laying off the highest number of staff, that is.) What an achievement, eh?
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Judah Grunstein @judah-grunstein.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Simply put, across the US and UK, university administrators, their management consultants and their funders no longer consider the arts and humanities worthy of being studied, taught and transmitted. Their vision of human society is anti-humanist. No wonder the kids are at the barricades.
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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
'The University of Nottingham has confirmed that it will close its music and languages departments as it presses ahead with more than 500 job cuts despite widespread opposition from staff and students.' A blight on East Midlands and UK higher education.
timeshighereducation.com
Nottingham confirms course closures with hundreds of jobs affected
Languages and music departments to close despite strikes and protests but university insists it has addressed staff concerns in revised plans
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Reposted by Alexander Kasprzyk
Nina Markl 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈 @ninamarkl.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
560 (!!!) FTE cuts approved & closure of music and languages courses. absolutely horrific proposals coming out of Nottingham. measuring ‘interest’ in languages in n of students on UG degrees is so disingenuous—language modules can be combined with anything! www.nottinghampost.com/news/notting...
nottinghampost.com
Uni to axe hundreds of jobs and scrap courses to cut costs
The university said the changes are 'among the most significant' in its 145-year history
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Times Higher Education (THE) @timeshighered.bsky.social · 22h
The University of Nottingham has confirmed that it will close its music and languages departments as it presses ahead with more than 500 job cuts despite widespread opposition from staff and students, reports Juliette Rowsell #highered #jobcuts ow.ly/j4Tv50ZUQIQ
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Alexander Kasprzyk @amkasprzyk.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
"When I was a postdoc, I went to the library once and it felt like a traumatic experience. I decided, 'I’m never going back to the library.' There was no point." #MathSky #LLM I can't believe I just read that. I feel embarrassed. www.ams.org/journals/not...
ams.org
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Alexander Kasprzyk @amkasprzyk.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
A new year of teaching starts today at @uni-of-warwick.bsky.social. We're blessed in the Warwick Mathematics Institute with wonderfully intelligent, friendly, and conscientious students. It's great to have them back, and to welcome a new cohort. #UKHE warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/maths/
warwick.ac.uk
WMI - Warwick Mathematics Institute
WMI - Home page of the Warwick Mathematics Institute and Mathematics Department
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Alexander Kasprzyk @amkasprzyk.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Unfortunately we need to constantly be re-emphasising the value of what we do, and how these awards are essential. The decision makers change regularly, and the political landscape is never still. AI has been an enormous rapid change that we need to address in a convincing way. It’s a challenge.
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Alexander Kasprzyk @amkasprzyk.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
The luck is that people in positions to decide listened to and supported our arguments; having the right people in the right roles is half the battle won, and we were fortunate. The hard work was in building the wider network and contacts that allowed us to pitch a convincing case, with key support.
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Alexander Kasprzyk @amkasprzyk.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Our small grants scheme is unique to maths. We’ve also been fortunate in keeping our Fellowship scheme when all other subjects lost theirs; we were unique in using it to fund postdoc-to-lectureship transitions, and EPSRC saw the value. So yes, we’ve been lucky in many ways.
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Alexander Kasprzyk @amkasprzyk.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
In the UK we were very fortunate that some influential mathematicians made a strong argument for a small grants scheme, and EPSRC listened. It required an enormous effort building political and community support, and also a lot of good luck. But it’s been a big success.
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Alexander Kasprzyk @amkasprzyk.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Unfortunately as the cost of doing research rises — now with the added expense of compute and Frontier AI tokens — money doesn’t go as far. We constantly need to be remaking, and reimagining, the case for the (scientific) value of small grants. The trend is firmly towards fewer, larger awards.
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Alexander Kasprzyk @amkasprzyk.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
“When you see what was produced with your brain, with your hands, with your imagination, spoiled by Russia, it’s an awful feeling.” www.theguardian.com/world/ng-int...
theguardian.com
Incinerated novels and destroyed warehouses: Russia’s war on Ukrainian books
A Ukrainian publishing boom sparked by the 2022 invasion is now under threat from the force and frequency of Russian attacks
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Alexander Kasprzyk @amkasprzyk.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
If you’re on a Mac, piping to pbcopy is also a whole new level of satisfied smugness that I recommend.
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Alexander Kasprzyk @amkasprzyk.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
“Economics tells us that when something loses value to inflation, real value moves elsewhere.“ A very interesting and provocative analysis. Directly relevant to mathematics. #MathSky giorgio.gilest.ro/the-weimar-o...
giorgio.gilest.ro
The Weimar of knowledge – la bottega
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London Mathematical Society @londmathsoc.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
💻🧪 Applications are open for our Computer Science Small Grants, where grants of up to £1,000 are available to support collaborative research at the interface of mathematics and computer science. Deadline: 8 October ➡️ www.lms.ac.uk/grants/compu...
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Alexander Kasprzyk @amkasprzyk.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
“‘In recent months, digital sovereignty has become increasingly important,’ the [EU] Commission told staff in a July memo”. Absolutely. So much relied on mutual trust and respect. It’s astonishing how quickly, and readily, this has been undermined. It will take a lot longer to rebuild.
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Alexander Kasprzyk @amkasprzyk.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
(There’s also a huge amount of garbage claims, such as being able to use the embedding to translator text between languages. There are some very unfortunate revelations too, such as a popular embedding placing “woman” next to one set of concepts, and “man” next to another.)
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Alexander Kasprzyk @amkasprzyk.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
There are many great uses of this idea, including language analysis and better search results. There are obviously also big social science driven questions about constructing the embedding and how choices influence outputs. It’s quite fascinating.
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Alexander Kasprzyk @amkasprzyk.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Close matches in the database are then looked up and the original text recovered. Your prompt is then re-written to include the recovered text, and the LLM does its stuff on this new prompt. This is one way that LLMs give e.g. references to the sources they used in constructing a response.
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Alexander Kasprzyk @amkasprzyk.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
smallish chunks (say a paragraph in size). Each chunk gets mapped to the vector space and you record the image plus the source of the chunk in a traditional database. Later you ask an LLM a question, and it computes the image of your query in the vector space.
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Alexander Kasprzyk @amkasprzyk.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
To be honest the idea is simple (but very clever). You construct a map from words to a very high dimensional vector space, so that words that are commonly associated get mapped to vectors that are close together. You then take the text you’re interested in (say, news reports) and split it up into…
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Alexander Kasprzyk @amkasprzyk.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Your maths results might not be appearing in the output because they’re in the training data. And this confuses the discussion about copyright and other fair use.
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Alexander Kasprzyk @amkasprzyk.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Sorry to belabour the point here, but a model doesn’t know the latest news or yesterday’s arXiv papers because it’s been retrained. People seem to think that, and we’re encouraged to talk about it in this way. Actually it knows them because it uses a RAG (or similar).
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Alexander Kasprzyk @amkasprzyk.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
One key distinction is that agentic AI refers to an LLM (in the popular sense rather than technical sense) that is able to set its own goals and plan its own tasks with minimal intervention. This is an important difference that it would be a shame to lose through imprecise language.
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Alexander Kasprzyk @amkasprzyk.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
It’s interesting that suddenly this distinction was promoted as a sales pitch for agentic AI, but has typically been glossed over for large frontier models where the sales pitch seems to be AGI. The muddled terminology makes discussing these things with policy makers very challenging.
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