Galileo Galilei famously wrote that the universe is a book “written in the language of mathematics,” and that without it, “one wanders about in vain through a dark labyrinth.”

At the Simons Foundation, this enduring truth — that mathematics is the means by which we understand our world — shapes how we approach discovery across disciplines, from evolutionary ecology to theoretical physics.

We’re pleased to present this special edition of our annual report, which explores the centrality of mathematics in our work through stories on Möbius strips, string theory, machine learning, autism and more.

David N. Spergel, Ph.D.
President