Judges and speakers

The Mathathon runs November 13 – 15 at the California Institute of Technology. A hundred teams each pick a problem with a solution that’s messy or difficult to understand, learn as much as possible in 40 hours, and present their findings to their peers. They’ll be given access to any tool they need, whether that be LLM credits, HPC access, or pen and paper. We are looking for mathematicians and researchers willing to serve as judges, speakers, or both. For judging roles, we are looking for applicants who hold a PhD in mathematics or a related field.

What a judge does

Judges help assess how much mathematical understanding teams have developed and how clearly they can share it. Mathathon has two rounds, with different outputs at each stage.

In Round 1, teams spend 40 hours exploring a problem or proof and present their findings in a live talk. You will listen, ask questions, and assess what they understand, what their approach helps explain, and what looks worth developing further. A useful contribution might be an illuminating example, a new way to visualize an argument, or a connection to another area of mathematics. Judging takes a few hours on the final day, in small panels, and we will do our best to match you with work in your field.

In Round 2, teams have two months to develop an online explainer and a GitHub repository containing the materials used to produce it, including relevant AI conversations and code. Judging considers the mathematical accuracy, clarity, and insight of the finished work: does it help others understand something that was previously difficult to grasp?

What a speaker does

Speakers give a short talk or join a panel at the opening or closing ceremony (10–20 minutes), or give a longer workshop talk (30–60 minutes).

Talks can introduce your own work, unpack a proof whose key ideas are difficult to see, or explore how AI and proof assistants can support mathematical understanding. We welcome examples, visualizations, connections, and questions that give participants a starting point for their projects. You are also welcome to suggest a problem or proof that you would like to see explained more clearly.

Apply

For example: Professor of Mathematics, Caltech.

PDF, DOC, or DOCX, up to 10 MB. Required.

Terms for judges and speakers
  1. Role and confirmation. Applying does not by itself confirm a role. Roles are confirmed in writing by the organisers, and the programme, schedule, and format may change.
  2. Use of your name. You consent to the Caltech Mathathon using your name, title, and affiliation — and any photograph you provide — in lists of judges and speakers, including on the website, social media, press outreach, materials shown to sponsors and partners, and summaries published after the event. This does not cover being presented as endorsing or verifying a specific team's result — we will show you that material and ask separately first.
  3. Accuracy. The details you give are accurate as far as you know, and you may correct them in the applicant portal while your application is being reviewed, or by contacting the organisers afterward.
  4. Confidentiality and publication. Work shown to you by competing teams may be unpublished. You agree not to disclose or reuse it outside the judging process without that team's permission. Note that the organisers separately publish chat histories and results from the event on mathdb.com; that publication is the organisers' to make, not a licence for you to republish elsewhere.
  5. Conflicts of interest. You will tell the organisers about any relationship with a competing team that could affect your impartiality, and step aside from judging that team where appropriate.
  6. Recording. Talks and judging sessions may be recorded, and those recordings may be published.
  7. Compensation. Judging and speaking are unpaid unless agreed separately in writing. Travel reimbursement, where offered, is arranged separately.
  8. Your data. Your contact details and resume are stored to run the event. They are not sold, and are not shared outside the organising team.
  9. Withdrawing. You may withdraw from the event, or withdraw consent to future use of your name, through the applicant portal or by emailing mathathon@caltech.edu. Materials already printed or published cannot always be recalled.