Young scientists need communication in person, says mathematician Vladimir Lotoreichik

What was their year like, what has changed and what lies ahead? We invited Neuron Award laureates to take part in our survey — Neuron supplies the opening line, the scientists finish the thought.

"I decided that if travel and scientific communication were restricted, I would devote my time to finishing old projects, and I managed it. Some had been on hold since 2016; it felt good and freed my brain for further ideas," reflects Vladimir Lotoreichik.

The mathematician Vladimir Lotoreichik received the Neuron Award 2019 for his research in spectral theory and shape optimisation. He is trying to prove mathematically that a particular shape of a body optimises energy among all shapes satisfying certain geometric conditions.

When I received the Neuron Award, I could not have imagined that

over the following year I would not travel to a single conference abroad. The Neuron Award ceremony was the last large gathering I attended before the pandemic.

Last year was for me

quite successful. I decided that if travel and scientific communication were restricted, I would devote my time to finishing old projects, and I managed it. Some had been on hold since 2016; it felt good and freed my brain for further ideas. I also enjoyed not having to travel abroad to conferences every month — on the one hand they are a great source of ideas, on the other such intensive travel is quite demanding.

My field responded to the pandemic by

moving scientific seminars and conferences online. Some projects began purely on the basis of communication over the internet. This year I began writing a couple of papers with co-authors purely on the basis of online discussion, and it is quite likely that we will finish these papers without a single meeting in person.

What will hopefully remain of it is

that online seminars and conferences will continue. I also think that working from home will not disappear entirely, even though I personally prefer to work in the office.

And we will finally be rid of

most of the restrictions, sooner or later. Even though I am not suffering much, it will be a pleasure for me when it all ends.

Because I expect that in the coming months we have to prepare for the fact that

vaccination will bring a return to normality closer.

I am preparing for that in practice by

going into the office every day now and thinking about what I will get into in the near future.

And my field should focus mainly on

restoring scientific communication in person. That matters most for scientists starting out. If the restrictions were to remain, say for 5 years, it would lead to a marked fall in the standard of research.

So that future Neuron Award laureates can successfully crack

their research problems. Active cooperation with colleagues abroad, conferences, seminars and so on definitely have to be restored.