Fresh off his return to the faculty, President Emeritus Daniele Struppa has wasted no time bringing Chapman’s interdisciplinary work to global audiences. In partnership with Marco Panza, Kennedy Professor of Philosophy, the duo recently helped showcase Chapman University’s commitment to interdisciplinary scholarship, global engagement, and public-facing research at the Genova Science Festival in Italy. The work by Chapman mathematics and philosophy faculty was featured in an exhibit on the concept of infinity.
The multi-room installation was inspired by the newly published book “Three Infinities in Mathematics,” co-authored by Struppa and Panza. The exhibit was organized by Chapman friend Giuseppe Rosolini, professor of mathematical logic at the University of Genova, who has spent time at Chapman in recent years at the invitation of the Mathematics, Philosophy, and Physics graduate program, directed by Panza.
The project highlights how Chapman scholars collaborate across fields to make complex ideas accessible to broad audiences worldwide.
“Understanding the concept of infinity is a task that allows us to move from philosophy, to mathematics, from Renaissance art, to physics. It is simply not possible to discuss infinity without a willingness, and a desire, to cross disciplinary barriers,” said Struppa.
“In our book,” Panza added, “we try to guide the reader along a path that overcomes these barriers, which has both an historical and a conceptual dimension, and does not leave apart any necessary technical aspect, since mathematics embodies ideas in its formalism, and it disappears when either the former or the latter are forgotten.”
Featuring hands-on activities, visual explorations, and interactive models, the exhibit drew thousands of visitors and quickly became one of the festival’s most popular attractions. Both faculty members also led guided tours for select groups throughout the event.
“It was marvelous to see how middle and high school students were excited at engaging with the many hands-on aspects of the exhibit,” said Struppa. “The kids’ questions were illuminating, loo and it was a lot of fun to interact with them and their teachers.”
The success of the exhibit has prompted further international interest. During a subsequent lecture at the University of Venezia, organizers invited Struppa to help bring the infinity installation to their campus as well, extending the project’s reach and impact.
“The public at large used to consider mathematics as a foreboding discipline, that only few people can attempt to understand,” said Struppa. “This exhibit, and its success, demonstrate that mathematics can indeed be explained in ways that make it attractive and that trigger further questions and additional interest.”
