The Student Night of the Fields Medal Symposium is held to encourage the interaction between undergraduate and high school students and a Fields Medallist, to inspire an appreciation of the beauty and scope of mathematics, and to have pizza and meet fellow mathematics enthusiasts. More than 150 students typically register for this popular event, which has become a favourite annual tradition. 

From October 13 - 16, 2026, the 2026 Fields Medal Symposium will honour Hugo Duminil-Copin (Institut des Hautes Études Scientifiques, University of Geneva), awarded the Fields Medal in 2022 “for solving longstanding problems in the probabilistic theory of phase transitions in statistical physics, especially in dimensions three and four.”

Duminil-Copin is celebrated for bringing clarity and rigor to phase transitions ­– the sudden shifts in behaviour that appear in systems that range from magnets to percolation networks. Through his work, questions that once relied on physical intuition are placed on firm mathematical footing, revealing sharp transitions and unexpected unities across the Ising model, random-cluster models and percolation theory.

At the heart of his contributions is a distinctive blend of probability, geometry and combinatorics, coupled with his talent for introducing ideas that are both technically powerful and conceptually transparent. These methods have reshaped the mathematical foundations of statistical mechanics and opened new paths at the interface of mathematics and physics.

Educated in France and based in Europe, Duminil-Copin is known not only for the depth of his work but also for his collaborative spirit and exceptional clarity as an expositor. His lectures and writings reflect a belief that deep mathematics should be shared, discussed and, most importantly, enjoyed.