Inauguration of the Maison Poincaré, a museum dedicated to mathematics

September 20, 2023

Institutional matters

Mathematics

Under the high patronage of

Monsieur Emmanuel MACRON

President of the French Republic

The public will soon be able to experience mathematics in a place that is unique in the world: the Maison Poincaré, co-sponsored by Sorbonne University and the CNRS. Hosted by Sorbonne University, the Maison Poincaré is the first museum dedicated solely to this discipline. It invites visitors to understand the approach taken by scientists, to discover their careers, and to appreciate the influence of mathematics on our daily lives through original and entertaining displays. This new cultural and scientific space will be inaugurated on September 27, 2023, under the patronage of the President of the Republic, in the presence of representatives from the Ministry of Higher Education and Research, the City of Paris, the Île-de-France regional Council, Sorbonne University and CNRS.

As of September 30^th, the general public will be able to explore the world of mathematics and its history. The first museum in France entirely dedicated to mathematics and its applications, hosted by Sorbonne University, the Maison Poincaré is located in the heart of the Latin Quarter in Paris, occupying 900 square meters in a fully renovated building. Named in honor of the great scientist Henri Poincaré, the museum aims to give mathematics a human face—or rather, a variety of human faces.

The Maison Poincaré is the fruit of a collective ambition, driven by dozens of enthusiastic volunteers, researchers, teachers and mediators, accompanied by a museographer (MuseoScience) and scenographers (du&ma). The experiments and interactive devices to be discovered are the direct result of considerable work carried out by scientists to present mathematics as a varied and living subject, in constant interaction with other sciences and society.

Along the way, visitors will be accompanied by scientific guides to help them reappropriate their knowledge and arouse their curiosity about the seven areas of the museum. Among the devices to be discovered, Holo-math is a mixed-reality experience that breaks free from the human scale to render a microscopic phenomenon described by mathematical formulas as something tangible. Another interactive game enables two people to guide sheep to their respective pens, and experience how mathematics can be used to simulate collective movements.

In addition to this permanent exhibition program, the Maison Poincaré will host temporary exhibitions every six months. Some of these will be themed around an original point of view on an issue of public interest, echoing current events or societal concerns. "Enter the world of AI" will be the first, to be discovered from September 30^th until April 4^th, 2024. Others will offer a meeting between art and science through the presentation of works by artists whose work is based on mathematics, to give visitors a sensitive approach to the discipline.

The Maison Poincaré federates 14 scientific ambassadors involved in the project and the transmission of mathematics to society, making it accessible to everyone. Hosted by Sorbonne University, the museum is attached to the Institut Henri Poincaré, an international research center affiliated to Sorbonne Université and the CNRS. Its creation was also supported by Sorbonne Université, CNRS, the City of Paris, the Île-de-France region, the French government and the Institut Henri Poincaré Endowment Fund.

For more information on the Maison Poincaré : maison-poincare.fr

Practical information

11, rue Pierre et Marie Curie. 75005 Paris

Open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 9:30am to 5:30pm and Saturday from 10am to 6pm.

Closed on Wednesday and Sunday

Price: 10 euros full price / 5 euros reduced price

Phone number: 01 44 27 64 73

Mail : info-maison-poincare@ihp.fr