Curiosity Lab: Counting What Really Counts: From Combinatorics to Community
April 12, 2026
- 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm ET
Mathematical research differs from the scientific method in a fundamental way: experimental evidence is not the conclusion—it is the beginning. Patterns suggest truth. Computations hint at structure. Small cases whisper conjectures. But none of it is enough. In mathematics, evidence is only the first step on the path toward proof.
In this Curiosity Lab session, Dr. Jenny Quinn,Executive Director of the Seattle Universal Math Museum, explores the world of combinatorial mathematics—where she uses concrete counting contexts to more deeply understand mathematical identities. Join us for a conversation about counting, conjecturing, and proving—and about how the habits of combinatorial thinking extend beyond mathematics into research, leadership, and the art of navigating a world filled with possibilities.
Dr. Jennifer Quinn is Executive Director of the Seattle Universal Math Museum and Professor Emerita of Mathematics at the University of Washington Tacoma. She earned her BA, MS, and PhD from Williams College, the University of Illinois at Chicago, and the University of Wisconsin, respectively. She is an award-winning teacher, scholar, and writer. As a combinatorial scholar, Jenny thinks that beautiful proofs are as much art as science. Simplicity, elegance, transparency, and fun should be the driving principles. She strives to bring this same ethic to her classroom, administrative work, and professional leadership.
