***** On the 2025 Summer Research Program at MIPT ***** How a research program is organized, and which purposes it serves? It often happens the announced purpose (used to attract lecturers, students, and sponsors) is different from the real purpose, and its implementation. A documented particular example is presumably interesting to the math community. Below please find my letters to the Organizers of the 2025 Summer Research Program for Students [https://combgeo.org/events-ru/summer-2025/#programm]. They reveal that the `Topological Combinatorics' direction of the Program serves not the announced purpose of giving talented and diligent students easy access to open problems in topological combinatorics. The direction is rather intended to serve purposes of a particular (O. Musin's) group inside the topological combinatorics community. At the price of disservice to students, and to the community as a whole. English translation of a part is presented, complete English translation will soon be added. Letters from Jun 19 on are in English. I asked for a public reply from the Organizers, but none is available (as of July 4 2025). A. Skopenkov. ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: arkadiy skopenkov Date: Mon, May 26, 2025 at 10:03 PM Subject: Re: To: Андрей Купавский, Oleg Musin ___________ English translation of a part: Dear Andrey and Oleg, I would be glad to collaborate in the realm of topological combinatorics. Let me inform you that * I have some reseacrh papers on topological combinatorics (e.g. , [Sk16, ST17, AMS+, AKS, Sk17, DS22, Sk18, Sk18o, KS20, KS21, KS21e, SS23, KS24]) and related areas (e.g. [Sk98, RS98, SSS, RS99, Sk94, RS96, CRS98, RS99'', Sk16', Sk20e, PS20]); references to LIBRARY.pdf [https://old.mccme.ru//circles//oim/home/LIBRARY.pdf]. * I have some experience in teaching topological combinatorics: I teach a course `Introduction to topological combinatorics' [https://old.mccme.ru//circles//oim/home/combtop13.htm#topcomb], I was advisor for dilploma works in this area at MIPT (2019-2024, Alkin, Bikeev, Dzhenzher, Miroshnikov - they delivered talks at the Combinatorial Geometry seminar) and Dept. of Mathematics and Mechanics of the Lomonosov Moscow State University (2025, Garaev). * I am a full professor at the department of MIPT that organizes the Program [https://combgeo.org/events-ru/summer-2025/#programm]. ___________ Russian original: Здравствуйте, Андрей и Олег, Буду рад сотрудничеству в области топологической комбинаторики и ее преподавания. Сообщаю, что * у меня есть ряд работ по топологической комбинаторике (например, [Sk16, ST17, AMS+, AKS, Sk17, DS22, Sk18, Sk18o, KS20, KS21, KS21e, SS23, KS24]) и смежным областям (например, [Sk98, RS98, SSS, RS99, Sk94, RS96, CRS98, RS99'', Sk16', Sk20e, PS20]) ; ссылки по LIBRARY.pdf [https://old.mccme.ru//circles//oim/home/LIBRARY.pdf]. * у меня есть опыт преподавания топологической комбинаторики: читаю курс Введение в топологическую комбинаторику [https://old.mccme.ru//circles//oim/home/combtop13.htm#topcomb], руководил дипломными работами по этой теме в МФТИ (2019-2024, Алкин, Бикеев, Дженжер, Мирошников - они выступали на семинаре [по] комбинаторной геометрии) и на мехмате МГУ (2025, Гараев). * в той физтех-школе, в которой проводится конференция [https://combgeo.org/events-ru/summer-2025/#programm] я состою профессором. Поэтому по Вашему желанию буду рад преподавать на направлении Топологическая комбинаторика - в качестве лектора или ведущего проект. Если Вам удобнее, то я смогу подготовить направление <<Реализуемость гиперграфов и конфигурационные пространства>> (это часть топологической комбинаторики, но не пересекается со списком имеющихся тем). Ваш, Аркадий. ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: arkadiy skopenkov Date: Wed, May 28, 2025 at 9:29 AM ____________ English translation of a part: Dear Andrey and Oleg, My letter is based on the official information on the Program. There Oleg is indicated to be a member of the Program Committee. He is the third in the list (not in alphabetical order) out of ten people, and the only expert in topological combinatorics (as far as I understand, Andrey works rather in a close area - sorry if I am wrong). Then (from the community's point of view) who is invited (and who is not) in topological combinatorics (and why) is Oleg's decision and responsibility. It would be nice if the community would have a positive impression of this decision. ___________ Russian original: Здравствуйте, Олег, и Андрей, Мое письмо основано на официальной информации о программе. В аннотации Олег указан в Программном комитете. Причем третьим в списке (не по алфавиту) из десятка человек, и единственным специалистом по топологической комбинаторике (насколько я понимаю, Андрей работает скорее в смежной области - извини, если не так). Поэтому (с точки зрения сообщества) кого приглашать, а кого нет по топологической комбинаторике (и почему) - решение и ответственность Олега. Было бы здорово, если бы у сообщества осталось о нем благоприятное впечатление. В анонсе преподавателей называют "лекторами". Но по Вашему желанию я мог бы провести короткие лекции с более подробным разъяснением открытых задач, которые предполагается решать со студентами, а потом быть наставником или ментором. Ваш, Аркадий. ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: arkadiy skopenkov Date: Mon, Jun 2, 2025 at 4:38 PM Здравствуйте, Олег, Мое письмо основано на официальной информации о программе: https://combgeo.org/events-ru/summer-2025/#programm (которой привлекают студентов, спонсоров и т.д.). Ее я правильно понял, там написано <<Направление 3: ТОПОЛОГИЧЕСКАЯ КОМБИНАТОРИКА>> а не <<Направление 3: Сотрудничество с такими-то людьми>>. Проблема в том, что (как Вы пишете) официальная информация не соответствует действительности: при наличии в том же МФТИ Романа Карасева и меня объявлять тему ТОПОЛОГИЧЕСКАЯ КОМБИНАТОРИКА без нашего участия некорректно. Будет здорово, если это несоответствие будет исправлено: либо нас с Романом пригласят, либо название нашей специальности <<ТОПОЛОГИЧЕСКАЯ КОМБИНАТОРИКА>> будет заменено на другое - не относящееся к тематике экспертов, работающих в МФТИ, но не приглашенных на Школу. Это позитивно повлияет на престиж и Школы и программного комитета. То, что ошибка сделана «по индукции», как следствие предыдущей ошибки, не отменяет необходимости ее исправления. > [цитата из письма О. Мусина от 28.05] Это неизбежно станет общеизвестно и негативно повлияет на престиж и Школы, и члена программного комитета, не собирающегося нести ответственность за свою работу в нем. (Я не планирую выкладывать [обавлено позже - чужие] приватные письма, но не планирую и скрывать информацию о несоответствии. Впрочем, оно видно невооруженным взглядом.) Ваш, Аркадий. ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: arkadiy skopenkov Date: Thu, Jun 19, 2025 at 8:18 PM Dear Oleg, Thank you for your replies to my May 26, May 28 and June 2 (2025) letters [https://old.mccme.ru//circles//oim/materials/topcomb25.txt] on the 2025 Summer Research Program for Students [https://combgeo.org/events-ru/summer-2025/#programm]. I am sorry that your replies (of May 27, May 28, and June 4) damage your reputation as a scientist and an organizer of science. If you disagree, I welcome responsible (=public) pronunciation of your disagreement, by allowing me to publish your replies. Then I'll have the possibility (and the task) to publicly justify the above point. Perhaps it is preferable that we ignore your replies, and you send me a responsible (=public) reply to my May 26 letter. (In technical terms, please perpetually release copyright for your reply to the public domain - this one needs to publish your reply.) Your public reply is interesting to the math community, as a revelation of how the 2025 Summer Research Program is organized, and which purposes it serves. We strongly need this discussion to be responsible. Let us avoid wasting our valuable time on letters that are as irresponsible as not to stand a suggestion to make them public. So let us make this discussion public. I published my letters (in technical terms, I perpetually release copyright for my May 26, May 28 and June 2, 2025, letters to the public domain). I can possibly publish any of my letters on this subject, including this letter. Best Regards, Arkadiy. PS If you kindly allow me to publish your reply (replies), I will publish it literally, without any corrections or omissions, even if I disagree with the reply. Otherwise, I will give at [https://old.mccme.ru//circles//oim/materials/topcomb25.txt] the information that no public reply from you was received. Later, if the discussion becomes responsible and constructive, we can turn it back to private (including deletion of already published letters). ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: arkadiy skopenkov Date: Mon, Jun 23, 2025 at 1:39 PM Dear Oleg, Thank you for your reply of Jun 4 to my letter of Jun 2. I am sorry that the reply damages your reputation as a scientist and an organizer of science. In particular, you use as a pretext for rejection of my application reasons that strongly support my application. See justifications below. This is yet another reason to turn this discussion into a public one, see my letter of Jun 19. I published that letter at https://old.mccme.ru//circles//oim/materials/topcomb25.txt . In the hope of responsible constructive discussion I did not so far publish this letter. 1. You repeat the argument from your [later correction: Andrey Kupavskii's] reply of May, 28 to my letter of May, 28, although in my letter of Jun 2 [added later: sent to Andrey with a copy to you] I justified that this argument > contradicts the official information on the program > https://combgeo.org/events-ru/summer-2025/#programm > (which information is used to attract students, sponsors, etc.). You ignore the justification but just repeat the contradicting argument. Also, it is of course necessary to suggest problems that do not require much time to `get into them'. However, it is wrong to use this as a pretext for rejection of my application. It is clear that I have the ability to choose and present problems in such a way. See https://old.mccme.ru//circles//oim/home/LIBRARY.pdf (mentioned in my first letter of May 26), https://old.mccme.ru/circles/oim/home/matprask.htm . See, in particular arXiv:2208.04188, \S3 and \S5 (written by a student). (For some strange reason, you do not ask whether I have such an ability, you use as a matter of fact the wrong opposite statement.) 2. You write that the success is measured by publications in Q1 and Q2 journals. This strongly supports an application from a colleague having several tens of such publications, see https://old.mccme.ru//circles//oim/home/LIBRARY.pdf mentioned in my first letter (of May 26). For some strange reason, you use it as a pretext for rejection of my application. 3. The third part of your letter implies that the Program invites those teachers, collaboration with whom is not interesting to experts in the area. (If not, then you need to publicly explain how this part is related to rejection of my application.) Such information is crucial for students, sponsors, etc., so it should be present on the official site, not in a private letter. 4. You confuse the math community with a particular group within the math community. You refer to your discussions within the Novikov school, but you do not ask R. Karasev, A. Malyutin, F. Petrov (invited to the Program) of their opinion. Besides, you only mention the people's reaction to your other activity. You do not mention how the people reacted to rejection of as strong an application as I presented in my first letter (of May, 26). So presumably you did not mention this rejection in those discussions. Thus the question how this group would react to such a rejection remains open. Best Regards, Arkadiy. ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: arkadiy skopenkov Date: Tue, Jun 24, 2025 at 9:58 AM Dear Oleg, Thank you for your reply of Jun 20 to my letter of Jun 19. I am sorry that the reply damages your reputation as a scientist and an organizer of science. You abandon discussion of mathematical and pedagogical grounds for rejection of my application (presumably because you understand that they are fallible). You repeat the administrative reason from your reply of May, 27 to my letter of May, 26, although in my letter of May, 28 I already justified that this ground is fallible: > My letter is based on the official information on the Program. > There Oleg is indicated to be a member of the Program Committee. > He is the third in the list (not in alphabetical order) out of ten people, > and the only expert in topological combinatorics > (as far as I understand, Andrey [Kupawski] works rather in a close area - sorry if I am wrong). > Then (from the community's point of view) who is invited (and who is not) in topological combinatorics > (and why) is Oleg's decision and responsibility. > It would be nice if the community would have a positive impression of this decision. This is yet another reason to turn this discussion into a public one, see my letter of Jun 19. I published my letter of June 23 at https://old.mccme.ru//circles//oim/materials/topcomb25.txt . In the hope of responsible constructive discussion I did not so far publish this letter. Best Regards, Arkadiy.