Independent mathematician
Welcome. I am a mathematician with broad interests including L-functions, education, and the philosophy of mathematical practice.
I completed my PhD thesis at the University of Cambridge in 2010. Since then, I've held numerous research positions in academia at places including Université Bordeaux I, IHES, MPI Bonn, and Stockholm University, while also teaching at a local high school in my hometown of Ålesund.
Current Projects
PeakMath is a space for advanced teaching and research, independent of any traditional institution. At the current stage, the project focusses on the beautiful landscape of L-functions and the dream of a "geometry over the field with one element", making these ideas accessible to a broad audience ranging from high-school students to active researchers, while pursuing some research directions not currently considered in the literature.
AAMS is the working name for a project in its infancy, aiming to create a new independent institute for math lovers in Ålesund. In 2026 and 2027, we run pilot courses at Campus Ålesund, while thinking strategically about a long-term sustainable model of operation.
Selected Past Projects
The RH Saga (Season 1) is a YouTube series introducing the world of L-functions in an accessible way. The series has received some exceptionally positive feedback from math lovers of many different backgrounds. The current PeakMath project is an expansion and a continuation of this YouTube series.
The Emmy Network is a new and innovative research and education community founded and led by Jussi Westergren. I was involved in its early stages as a Senior Researcher at the University of Turku.
Together with other teachers in Ålesund, I worked from 2014 to 2020 on a math enrichment program named after Sophus Lie. We organised pizza and problem-solving nights, talks on math and physics, student research projects, and student trips to places like Bonn, Oxford, Cambridge, Trondheim, and a Pari/GP workshop in Clermont-Ferrand. Some of our students did exceptionally well at national and international math olympiads, and in research competitions like EUCYS. We built a culture and a community in which many students thrived and later went on to higher studies and research careers in mathematics and related fields.
Many years ago, as a PhD student and early postdoc, I used to maintain a blog called Motivic Stuff. Some of the posts there may still be of interest.