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A double major in computer science and mathematics, Akbari joined six fellow Lake Forest College students at the regional gathering, an experience more commonly associated with graduate study than undergraduate life.

His talk, “Polynomials as Logic Gates: Solving Constraint Satisfaction Problems with Gröbner Bases,” demonstrated how complex logical problems—like those behind scheduling systems or computer algorithms—can be translated into equations and solved using advanced algebra.

Conference organizers selected Akbari’s work, which he submitted for consideration months earlier, thereby giving him the rare opportunity to present original research to a community of professional mathematicians.

“It was a good experience” to present his work, Akbari noted, especially “in that environment.”

Enrique Treviño, the Ernest H. Volwiler Professor of Mathematics and Chair of Mathematics and Computer Science, also presented his research, examining how and why unique factorization can fail in certain number systems—and how that failure can still be measured and understood.

Beyond the formal presentations, students participated in a fast-paced problem-solving competition. Grouped with peers from other colleges, teams had just 60 seconds per question to tackle mathematical challenges spanning calculus, geometry, combinatorics, and even math history. The format demanded quick thinking and collaboration—skills that Christopher Zimbizi ’27 said made the experience especially meaningful.

“I found it particularly inspiring to see the research that other undergraduate students are currently doing.”

“We really had to pull from each other’s knowledge to succeed. It was a great way to interact and collaborate with peers from different schools,” Zimbizi said. “It was great to engage with other mathematicians, and I found it particularly inspiring to see the research that other undergraduate students are currently doing.” 

Outside math, the team made time to explore Springfield and bond as a group, reinforcing the sense of connection beyond the classroom. Students who attended the conference were Akbari ’27, Jacob Jackson ’28, Connor Mckelvey ’27, Lorelei Osterlund ’27, Ricardo Salazar Ordoñez ’26, Sergei Vorobev ’26, and Zimbizi ’27.

For Akbari, who hopes to pursue a PhD in machine learning, the experience offered a glimpse of what lies ahead—and a reminder that, at Lake Forest, that future can start now.