A class of natural tessellation algorithms

PACM Colloquium
Nov 10, 2025
4:30 - 5:30 pm
214 Fine Hall

Abstract:

Tessellation algorithms are at work in both man-made and natural systems. Insect honeycombs, Escher tiles, and meshes for numerical solution of PDEs are just a few from a long list of examples. I will present our experimental and computational work on embryonic cleavages, an interesting class of tessellation algorithms that are critical during early stages of animal development, when a fertilized egg is subdivided into progressively smaller compartments.

Stas Shvartsman - Bio

Stas Shvartsman

Stas Shvartsman 

Stas Shvartsman is a Professor of Molecular Biology at Princeton University and a Senior Research Scientist at the Flatiron Research Institute. He was born in Odessa, Ukraine, and studied chemistry and engineering in Russia, Israel, and the US. His work combines experiments and theory to study how genomically encoded instructions and self-organizing processes control animal development.