Participants of the Hackathon working on exciting research challenges. Photo: Robert Beinert

Mathematics is an integral part of imaging, but often there is a gap between mathematical models and real-world data, which hinders the widespread application of exciting new research. 36 participants from 12 different research institutions came together for a Hackathon in the typical Berlin venue, The Classroom, to bridge this gap and address challenging research tasks in small interdisciplinary teams.

The Hackathon “Maths Meets Image” took place from 17-19 March 2022. It was organised by Felix Ambellan (FU Berlin, ZIB), Robert Beinert (TU Berlin), Christoph Kolbitsch (PTB), Kostas Papafitsoros (WIAS), and Christoph von Tycowicz (FU Berlin, ZIB) as part of the MATH+ Thematic Einstein Semester on “Mathematics of Imaging in Real-World Challenges”.

The projects ranged from detecting the progression of Alzheimer’s and improving the image quality of cardiac images to finding out how prehistoric civilizations created stone tools. In order to work together successfully as a team, participants had to get a grasp of software design, version control, and management of code repositories. They could also demonstrate their soft skills during the coffee breaks with challenges such as building a house of cards or identifying sea turtles based on the pattern of their scales.

The Hackathon brought together young scientists from different backgrounds. It allowed them not only to learn about new topics but also to get hands-on experience and to translate their skills and knowledge to new research areas. Many participants expressed great enthusiasm for continuing with the projects, showing that such events can be a successful starting point for inspiring research collaborations.

All the developed code is publicly available together with additional tutorials and background material:

https://github.com/MATHplus-Young-Academy.

Read more about the program and projects