PeopleofSuperintelligence

Researcher

Bryan Gin-ge Chen

Bryan Gin-ge Chen is a Mathlib maintainer who formalizes mathematics and helps maintain the library's community infrastructure. He holds a PhD in theoretical condensed matter physics from the University of Pennsylvania and coauthored research on nematic films, liquid-crystal topology and origami mechanics. In 2025, he coauthored a paper on maintaining Mathlib as it grows. As of October 2026, he is a senior engineer at the Mathlib Initiative.

Works
89
Citations
2,623
h-index
17
Badges

Publication numbers from OpenAlex, as of 19 October 2026.

Timeline

  1. 2008

    Modeling nematic films

    In 2008, he develops a theory of nematic film and bubble surfaces using surface tension and nematic elastic energies.

  2. 2011

    Solving an abrasion model

    In 2011, he solves the Roth-Marques-Durian rotational abrasion model and maps the contour's evolution into a planar tree graph.

  3. 2013

    Sculpting a Hopf fibration

    In 2013, he coauthors an experiment that sculpts a Hopf fibration in nematic liquid crystals through controlled point defects; the paper lists his affiliations with Leiden's Instituut-Lorentz and Penn's physics department.

  4. 2016

    Topological origami mechanics

    In 2016, he coauthors a study that uses topological states to design origami with localized folding motions at boundaries.

  5. Since 2018

    Formalizing with Lean

    Since 2018, he formalizes mathematics and helps maintain the Mathlib community infrastructure. He holds a PhD in theoretical condensed matter physics from the University of Pennsylvania.

  6. 2025

    Managing Mathlib's growth

    In 2025, he coauthors Growing Mathlib, which describes strategies to manage a fast-growing library of formal mathematics while avoiding maintainer overload.

  7. As of October 2026

    Senior engineer at Mathlib

    As of October 2026, he is a senior engineer at the Mathlib Initiative and a Mathlib maintainer.

Career

  1. NowMathlib InitiativeSenior Engineer
  2. 2022–2026Columbia University
  3. 2013–2020Leiden University
  4. 2007–2024University of Pennsylvania

Education

  1. University of PennsylvaniaPhD in Theoretical Condensed Matter Physics

From the biography and OpenAlex affiliations (the years of papers that list the organization), so some years are approximate.

Most-cited works

  1. Topological modes bound to dislocations in mechanical metamaterials2015 · Nature Physics · 373 citations
  2. Origami Multistability: From Single Vertices to Metasheets2015 · Physical Review Letters · 326 citations
  3. Nonlinear conduction via solitons in a topological mechanical insulator2014 · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · 295 citations
  4. Colloquium: Disclination loops, point defects, and all that in nematic liquid crystals2012 · Reviews of Modern Physics · 278 citations
  5. Topological Mechanics of Origami and Kirigami2016 · Physical Review Letters · 213 citations

From OpenAlex, as of 19 October 2026.

  1. More people shaping AI studied at Massachusetts Institute of Technology than at any other institutionIncludes University of Pennsylvania. Our estimates of where the people shaping AI studied and where their careers led, from education records in cited biographies.
  2. 44% of AI career moves go from one university to anotherIncludes University of Pennsylvania. We estimate how 13,335 AI career moves link universities, companies, labs and government research centers, with net flows and the most common paths.
  3. Stanford University trained or employed 26 of the 108 AI major-prize winners, more than any other universityIncludes University of Pennsylvania. Stanford University trained or employed 26 of the 108 AI major-prize winners, more than any other university. We compare doctorate and employment links for major-prize and best-paper winners.
  4. Google has the highest combined h-index among AI organizationsIncludes Columbia University. Our estimates of combined and median h-index at AI organizations, using current affiliations and OpenAlex records.

Colleagues

People with dated positions at the same organization in the same years.

Sources and credits

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  1. Nematic Films and Radially Anisotropic Delaunay Surfaces arxiv.org. Checked 18 October 2026.
  2. Solution of the Roth-Marques-Durian rotational abrasion model journals.aps.org. Checked 18 October 2026.
  3. Generating the Hopf Fibration Experimentally in Nematic Liquid Crystals journals.aps.org. Checked 18 October 2026.
  4. Topological Mechanics of Origami and Kirigami journals.aps.org. Checked 18 October 2026.
  5. Mathlib maintainers leanprover-community.github.io. Checked 18 October 2026.
  6. Growing Mathlib: maintenance of a large scale mathematical library arxiv.org. Checked 18 October 2026.