The Institute for Advanced Studies (IAS) – UM6P hosted a stimulating session of the Mercredis de l’IAS seminar series led by Prof. El Haj Laamri, IAS resident researcher.

Entitled When Mathematics Meets Nature: A Guided Journey Through Living Forms and Patterns, the seminar explored a fundamental and fascinating question: how do natural forms and patterns—such as zebra stripes, leopard spots, or the spirals of seashells—emerge in the living world? Building on Alan Turing’s visionary 1952 hypothesis, the lecture examined how simple biological and chemical processes can give rise to complex patterns through reaction–diffusion mechanisms.

Held at Salle Laâyoune on the UM6P Campus Benguerir, the session offered an accessible overview of how these natural phenomena continue to shape contemporary mathematical research. With minimal technicality, Prof. Laamri presented a synthesis of established results while highlighting several open problems that remain at the forefront of the field.

The seminar focused in particular on reaction–diffusion systems of the Turing type and their deep connections between mathematics, chemistry, and biology. Prof. Laamri shared insights from his scientific trajectory and theoretical contributions, including L¹ and L² estimates, mass control techniques, and regularity results for solutions. He also addressed current challenges, especially those related to nonlinear systems and higher-growth cases, illustrating how mathematical rigor helps clarify models originating in experimental sciences.

Beyond the scientific content, the talk underscored Prof. Laamri’s strong commitment to knowledge dissemination, academic training at the master’s and doctoral levels, and international collaboration. The central role of student supervision in producing robust and lasting research outcomes was also emphasized.