Since their birth to the present day, spin glasses remain a vibrant area of research. This enduring vitality can be attributed to two primary factors. Firstly, certain conjectures continue to pose significant challenges for mathematical physicists, despite decades of concerted effort. Secondly, their distinctive feature lies in the universality of the approaches used to describe their theory, which has permeated numerous other disciplines, including social sciences, information theory, high-dimensional probability, and notably, machine learning, a domain currently experiencing a resurgence following the AI winter of the previous century.

The workshop aims to illustrate the key milestones in the consolidation of the mathematical and physical theory of spin glasses by showcasing the firsthand experiences of leading researchers in the field, while also acknowledging the many possibilities it still holds for exploration.

The event will take place in the Ulysses room of the Bologna Academy of Sciences, a prestigious venue traditionally reserved for top-tier conferences and seminars, adorned with Pellegrino Tebaldi’s frescoes depicting the exploits of the Homeric hero.