Welcome!

Welcome to my page!

My name is Leslie Jiménez Palma, I'm a Chilean mathematician, I'm 40 years old (as of 2023). I am an active person who likes to do many things at the same time. From an artistic point of view, I would define myself as a Hopper and someone who loves to sing. I've always been interested in mathematics popularization, and that's why I've participated in science fairs, school workshops, Explora projects of CONICYT, etc. I am co-creator of the podcast "Con la suma de todas las fuerzas" and the instagram "Ojo piojo con la visualización matemática". I am also a member of the collective of women mathematicians of Chile, a member of the Chilean Association of Journalists and Professionals for Science Communication, ACHIPEC, and the Network of Disseminators of Chile, DIMATCHILE. I have a diploma in science communication from the University of Chile (2021) and I am the author of the book "The great adventure of knowledge. A walk with mathematics in four seasons" (2023), together with Constanza Rojas-Molina for Editorial Planeta Chile. Here you can see an excerpt and learn more about the book https://www.planetadelibros.cl/libro-la-gran-aventura-del-conocimiento/374245. One of my current projects is to link mathematics education with its communication with a transversal approach to gender, for which I have a personal project of mathematics communication on Instagram under the name @ellalamatematica. 

Academically, I have studied and worked for many years in mathematics, I did my doctorate and research in pure mathematics until I decided to make a change and enter the world of mathematics education a couple of years ago. Currently, I teach mainly in the first years of high school teaching in mathematics and physics. I do research in didactics of university mathematics, and since March 2020 I am the coordinator of the mathematics area of this career. 

I was a visiting researcher at Linköping University, Sweden, from January 2015 to September 2017. During the first 2 years I did a postdoc; I worked in pure mathematics in the field of complex geometry, specifically, I did research on Riemann surfaces and their Jacobian varieties with group actions. The last year of my visit, I was introduced to research in the area of didactics of mathematics. 

I am currently doing research in the area of university mathematics didactics. I am working with the concept of mathematical visualization and mathematical work. Among others, I am studying how to reduce the gap between upper secondary school and the first year of university in initial mathematics teacher training in the area of calculus. 

I was part of the DAAD Fachbezogene Partnerschaften university project with Prof. Dr. Rudolf vom Hofe Prodekan from the University of Bielefeld (2018-2022) and the Visiting Professor 2021 collaboration project of the Transversal Education Program PTE of the University of Chile for research in Didactics of University Mathematics in collaboration with Dr. Alain Kuzniak from the LDAR at the University of Paris. Currently I also collaborate with Dr. Macarena Flores from the same LDAR lab at the University of Paris and recently I was awarded a collaborative project with the CMM of the University of Chile to collaborate with Dr. Salomé Martínez in the area of Mathematics Education and initial teacher training in mathematics. 

Since September 2018 I have been working as an academic at the University of Chile, Faculty of Science, Department of Mathematics.  First as an Instructor Professor until August 2022 and since September of that same year as an Assistant Professor.  In 2022 I was recognized as Best Undergraduate Teacher of the University of Chile, in its 180 years, and in December 2023 was launched the set of booklets (for free download) INSPIRADORAS EN STEM of the Ministry of Science and Ministry of Women, in which I was invited to be part of the 24 women recognized. 

Before that, I obtained my PhD in mathematics in July 2014 at the University of Chile, under the supervision of Professor Anita Rojas.

Research interests and knowledge creation

I am currently conducting research in the area of university mathematics didactics. I am working on mathematical visualization and its articulation with mathematical activity and work for the initial teacher education (FID) of high school mathematics in the first year at the University of Chile. Mainly, I am studying how to reduce the gap between upper secondary school and the first year of the University in the mathematical area with a focus on FID. Another of my current interests is to conduct research linking mathematics and society, from its education and communication. 

During my PhD thesis, I worked in the field of complex geometry. Specifically, doing research on algebraic curves, Riemann surfaces and their Jacobian varieties with group actions.

Published articles, book chapters and books:

Flores-González, M. & Jiménez, L. (2023). A methodology to design bridge tasks to work on Klein's first discontinuity. Poster, proceedings CERME 13, Budapest, Hungary. 

Jiménez, L., & Kuzniak, A. (2023). Mathematical work of pre-service teachers: a modeling task in calculus. Proceedings Symposium of Mathematical Working Space, ETM 7, Strasbourg, France.

Jiménez, L. & Rojas-molina, C. (2023). The great adventure of knowledge. A walk with mathematics in four seasons. Editorial Planeta, 200 pp, ISBN: 978-956-408-295-0.

Valdés-Zorrilla, A., Díaz-Rojas, D., Jiménez, L., & Soto-Andrade, J. (2023). Random Walks as a Royal Road to E-STEAM in Math Education. Constructivist Foundations, 18(2), 259-276. 

Jimenez, L. Transiting from high school to college in mathematics workshop sessions for student teachers. In R. vom Hofe, E. Puraiván, E. Ramos-Rodríguez, P. Reyes-Santander, J. Soto-Andrade, C. Vargas (Eds.). Contributions to the articulation between theory and practice in mathematics education (pp. 235-254). Barcelona: Grao (2021).

Jiménez, L., Menares, R., Pomareda, R. Tasks that activate a complete mathematical work in student teachers. ETM 6, IMA-PUCV, Valparaíso (2019).

Jiménez, L., Ärlebäck, J. B (2019). Utilizando el modelo del Espacio de Trabajo Matemático como lente sobre la geometría en el currículo sueco de matemáticas de secundaria superior. En J. Häggström, J. B. Ärlebäck, M. Fahlgren, M. Johansson, O. Olande, & Y. Liljekvist (Eds.) (en prensa), Perspectives on Professional development of mathematics teachers, Actas de MDIF11: The 11th Swedish Mathematics Education Research Seminar, Karlstad, 23-28 de enero de 2018. SMDF. 

Izquierdo, M. Jiménez, L. Rojas. A. Descomposiciones de variedades jacobianas con ciertas acciones diédricas vía estratificación equisimétrica. Revista Matemática Iberoamericana (2019).

Hidalgo, R.; Jiménez, L.; Quispe, S.; Reyes-Carocca, S. Curvas cuasiplatónicas con grupo de simetría Z22⋊Zm son definibles sobre Q. Bull. London Math. Soc. 49 (2017) 165-183.

Jiménez, L. Sobre la descomposición en álgebra de grupo de una variedad jacobiana. Revista de la Real Academia de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Serie A. Matemáticas, 110 (1), 185-199 (2016).

Pre-prints:

Jiménez, L. (2023). Por qué la gente abandona las matemáticas? Historias de las redes sociales.

Non academic activities

• Currently taking classes of Swedish language.  

• Singing classes of popular singing and jazz. 

• Dancing Swing dances: Lindy hop, charleston, Shag.

• Ice skating (figure and long distance)

• Travelling 

See photos in https://sites.google.com/site/lesliejimenezpalma/fotos/hobbies

Links of interests (Academic)

Links de interés 

Math camp for girls and high school teachers (MateA)

Chilean association of Science Journalists and Professionals for Science Communication

Math Department, Science Faculty U de Chile

Chilean Complex Geometry group.

Biographies of Women Mathematicians,  at  Agnes scott college website.

Chilean women mathematicians collective

IMU Women in Maths