Aline Zanardini
École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
Lecturer and researcher in mathematics
École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
Lecturer and researcher in mathematics
I am a mathematician currently living in Switzerland. I work at EPFL as a Bernoulli Instructor in the Institute of Mathematics. My research area is complex algebraic geometry, and my main interests lie in the realms of birational geometry and moduli theory. In particular, I have been studying singularities and their invariants, using tools from the minimal model program, and working with geometric invariant theory problems.
I obtained my PhD in May 2021 from the University of Pennsylvania under the supervision of Antonella Grassi. After graduating, I moved to the Netherlands, and between July 2021 and June 2023, I was a postdoc at Leiden University, where my mentor was Federica Pasquotto. I am originally from the south of Brazil, where I completed my undergraduate studies (B.Sc. in Math) and a master's degree at the Federal University of Paraná (UFPR).
You can find out more about my academic profile below.
Preprints
Symplectic cohomology of cAn singularities. (joint with N. Alaloglou and F. Pasquotto). ArXiv. (submitted).
Publications
On GIT stability of linear systems of hypersurfaces in projective space. (joint with M. Hattori). Rev. Mat. Iberoam. 41 (2025), no. 3, pp. 807–836. ArXiv version.
Non-symplectic automorphisms of order multiple of seven on K3 surfaces. (joint with R. Bell, P. Comparin, J. Li, A. Rincón-Hidalgo, and A. Sarti). JPAA Vol. 228, Issue 4, April 2024.
The moduli space of rational elliptic surfaces of index two. (joint with R. Miranda) Indag. Math. Vol. 33 (2022), Issue 5, 919-935.
A note on the stability of pencils of plane curves. Math. Z. 300 (2022), 1741–1751.
Stability of pencils of plane sextics and Halphen pencils of index two. Manuscripta Math. (2022).
Explicit constructions of Halphen pencils of index two. Rocky Mountain J. Math. Vol. 52 (2022), No. 4, 1485-1522. ArXiv version.
I am teaching Algebra V(Galois Theory) and Advanced Linear Algebra I (1st year BA in Physics) during Fall 2025.
--------------- List of courses taught
As instructor
Algebra V—Galois theory, EPFL, Fall 2024
41 students, 1 TA
Topology I—point set topology, EPFL, Fall 2024
131 students, 3 TAs
Geometry, EPFL, Spring 2024
Introduction to differential geometry for civil engineering, 1st year course, 65 students, 5 TAs.
Metric and Topological Spaces, EPFL, Fall 2023
2nd year course (bachelor in Mathematics), 90 students, 3 TAs.
Representation Theory, Leiden University, Spring 2023 (together with Olga Lukina)
3rd year course (bachelor in Mathematics)
Calculus, Leiden University (LUC), Fall 2022
intensive 7-week introduction to differential and integral calculus, with 2-hour lectures twice a week
Representation Theory, Leiden University, Spring 2022 (together with Bart de Smit)
Calculus, Leiden University (LUC), Fall 2021
Ideas in Mathematics, University of Pennsylvania, Summer 2019
intensive course with 2-hour classes Monday through Thursday for five weeks, no TAs.
As teaching assistant
Advanced Calculus, University of Pennsylvania, Spring 2020
weekly 2-hour long recitations + office hours, 17 students
half in-person and half virtually due to the pandemic, departmental good teaching award
Advanced Analysis, University of Pennsylvania, Fall 2018
weekly 2-hour long recitations (x2) + grading + office hours, 39 students divided into 2 sessions
Advanced Linear Algebra, University of Pennsylvania, Spring 2018
weekly 2-hour long recitations (x2) + grading + office hours, 51 students divided into 2 sessions
Calculus I (Active Learning), University of Pennsylvania, Fall 2017
assistance during lectures + weekly 2-hour long recitations (x2) + office hours, 33 students divided into 2 sessions
--------------- Student supervision
Marko Ivanovic, supervisor, semester project (master), EPFL, Spring 2025.
"Invariants of plane curve singularities."
Ruchi Tan, supervisor, semester project (master), EPFL, Spring 2025.
"Classifying curves of genus two."
Alice Foffa, supervisor, semester project (bachelor), EPFL, Spring 2024
"1,2,4 and 8: Hurwitz's theorem."
Vittoria Sofia Talia Hance, supervisor, semester project (bachelor), EPFL, Spring 2024
"On the topology of fiber bundles."
Isak Gustaf Salomon Sundelius, supervisor, semester project (master), EPFL, Fall 2023
"Constructing automorphisms of K3 surfaces via elliptic fibrations."
Stefania Vassiliadis, co-supervisor, Master's thesis, ALGANT program, Leiden University, Spring 2022
``Fano manifolds as Mori dream spaces."
Directed Reading Program (DRP) at UPenn, Department of Mathematics, Spring 2020
Supervised an undergraduate student in a semester-long reading project in Applied Topology.
--------------- Teaching training
I hold the Dutch "Basis Kwalificatie Onderwijs" (BKO). Track completed at Leiden University. Certificate awarded July 2023.
At Penn, I participated in several teaching-related workshops organized by the CETLI, such as:
Designing for equity and engagement in online teaching (2020)
Facilitating live sessions (2020)
Helping students help themselves (2020)
Making the most of recitation (2019)
I also participated in and completed the SAIL TA training in Fall 2017.
2025
Universität Wien, Austria, June 2025
Philipps-Universität Marburg, Germany, June 2025
Seminar Algebra and Geometry, University of Basel, April 2025.
Basel-Dijon-EPFL-Neuchâtel-Zürich meeting, Switzerland, April 2025.
Perspectives on Moduli in Algebraic Geometry, BRIN workshop, USA, Jan 2025.
2024
Université de Poitiers, LMA, Nov 2024.
Géométrie Algébrique et Géométrie Complexe, Rencontre annuelle du RT GAS @CIRM, Nov 2024.
Birational Geometry and Number Theory, ICMS workshop, Oct 2024.
KASS seminar, University of Gothenburg, Oct 2024.
K-stability and moment maps workshop, INI (EMG program), May 2024.
Algebraic geometry and algebraic topology seminar, Université d'Angers, April 2024.
Algebra, Geometry and Number Theory seminar, Leiden University, Feb 2024.
2023
Algebra and Number Theory seminar, University of Glasgow, Nov 2023.
Seminários contínuos PPGM, UFPR (Online), Nov 2023.
Joy in algebraic geometry. A conference in honor of Rick Miranda. Sep 2023.
AG Seminar at Utrecht University, June 2023.
Axioma Symposium, University of Groningen, May 2023.
Algebra seminar, University of Groningen, May 2023.
Online Algebraic Geometry Seminar, Nottingham University, April 2023.
Diamant Symposium, Utrecht, April 2023.
Explicit Moduli Problems in Higher Dimensions, BIRS workshop, Banff, Canada, Feb 2023 (Video).
2022
Algebraic Geometry Seminar, ICTP, Nov 2022.
Arithmetic & Algebraic Geometry seminar, University of Amsterdam, Sep 2022.
Seminario di algebra e geometria, Università di Bologna, June 2022.
GAeL XXIX, Paris, May 2022.
Junior Algebraic Geometry Seminar, April 2022.
Student Algebraic Geometry and Foliations Seminar at IMPA (Online), April 2022.
2021
Groups, Arithmetic & Algebraic Geometry Seminar, EPFL, Nov 2021.
Seminar Algebra and Geometry, University of Basel, Nov 2021.
Algebra, geometry and number theory seminar, Leiden University, Oct 2021.
Second ECOS-ANID workshop in Algebraic Geometry (Online), July 2021. (Video)
ZAG seminar (Online), July 2021. (Video)
Columbia Algebraic Geometry seminar, Columbia University (Online), May 2021.
Algebra seminar, University of Groningen (Online), May 2021.
FRAGMENT seminar (Online), Mar 2021.
Seminario di algebra e geometria, Università di Bologna (Online), Mar 2021.
Algebra and Algebraic Geometry Seminar, University of Washington (Online), Feb 2021.
Algebra Seminar, Rutgers University (Online), Feb 2021.
2019 & 2020
Young Brazilian Algebraic Geometry Seminar (Online), Aug 2020. (Video)
Graduate Student Seminar (MSRI), May 2019. (Abstract)
Upcoming and/or recent travel
Summer Research Institute in Algebraic Geometry (Week 1), USA, July 2025.
Singularities, Oberwolfach, Germany, 28 Sep - 3 Oct 2025.
Boundedness and Moduli Problems in Birational Geometry and Foliation Theory, Pisa, Italy, Oct 27 – 31, 2025.
New Developments in Singularity Theory, IMSA, USA, Nov 10 - 14, 2025.
Women* at the MI meetings (Leiden)
Co-organizer - Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Spring 2023
I helped to organize both informal coffee/tea breaks aimed at the women* working @ the MI and some themed lunchtime panel discussions open to everyone in the department. The first were envisioned as a safe place for conversations, supporting each other and network building. The second mostly consisted of brainstorming on the challenges faced by women* in academia and gender representation in mathematics.
We also gathered for some other events, such as:
a screening of the movie "Secrets of the Surface: The Mathematical Vision of Maryam Mirzakhani",
an online talk by Angela Saini titled "Fighting the Myth of Female Inferiority" (organized by FEM),
and a silent discussion + board games + pizza night.
Algebra, geometry and number theory (AGNT) seminar (Leiden)
Co-organizer- Spring 2022, Fall 2022 and Spring 2023
American Graduate Student Algebraic Geometry Seminar (Online)
Co-organizer – Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 (Webpage)
Very Short Talks at Penn
Co-organizer – Fall 2020 and Spring 2021
Directed Reading Program (DRP) at Penn
Mentor – Spring 2020
woMAN UP! – Fall 2019
I participated in a panel about grad student life at the workshop woMan UP!, which was aimed at undergraduate women who were applying to math graduate school.
Toric Geometry Reading Seminar (UPenn)
Organizer - Fall 2018
TA training - 2018, 2019, 2020 (UPenn)
For three consecutive years, I was one of the master TAs in the Math department at Penn. My duties included helping to organize and conduct the annual TA training aimed at first-time TAs, and also in-class observations of the new TAs followed by informal meetings.
aline [dot] zanardini [at] epfl [dot] ch