Simons Institute Courses

What is Consciousness and Can Machines Have It? - Part 1

Explore the Theater Model of Consciousness and the Conscious Turing Machine (CTM) that formalizes how consciousness emerges from competing processors without a Central Executive.

• YouTube
• 47 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Linear Representations of Concepts in Modern AI Models

Discover how concepts are linearly encoded in neural networks using probes and Recursive Feature Machines to extract human knowledge from Large Language Models.

• YouTube
• 37 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Kuramoto Problem and Smale Institute

Explore the Kuramoto Problem through expert perspectives from leading mathematicians at this tribute conference honoring Steve Smale's contributions to dynamical systems.

• YouTube
• 50 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Measures of Perfection

Discover how mathematical concepts of perfection apply to real-world engineering challenges in this tribute talk honoring mathematician Steve Smale's contributions to optimization theory.

• YouTube
• 29 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Towards Trustworthy AI - Reflections on Learning and Smale's Legacy

Explore the fundamental limitations of intelligence through dynamical algorithms, topology learning, and trustworthy AI development inspired by Smale's 18th problem.

• YouTube
• 30 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

VerITAS - Verifying Image Transformations at Scale

Discover how VerITAS uses zero-knowledge proofs to verify image edits on large photos, enabling authentic news media through cryptographic signatures and efficient transformation validation.

• YouTube
• 31 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Hash-based Folding Schemes

Discover hash-based folding schemes for efficient incrementally verifiable computation through interactive oracle reductions with linear prover time and constant verifier queries.

• YouTube
• 52 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Proofs

Explore advanced proof techniques and theoretical foundations presented by a Princeton University researcher in this comprehensive mathematical discourse.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 11 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Succinct Non-interactive Arguments of Proximity

Explore advanced cryptographic proof systems enabling verification of extremely long statements through short messages and sublinear reading, featuring novel commitment schemes.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 2 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Error-Correcting Codes That Enable Efficient SNARKs

Explore error-correcting codes that power efficient SNARKs, examining code families, core properties, and prover-verifier tradeoffs in cryptographic proof systems.

• YouTube
• 1 hour
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Towards SNARGs for NP from Standard Assumptions

Explore recent advances in constructing SNARGs for NP from standard cryptographic assumptions, bypassing indistinguishability obfuscation requirements.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 8 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

An Introduction to Lattice-Based Folding Schemes

Discover lattice-based folding schemes for scalable proof systems with post-quantum security benefits and faster proving techniques.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 6 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Accountable AI with ZKPs - Certifying Fairness and Explanations under Model Confidentiality

Discover how zero-knowledge proofs enable AI accountability by certifying fairness and explanations while maintaining model confidentiality in high-stakes applications.

• YouTube
• 29 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

An Introduction to Commitment-Based Succinct Arguments

Discover how succinct arguments combine probabilistic proofs with cryptographic commitments through an elegant unified framework that illuminates the SNARG landscape.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 12 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

A Zero-Knowledge PCP Theorem

Discover how to achieve zero-knowledge proofs that are locally checkable, combining two fundamental complexity theory results into a unified framework for secure verification.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 13 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video