MMCP’2026 summing up On 22 – 26 June, the International Conference “Mathematical Modeling and Computational Physics” (MMCP’2026) took place at the Meshcheryakov Laboratory of Information Technologies. The large-scale scientific event brought together specialists from around the world to discuss urgent issues at the intersection of fundamental science, mathematical modeling, and information technology. Latchesar Kostov highlighted that the MMCP’2026 conference was not only a key event in the Laboratory’s scientific calendar, but also a landmark for the Institute’s anniversary year. The MMCP’2026 conference program embraced 23 plenary and 175 sessional talks on mathematical methods and tools for modeling complex systems, including life sciences, methods of quantum computing and quantum information processing, machine learning and Big Data analytics, methods and numerical algorithms in modern mathematical physics, as well as methods for data processing and analysis in megascience projects. MMCP’2026 Organizing Committee Co-chairman, MLIT Scientific Leader Vladimir Korenkov announced an impressive figure that this year the conference had gathered a record number of participants, over 300 specialists. According to him, such high interest is largely due to the rapid development of artificial intelligence technologies. Today, AI is no longer just a hot topic of research, but one of the tools widely used in physics research, as reflected in many of the talks delivered. As Vladimir Korenkov explained, the modern MMCP conference stemmed from conferences on mathematical modeling initiated by Nikolay Nikolaevich Govorun and developed with the active participation of Evgeny Petrovich Zhidkov. Over the years, it was led by outstanding scientists, including Alexander Andreevich Samarsky and Igor Viktorovich Puzynin. Since 2006, the conference has been held under the MMCP name, traditionally alternating venues between Dubna and foreign scientific centers. At MMCP’2026 thematic sessions, reports by young researchers and leading scientists were accompanied by dynamic and lively discussions. This format facilitated the exchange of experience, the discussion of new scientific ideas, and the formation of promising international collaborations. Record-breaking youth engagement was another distinctive feature of MMCP’2026. Moreover, a significant number of students, postgraduates, and young researchers came not just as listeners, but presented their own scientific findings. Vladimir Korenkov praised the level of their presentations, underlining that it is the combination of the experience of renowned scientists and the energy of the younger generation that ensures the further development of the conference, the Institute, and science in general. This idea was supported by JINR Vice-Director Elena Kolganova, who expressed the hope that the scientific and social ties established here, especially among young scientists involved in related scientific fields, but working in different scientific teams, would be maintained. It is precisely such relationships that form the basis for future cooperation and contribute to the development of science. According to her, this atmosphere of collaboration and open scientific dialogue makes the MMCP conference a pivotal platform for the professional growth of young specialists and the emergence of new international scientific connections. MMCP’2026 Program Committee Chairman, MLIT Director Sergei Shmatov pointed out that it was no longer possible to imagine modern scientific conferences in the field of information technology and mathematical methods without the topic of artificial intelligence. The primary focus is currently shifting from the elaboration of basic AI methods to their effective application to solving scientific and applied tasks that arise within the Institute’s scientific program. Particular attention is paid to the creation of algorithms and software for experimental data processing, reconstruction, and analysis. At the same time, despite the rapid development of artificial intelligence, mathematical modeling, computational physics, and the development of computational methods for solving complex physical problems remain the conference’s foundation. Summing up the five days of MMCP’2026, MLIT Director emphasized that the application of artificial intelligence methods and technologies was becoming an integral part of experimental physics data processing, and mathematical modeling was increasingly developing at the intersection of classical computational approaches and artificial intelligence technologies. According to Sergei Shmatov, MMCP’2026 attained its main goal of strengthening scientific cooperation. During the conference, new professional contacts were established, and promising joint investigations were outlined. In 2026, the MMCP conference had almost twice as many participants as expected. This was a testament to growing interest in the conference and simultaneously a real challenge for the organizing committee, which nevertheless successfully coped with additional organizational tasks. MMCP’2026 Organizing Committee Co-chairs Vladimir Korenkov andMichal Hnatič, Sector Head at the JINR Bogoliubov Laboratory of Theoretical Physics, expressed special gratitude to the conference’s Scientific Secretary Olga Derenovskaia, highlighting her organizational talent and key role in preparing and hosting the conference. Michal Hnatič also voiced hope that the next MMCP conference would be held in Slovakia. According to him, this would be a good sign that international scientific cooperation is once again developing in full force. Alexander Bogdanov, Doctor of Physics and Mathematics, Professor of the Department of Fundamental Informatics and Distributed Systems at St. Petersburg State University, drew attention to the fact that for researchers working on fundamental problems, such conferences offered a unique opportunity for live communication with colleagues. “No modern means of communication can replace face-to-face meetings, where ideas are born, results are discussed, and new scientific ties are established. This is why it is so crucial to maintain the tradition of such conferences, since they are what help science move forward,” he said. Dimitar Mladenov, Professor of the Theoretical Physics Department of the Faculty of Physics at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, also underlined the importance of maintaining the tradition of holding conferences in person. According to him, it is face-to-face meetings that build trust, strengthen friendships, help find like-minded people, and foster science together: “I really want this tradition to be preserved and our international scientific community to continue to grow.” Over 300 specialists from 18 countries, including Armenia, Belarus, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Egypt, Georgia, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, New Zealand, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Slovakia, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam, participated in MMCP’2026. Russia was represented by participants from 44 universities and research centers. This once again confirms the conference’s high international authority and its significant role as a platform for enhancing international cooperation. The MMCP’2026 scientific program was supplemented with cultural events; a boat trip on the Volga river and a barbecue were organized for the participants. The MMCP’2026 conference honorably continued the legacy of previous years, becoming one of the large-scale scientific events in its history. Long-standing scientific traditions, the high level of talks, and the active participation of young researchers, along with a record number of participants, demonstrate the high interest of the international scientific community in the advancement of mathematical modeling, computational physics, and artificial intelligence methods. The full list of the talks and conference materials are available at the link. Selected proceedings of the conference will be published in the «Natural Science Review» and Physics of Elementary Particles and Atomic Nuclei journals.
