Marni Mishna
About Me 
I am a professor in mathematics at Simon Fraser University.
My main research interests lie in analytic and enumerative
combinatorics. I strive to find algorithmic, and systematic
solutions to problems that arise in combinatorics. One of my main
projects is to find ways to characterize and classify combinatorial
classes with transcendental generating functions. This has led to a
detailed study of coefficient asymptotics and also of lattice paths
in a variety of contexts.
I am also interested in the role of art and design in mathematical communication.
Affiliations
- Associate Dean, Equity Diversity Inclusion, Simon Fraser University Faculty of Science
- Full Professor, Simon Fraser University Mathematics Department
News
Congratulations to Liv Wieber, Math MSc student AND NCAA Wrestling super star. Not only is she the 2025-26 RMAC Women's Wrestler of the year, but ranked 3rd in the NCAA championships. Read more HERE. Way to go Liv!!Hirotoshi Yuzawa will defend his MSc thesis The Mathematics of Arrangement Puzzle Design on April 2, 9:30 AM in K9509. Way to go Hiro!
Congratulations to Dr. Seda Albayrak for being invited as a speaker to DART 2026!
Recent Publications:
- Differential transcendence and walks on self-similar graphs with Yakob Kahane. We extended the example of Sierpinsnki graphs from the paper below with Lucia and Gwladys to a large class of self-similar graphs. This gives strong evidence that the only self-similar graph with a Green function that is not differentially transcendental is an inifinite star centered at a single vertex. Accepted for publication in Canadian Mathematical Bulletin Arxiv link
- Differential equations satisfied by generating functions of 5-, 6-, and 7-regular labelled graphs: a reduction-based approach, with Frederic Chyzak. After 20 years of trying we finally found the linear differential equations satisfied by the generating function for 5-, 6-, and 7- regular graphs. Accepted for publication in Combinatorial Theory Arxiv link
- Inhomogeneous order 1 iterative functional equations
with applications to combinatorics with Lucia Di Vizio and Gwladys
Fernandes. We give a simple criterion for a generating function to be
differentially transcendental, and apply it to complete trees, walks
on self-similar graphs and a series related to the egf of permutations
avoiding the consecutive pattern 1423. Arxiv link
- 10th International Conference on Lattice Path Combinatorics and Applications 2026 (LPC 2026), Vienna, Austria link (Plenary Speaker)
- FPSAC 2025, Sapporo, Japan July 21-25, 2025
- Workshop on Model Theory, Algebraic Dynamics, and Differential-Algebraic Geometry Fields Institute June 16 - 20, 2025
- CIRM Thematic Month on Singularities, differential equations, transcendence
Mini Biography
| 1993 - 1997 | BMath Waterloo (CO-OP; Honours joint Pure Math and Computer Science) |
| 1998 | TRLabs, Edmonton |
| 1998 - 2000 | MSc Simon Fraser University (Pure Math) |
| 2000 | Projet ALGO, INRIA, France | 2000 - 2003 | PhD Universite du Quebec a Montreal (Math fondamentales) | 2003 - 2005 | NSERC Post Doctoral Fellowship: Bordeaux (LaBRI) / Fields Institute Toronto | 2005 - 2012 | SFU Assistant Professor (NSERC University Faculty Award) | January 2008 | CNRS Poste Rouge Orsay (France) | 2012 - 2018 | SFU Associate Professor | 2018 - present | SFU Professor | Fall 2018 | CNRS Invited Professor Tours (France) |
| 2018 - 2020 | Visiting Professor, LaBRI, University of Bordeaux (France) | 2019-2021 | PIMS Deputy Director | 2023-2026 | Associate Dean EDI, Faculty of Science, SFU |