Adrian Manea, PhD.#
Hey there!
I’m Adrian, founder and manager of Poligon Educational.
I have a PhD. in Mathematics since 2016 and have worked until 2026 as a teaching assistant at the Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science of the University of Bucharest, and the Faculty of Applied Sciences of the Politehnica University of Bucharest.
Poligon Educational started in 2023, but it was just a simple and natural continuation of my passion for scientific and mathematical education. In fact, I’m at my happiest when I share what I know or found out. It’s one of the reasons I became a teacher.
Much of the initial spark is due to some excellent professors I’ve met during my academic education. I am grateful for having worked with and learned from leading experts such as Sorin Dăscălescu, Dragoș Ștefan, Victor Alexandru, Victor Vuletescu, and Paltin Ionescu. They all showed me that everything becomes clearer and easier to understand, even the most abstract constructions, when historical context is provided, or when philosophical interpretations are discussed, and not least when you keep in mind that researchers were chiefly very curious people.
What followed naturally was my collaboration with the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Bucharest. I attented courses of early modern philosophy taught by Dana Jalobeanu, then co-taught myself, with Sorin Costreie and Alexandru Dragomir. We teamed up for an undergraduate course in the Philosophy of Mathematics and its Ontology. The discussions and debates that emerged with Philosophy students were some of the most entertaining and thought-provoking I ever had, totally different from what I was used to at the Faculty of Mathematics or at Politehnica.
So I started Poligon — many-sided science and geekery. In January 2024, my first journalistic article appeared, in a local magazine, a cultural staple for decades, Dilema Veche. It was followed by increasingly more articles, columns, book reviews, and editorials in local magazines such as Dilema, Școala9, Mindcraft Stories, and Vocativ.
Poligon grew naturally and I am very happy to have joined forces with Maria, Răzvan, and Joshua. Together, we strive to improve mathematical and scientific education for curious minds of all ages.
You can find out more about me and my activity on my personal website.