Notes on Engineering Health, August 2019: Inaugural Note

In August 1900, German mathematician David Hilbert presented a paper at the International Congress of Mathematicians in Paris. Rather than reviewing a new mathematical solution, the paper was simply a list of ten problems, each of which was unsolved at the time (the list was later extended to include a total of 23 unsolved problems). In some cases, a problem on the list was solved quickly (problem #3 was solved during the same year the paper was presented); in some cases, the problems led to the creation of entirely new mathematical sub-disciplines (problem #11 led to quadratic forms; problem #16 to real algebraic curves); and in some cases, the problems were deemed to be improperly formed (problem #4 is generally regarded as too vague to support a definitive answer). Overall, though, Hilbert’s List had a catalyzing effect on the math community — causing it to self-organize against the key challenges laid out in his problem set.

Digitalis invests in solutions to complex problems in health. In doing so, we aspire to framing and tackling Hilbert-level open problems in fields relevant to our mission. This newsletter will periodically provide notes on our efforts in an attempt to “show our work.” We invite you to be in touch with your ideas about important problems and potential solutions. And we look forward to working with you to develop the best solutions at scale to deliver better health to all.



Digitalis Commons
Digitalis Commons is a non-profit that partners with groups and individuals striving to address complex health problems by building solutions that are frontier-advancing, open-access, and scalable. Some of our current projects include:

DiMe Society
The Digital Medicine (DiMe) Society is a professional society for practitioners of digital medicine. It creates a community of experts centered on the concept of driving scientific progress and the wide acceptance of digital medicine as a professional discipline capable of significantly impacting public health through improved health measurement, diagnosis and treatment.

Digitalis Commons serves on the society’s scientific advisory board as well as having been a founding financial sponsor for the society.

You can read the press release about DiMe's launch, have a look at its first publication, and follow DiMe on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Dart Grants
Digitalis Commons offers quick, targeted $3,000 grants to individuals and groups working to develop public goods for better health.

To learn more about Dart Grants, visit digitaliscommons.org/dart-grants/.