Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences
Annual Report 2005 | 06
The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences
Mission Statement
The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences (PIMS) was founded and is maintained by the five main universities in Western Canada (Simon Fraser University, University of Alberta, University of British Columbia, University of Calgary, and University of Victoria). In 2005 the University of Washington joined this group of Canadian universities, thereby extending PIMS’ influence into the United States.
PIMS’ objectives are:
• Promoting research in mathematics; • Strengthening ties and collaboration between mathematical scientists in the academic community, in the industrial and business sector, and in government; • Enhancing education and training in mathematical sciences, and broadening communication of mathematical ideas; and • Creating strong mathematical partnerships and links within Canada and with organizations in other countries, focusing on Pacific Rim nations.
PIMS has a close partnership with the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute (MSRI), and the Mathematics of Information Technology and Complex Systems (MITACS). The Universities of Lethbridge, Northern British Columbia, and Regina are affiliates.
In its nine years of existence, PIMS has developed numerous ways in which to fulfil the objectives set by its founding universities. These include Collaborative Research Groups, various Scientific, Education, and Industrial activities, the Banff International Research Station (BIRS), and Postdoctoral Fellowships. As the Director of PIMS, I am committed to continuing in this direction, as well as exploring other ways in which PIMS can contribute to mathematics, science, and education.
Ivar Ekeland PIMS Director
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Message from the Director
n 2005-06, the Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences I(PIMS) has continued to expand the scope of its mathematical research and collaboration, through our ties with mathematicians in Canada and the United States, with international organizations, and with industry.
PIMS’ dedication to collaborative mathematical research continues to show results. In 2005-06, five new Collaborative Research Groups (CRG) began operations, while five others wrapped up their activities. Our Postdoctoral Fellowships programme attracted bright mathematical minds to the PIMS universities. Our seminars and conferences brought together mathematicians from North American and internationally, to develop mathematical research Ivar Ekeland, PIMS Director and strengthen ties between researchers.
Our international reach expanded dramatically in 2005-06. PIMS signed agreements with the Centre for Mathematical Modeling in Chile (CMM) and with the National University of Mexico (UNAM), which puts PIMS at the centre of mathematical and applied mathematical research in Latin America. PIMS and MSRI initiated a meeting at BIRS that became the founding meeting of the Pacific Rim Mathematical Association. PRIMA is an association of mathematical sciences institutes, departments and societies from around the Pacific Rim, established with the aim of promoting and facilitating the development of the mathematical sciences throughout the Pacific Rim region.
In 2006 and beyond, we will build on our scientific and industrial ties, as PIMS enters its 10th year of mathematical excellence.
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The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences
Content
Mission Statement i Industrial Activities 77 Message from the Director ii PIMS Industrial Activities 78 Industrial Problem Solving Workshop 79 PIMS (News) 1 Educational Activities 85 PIMS Management 3 Education 86 Board of Directors 4 Educational Outreach 86 Scientific Review Panel 10 K-12 Education Activities 86 PIMS Site Directors 17 First Nations Outreach 89 PIMS Postdoctoral Fellows 17 Undergraduate and Graduate Educational PIMS Distinguished Chairs 19 Activities 90 PIMS Personnel 21 Mathematics Educator Activities 91
Scientific Activities 23 Banff International Research Collaborative Research Groups 24 Station (BIRS) 95 Dynamics 26 About BIRS 96 Mathematical Ecology and Evolution 28 The BIRS Scientific Advisory Board 97 Number Theory 32 BIRS Calendar for 2005 – 2006 98 Scientific Computing 35 String Theory 38 Publications 105 Topology 45 pi in the sky 106 Probability and Statistical Mechanics 47 pims magazine 9.1 106 Algebraic Geometry, Cohomology, and Representation Theory 50 Financial Reports 107 Inverse Problems 54 Quantum Topology 56 Financial Reports 108 Income for 2005–06 108 Core Scientific Activities 57 PIMS Total Income 109 Other Contributions 110 Conferences 58 PIMS Summary of Expenditures 111 Seminar and Lecture Series 66
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The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences
PIMS (News)
international partnerships
n October, 2005, PIMS took a major international initiative. Together with the Mathematical Sciences IResearch Institute (MSRI), PIMS invited the major mathematical sciences institutes from around the Pacific Rim to attend a meeting at the Banff International Research tation (BIRS). There were over 30 participants, and it was decided to create a network, the Pacific Rim MathematicalAssociation (PRIMA), which now has 43 members in Canada, the United States, Chile, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, China and Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea and Singapore. A general agreement was made to develop student and faculty exchanges (under the general principle that the home institute pays for travel and the host institute pays for accommodation), and creating PRIMA programmes and events and the general PRIMA congresses, the first of which will be held July 13-17, 2009, at the University of New SouthWales in Sydney, Australia. PRIMA is a natural conduit for bringing international students and researchers to Canada, and for accessing foreign expertise.
In December, 2005, PIMS signed a cooperation agreement with the Centro de Modelamiento Matemático (CMM) at the University of Chile. Similar to Western Canada, Chile has a high degree of economic reliance on natural resources such as fishing, forestry, and mining, which is why CMM joined the PIMS Collaborative Research Group on the Economics and Finance of Climate Risk and Natural Resources. This is a very balanced collaboration: PIMS brings expertise in economics, finance, and operations research, while CMM brings expertise on stochastic optimization and numerical algorithms. Both sides share a strong common ground in mathematics, notably partial differential equations. One three-week summer school was held in Vancouver in the summer of 2006, another is scheduled at BIRS in 2007, and a workshop with several prominent mining companies is scheduled in Santiago in 2007. Several Chilean graduate students now have joint supervision from PIMS and CMM faculty.
In 2006, PIMS signed separate working agreements with two Mexican institutes, the Mathematics Institute at UNAM (March, 2006) and CINVESTAV (September, 2006). This has resulted in closer ties between the Canadian and Mexican mathematical communities (the first joint meeting of the Canadian and Mexican societies was held in Guanajuato in September, 2006, and the second one is scheduled in Vancouver in 2009). As part of this collaboration, a summer school on Algebra was organized by PIMS and UNAM at BIRS in July, 2006, and a meeting in Geometry and Topology took place in Mexico in January, 2007.
n a t i o n a l partnership
he University of Regina joined PIMS as an affiliated institution in June, 2005.The PIMS contact Tat U.Regina is Shaun Fallat, Associate Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics. U.Regina is the third affiliated member of PIMS, joining the University of Lethbridge and the University of Northern British Columbia.
2005 | 06 • t h e pacific i n s t i t u t e f o r t h e mathematical s c i e n c e s a n n u a l r e p o r t 1 The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences
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PIMS Management
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Board of Directors
The Board of Directors has final responsibility for all aspects of the operation of PIMS. In particular, the Board ensures fiscal accountability, monitors the operation of PIMS, and advises the Executive Committee. The Board is composed of the PIMS Director and Deputy Director, a Senior Academic Administrator from each PIMS University, mathematical scientists, and representatives from industry and the professional societies.
Chair of the Board Dr. Russell has also been active as a volunteer with (from June, 2005): several geophysical societies. He was president Brian H. Russell has spent his of the Canadian SEG (CSEG) in 1991, received career working in all aspects of the CSEG Meritorious Service Award in 1995, the exploration geophysics. He CSEG Medal in 1999, and honorary membership in initially joined Chevron Standard 2001. With the Society of Exploration Geophysics in Calgary in 1976 as a seismic interpreter, (SEG), Dr. Russell served as chairman of the subsequently working for Chevron Geosciences in Leading Edge editorial board in 1995, technical both Calgary and Houston in the areas of seismic co-chairman of the 1996 SEG annual meeting in processing and research. After leaving Chevron in Denver, and as President of SEG during 1998-99. 1981, Dr. Russell joined Teknica Resources In 1996, Dr. Russell and Mr. Hampson were jointly Development in Calgary as a senior geophysicist. In awarded the SEG Enterprise Award. 1983, he moved to Vertias Seismic Ltd. in a He has been a member of the PIMS Board of research and training position. In 1987, Dr. Russell, Directors since 2004, and Chair since June, 2005. together with Dan Hampson, founded Hampson- Russell Software Services Ltd., a company that Chair of the Board develops advanced seismic software for the (to June, 2005): petroleum industry. Since September, 2002, Michael Boorman received his Hampson-Russell has been a wholly owned Ph.D. from the University of subsidiary of Veritas DGC Inc., where Dr. Russell is Nottingham in 1964, and is a Vice-President. professor in the Chemistry Dr. Russell is still actively involved in geophysical Department at the University of Calgary. He is the research and training, and presents courses on Dean of Science at the University of Calgary. Dr. seismic technology throughout the world. He Boorman’s research activities are in Inorganic holds a B.Sc. Honours in Physics and Geophysics Chemistry and in Heterogeneous Catalysis. from the University of Saskatchewan and a M.Sc. He was a member of the PIMS board from 1998 to in Geophysics from the University of Durham, 2005, and director from 2004 to June, 2005. England. He recently completed his Ph.D. in Geophysics at the University of Calgary, where his research involves the application of multivariate statistics and neural networks to the delineation of reservoir parameters using seismic attributes.
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The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences
Don Brooks received his Ph.D. Finance-Dauphine. from the University of Oregon in He has received prizes from the French Academy 1971. He held postdoctoral of Sciences, the French Mathematical Society, and positions at the Weizmann Institute the Belgian Academy of Sciences. He is a foreign and the University of Cambridge, member of the Norwegian Academy of Sciences before coming to UBC in 1974. and he holds honorary doctorates from UBC Dr. Brooks is professor of and from the University of Saint-Petersburg for Pathology and Laboratory Medicine as well as Economics and Finance. Chemistry. He is also the Associate Vice-President Dr. Ekeland is the founding editor of the “Annales Research for UBC. His areas of research are de l’Institut Henri Poincaré-Analyse nonlineaire.” biomaterials, microgravity biotechnology, He has written several books, which are reflections development of blood plasma substitutes and on, or popularization of, mathematics. For these immunodiagnostic techniques. Dr. Brooks has been contributions, Dr Ekeland was awarded the “Prix a member of the PIMS Board of Directors since Jean Rostand” by the Association des Ecrivains 2004. Scientifiques de France and the “Prix d’Alembert” by the Société Mathématique de France. He is a Don Denney received his Ph.D. regular contributor to the journal “Nature” as well from the University of Waterloo in as to the magazine “Pour la Science.” 1978 and spent two years as a He has been a member of the PIMS Board of postdoctoral fellow at the Directors since 2003 when he became PIMS University of Colorado engaged in Director. atmospheric chemistry studies and in developing statistical pattern recognition techniques. He is a Director of Haig Farris practiced as a lawyer PRECARN/IRIS, serving as Board Chair for with Farris and Company for five 1999/2000. Dr. Denny has been with Syncrude for years, then moved into financial many years and is currently Manager, Process consulting, co-founding two Automation Services providing process automation companies. He is the President of support to Syncrude’s Mining, Extraction, Utilities Fractal Capital Corp., a private and Upgrading operations in Fort McMurray, venture capital company specializing in hi-tech Alberta. His prior experience at Syncrude includes start-ups and resource industry technology 10 years at Research developing On-Line Sensors companies. In 2001, along with several other UBC and applying Pattern Recognition techniques to data graduates, Mr. Farris was named a Pioneer of analysis and eight years as Manager Information Innovation by the Vancouver Board of Trade. He Services. His current interest is applying was awarded the Bill Thompson Career mathematical techniques to determining process Achievement Award by the British Columbia unit health and providing advanced warning to Technology Industry Association. Mr. Farris has process operators to avoid downgrading incidents. maintained a consistently high profile in the community as an advocate for UBC and as a He has been a member of the PIMS Board of champion of science and technology. In the latter Directors since 2000. role, he has been Chair of the Science Council of BC and a member of the founding Board of Ivar Ekeland is the Canada Directors for Science World, heading its first two Research Chair in Mathematical capital campaigns. Economics at the University of Mr. Farris speaks at many conferences, most British Columbia. He is a former frequently on the topic of science awareness, President of Université Paris venture investing and the management of high- Dauphine, and a former Director tech companies. He also shared his accumulation of the research centres CEREMADE and Institute of knowledge through an adjunct professorship
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at UBC, encouraging entrepreneurship among Ron Irving is the Interim Dean of his students. He currently finances several former the College of Arts and Sciences students with new technology companies. He and a professor in the Department was nominated for a UBC Commerce Graduate of Mathematics at the University Teaching Excellence Award in 1996. of Washington. Dr. Irving received His UBC degree is in English and Economics, a his undergraduate degree in reflection of his lifelong interest in the arts as well Mathematics and Philosophy from Harvard College as in business and the economy. He has served in 1973 and his Ph.D. in Mathematics from MIT in on many community boards, among them the 1977. He joined the faculty of University of Vancouver Foundation and the Waterfront Theatre. Washington in 1980. He is co-founder and executive In 1989, he was awarded with the Commemorative director of the Summer Institute for Mathematics at Medal of Canada in recognition of his service to University of Washington, a programme that each the community. Friends laud Mr. Farris’s sense of summer since 2003 has introduced 24 high school vision and leadership: he leads by example and is students from the Pacific Northwest to the beauty of living proof that individual attitudes and behaviour advanced mathematics. He served as chair of the can make a difference. Department of Mathematics from July, 2001, to On campus, Mr. Farris served as President of the June, 2002. In July, 2002, Dr. Irving became Alumni Association (1996-1999), was an adjunct Divisional Dean of Natural Sciences at the professor in the Faculty of Commerce from University of Washington. 1993 to 2003, was chair of Presidents Library He has been a member of the PIMS Board of Advisory Committee from 1998 to 2006 and sits Directors since December, 2005. on the University Industrial Liaison Office, Dean of Science and Cecil Green College advisory Gary Kachanoski was named the committees. In 1997, the university awarded him an Vice-President Research and Honorary Doctor of Laws degree. Professor (Department of He has been a member of the PIMS Board of Renewable Resources) at the Directors since 2004. University of Alberta in August, 2001. From 1996-2001, he was John Hepburn, Vice-President Dean of the College of Graduate Studies and Research at UBC, was Dean of the Research and a Professor at the University of Faculty of Science at UBC from Saskatchewan. He received his B.Sc. (Honours 2003-2005. He received his B.Sc. Biology 1976) and M.Sc. (Soil Science 1980) from in Chemistry in 1976 from the the University of Saskatchewan, and his Ph.D. (Soil University of Waterloo, and his Physics 1984) from the University of California, Ph.D. in 1980 from the University of Toronto, Davis. where his supervisor was Nobel prize winner Dr. At the University of Saskatchewan, Dr. John Polanyi. Kachanoski was the Dean of the Virtual College Following a period as a NATO Fellow at the of Biotechnology, a university-wide initiative to Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory at the University of coordinate teaching and research in the social, California, Berkeley, Dr. Hepburn taught Chemistry ethical, legal, commercial and science issues related and Physics at the University of Waterloo from to biotechnology. 1982-2001, chairing the Chemistry Department for From 1985 to 1996, Dr. Kachanoski was at the two years. In 2001, he became Head of Chemistry University of Guelph, finishing his appointment at UBC before being appointed Dean of Science in there as Chair, Department of Land Resource 2003. Science, and Director of Research (Environment He has been a member of the PIMS Board of and Natural Resources) in the Vice-President Directors since October, 2005. Research office. At Guelph, he had significant involvement in the planning, coordination and
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The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences transfer of research and technology to industry, studies with detailed data and biology, include: government, user groups and the general public. He wolf territories, elk migration in Yellowstone Park, was awarded the Distinguished Faculty Extension spatial spread and impact of introduced pest species, and Service Award for his work in this area. and vegetation shift in response to climate change Dr. Kachanoski continues to have a strong research and recolonization of Mount St. Helens. programme with main interests in the physics of He has been a member of the PIMS Board of water and chemical transport through soil. His past Directors since 2004. research contributions have been recognized by awards such as Fellow of Soil Science Society of Hugh Morris holds a Ph.D. in America and Fellow of the Canadian Society of Soil Mining Geology from the Science. He was President of the Canadian Society University of Witwatersrand, of Soil Science in 2001. He has served on the Johannesburg, South Africa, and editorial boards of the top peer-reviewed research has 44 years of experience in the journals in his field including the Canadian Journal mineral industry. He is a fellow of of Soil Science, Soil Science Society of America the Royal Society of Canada and is Chair of the Journal, and the European Journal of Soil Science. Society’s Canadian Global Change Program. From He has authored over 80 scientific papers in referred 1962 to 1979, he held a series of positions with journals and over 10 book chapters/sections. Cominco Ltd. in its Exploration and Mining He has been a member of the PIMS Board of departments in several Canadian locations, Directors since 2002. eventually becoming Director of Exploration for Cominco’s worldwide activities. Mark Lewis is a Professor at the In 1979, Dr. Morris became associated with the University of Alberta. He is the E & B-Geomex Group of affiliated companies in Senior Canada Research Chair in Calgary, initially as President and Chief Operating Mathematical Biology and directs Officer of Geomex Minerals Ltd., and in 1981, the Centre for Mathematical as President and Chief Executive Officer of E & Biology. Dr. Lewis obtained his B Canada Resources Ltd. Following the merger doctorate from the University of Oxford in 1990 in of the E & B-Geomex Group and Imperial Mathematical Biology. He was a faculty member at Metals Corp. of Vancouver in May, 1983, he was the University of Utah until 2001, and has also held appointed Chairman and Chief Executive Officer visiting and research fellowships at Princeton of Imperial Metals and of three public companies University and Imperial College, University of within the Imperial Metals Group. He resigned London. He is Past President of the Society for from these positions in February, 1993, to pursue Mathematical Biology, and is on the editorial boards other interests. He is currently a mineral industry for a number of journals including Journal of consultant and board member of six Canadian Mathematical Biology, IMA Journal of Mathematic public companies. Medicine and Biology, Ecology and Ecological Dr. Morris has demonstrated special interest in Monographs. Dr. Lewis has served on a number of national and international scientific and professional advisory boards, including the Journal of associations. He is a member of NSERC’s Council, Theoretical Biology Advisory Board and Scientific a member of the Standing Finance committee of Advisory Board for the Banff International ICSU, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Research Station. His research has been recognized the Lithoprobe Project. He is past-president of the by a Sloan Research Fellowship and a National Geoscience Council of Canada, a past-president Young Investigator Award (US NSF). of the Geological Association of Canada, and Dr. Lewis’s research is in mathematical biology was also Treasurer of the Canadian Geological and ecology, including modelling and analysis of Foundations from 1987 to 1996. He is a member nonlinear PDE and integral models in population of the Geological Society of London, the Institute dynamics and ecology. Applications, made to case of Mining and Metallurgy, U.K., the Canadian
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Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, a member of B. Mario Pinto was born in the Association of Professional Engineers of British Colombo, Sri Lanka, and received Columbia, and a number of other scientific and his B.Sc. degree in Chemistry and professional associations. Ph.D. from Queen’s University. Dr. He has been a member of the PIMS Board of Pinto served as Chair of the Directors since 1997, and he is the former chair of Chemistry Department from the PIMS Board. 1999-2004, and is currently Vice-President Research, at Simon Fraser University. Dr. Pinto received the 1992 Horace S. Isbell Award of the Edwin Perkins is Professor of American Chemical Society, the 1993 Merck Frosst Mathematics at the University of Award of the Canadian Society for Chemistry British Columbia where he was (CSC), and the 2002 Bernard Belleau Award of the first appointed as a postdoctoral CSC. He is a Fellow of the Chemical Institute of fellow in 1979. He did his Canada, and was elected to the Academy of undergraduate degree at the Sciences of the Royal Society of Canada in 2003. University of Toronto and obtained his doctoral Dr. Pinto is a pioneer in the field of chemical degree from the University of Illinois. His research biology having developed novel NMR/molecular interests in probability include the general theory of modelling protocols for protein structure processes, Brownian motion, stochastic differential determination and the study of ligand topographies equations and partial differential equations, essential for drug and vaccine design. He was interacting particle systems, measure-valued recently awarded a patent for his breakthrough on diffusions and stochastic models in population the effect of glycosidase inhibitors as novel genetics. therapeutic agents for Type 2 diabetes, which has Dr. Perkins has won numerous awards for his proven effective in lowering blood glucose levels in research including the G. de B. Robinson Award rats. He is founder of Mimos Therapeutics Inc. (1996) and Jeffery-Williams Prize (2002) (Canadian He has been a member of the PIMS Board of Mathematical Society), the Rollo Davidson Directors since 2004. Prize (1983) (Cambridge University), a Steacie Fellowship (1992-1993) (NSERC), and the CRM- Fields Prize 2003 (co-winner with John McKay). Dennis R. Salahub was appointed He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada Vice-President Research & and the Institute of Mathematical Statistics and International at the University of presently sits on the editorial boards of the Annales Calgary on July 1, 2002. de l’Institut Henri Poincaré, Stochastic Processes Previously, he was the Director and Their Applications, and the Electronic Journal General of the Steacie Institute for invited address at the 1994 International Congress Molecular Sciences at the National Research of Mathematicians in Zurich. Council of Canada in Ottawa, from 1999 until June, He has been a member of the PIMS Board of 2002. Prior to that, he was a Professor of Chemistry Directors since 1997. at the University of Montreal from 1976 to 1999, holding a McConnell Chair from 1990. A native of Alberta, Dr. Salahub has been interested in theoretical and computational chemistry since his undergraduate days in Edmonton and his doctorate at the University of Montreal. Following postdoctoral studies at Sussex, Waterloo, Johns Hopkins and the General Electric laboratories in Schenectady, New York, he returned to the University of Montreal and set up an internationally recognized research programme in quantum
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The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences chemistry, specializing in the development of in 1974. He was Chair of Geography (1991-97), Density Functional Theory and its applications founding Director of the Institute of Environment in materials and biomolecular modelling. He has and Health (1991-96), and Acting Vice-President published some 250 research papers, four edited Research (1994-1995). His research and teaching books and has delivered more than 300 invited interests focus on environmental health and health lectures on the national and international scenes. promotion issues. His ongoing projects include His students now occupy important positions in research on the psychosocial effects of academia, industry and government in several environmental contamination and on community- countries. The computer code deMon, developed based heart health promotion. He has authoured one in his laboratory, is used by researchers around the book and over 100 papers in peer-reviewed journals. world. He has been a member of the PIMS Board of Dr. Salahub has served the science and innovation Directors since 1998. communities on a broad front. He was the Program Leader of the Centers of Excellence in Molecular Hugh Williams holds the iCORE and Interfacial Dynamics (CEMAID) from 1991 Chair in Algorithmic Number to 1994 and a founding member of the Centre Theory and Computing at the de Recherche en Calcul Appliqué (CERCA) in University of Calgary and is a 1991. He has served on NSERC’s Grant Selection Professor in the Mathematics and Committee and twice on the Reallocation Steering Statistics Department. His main Committee for Chemistry (1997, 2001, Chair). He research interests are in computational number was the lead applicant for an $18-million Canada theory, cryptography and the design and Foundation for Innovation grant that brought high- development of special-purpose hardware devices. performance computing to Quebec in 1998 and His work in computational number theory extends was an early proponent of the c3.ca organization, from analyzing the complexity of number theoretic which fosters high-performance computing and algorithms to the actual implementation and testing networking in Canada. He has been a consultant for of such algorithms. industry. Dr. Williams has published more than 130 refereed At the Steacie Institute, Dr. Salahub shaped research journal papers, 20 refereed conference papers and thrusts in nanoscience and technology, bioscience 20 books or chapters therein. From 1983-85, he held and technology, and optical science and technology, a national Killam Research Fellowship, He has been under the banner of the Institute’s motto “The an associate editor for Mathematics of Computation fundamental things apply”. He contributed to since 1978 and is also a member of the editorial NRC’s vision for nanotechnology in Canada and boards of two other journals. to the founding of the new $120-million National Institute for Nanotechnology in Edmonton. Dr. Williams has also served on the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) His current term on the PIMS Board of Directors Grant Selection Committees for both Computing began in 2005, and he also served on the PIMS and Information Science (1972-75) and Pure and Board in 2003-04. Applied Mathematics (1991-94), and chaired the latter from 1993-94. He has also been a member of Martin Taylor moved to the Steacie Awards Selection Committee. University of Victoria in July, He has been a member of the PIMS Board of 1998, to be the University’s first Directors since 2004. Vice-President Research, as well as being a Professor in the Geography Department. He has a B.A. in Geography from the University of Bristol (U.K.), and an M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of British Columbia. He was appointed at McMaster
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Scientific Review Panel
The Scientific Review Panel is responsible for: • Reviewing and selecting scientific programmes and determination of their funding levels; • Selecting PIMS Distinguished Chairs and the PIMS Research Prize; and • Providing advice on long-term scientific planning for PIMS.
Alejandro Adem is a Professor co-chair of the Scientific Advisory Committee for of Mathematics at UBC. In 1982 the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute in he received his B.S. from the Berkeley. National University of Mexico, In 2004, Dr. Adem was appointed Canada and in 1986 he received his Ph.D. Research Chair in Algebraic Topology at UBC from Princeton University, under and, on Jan. 1, 2005, he became the Deputy Bill Browder. After holding a Szegö Assistant Director of PIMS. Professorship at Stanford University and spending He has been an ex-officio member of the PIMS a year at the Institute for Advanced Study in SRP since 2005. Princeton, he joined the faculty of the University of Wisconsin in 1990, and remained there until he joined the University of British Columbia in 2004. David Brillinger’s research is in Dr. Adem has held visiting positions at the ETH- statistical inference and Zurich, the Max Planck Institut in Bonn, the applications to stochastic University of Paris VII and XIII, and most recently processes. In particular, this at Princeton University. involves statistical methods for random processes and in science Dr. Adem’s mathematical interests vary widely and engineering. He has made contributions to the over topics in algebraic topology, group theory and application of statistics in subject areas cohomology and related areas. He has given including neurophysiology (the analysis of neutral over 150 invited lectures; however, his toughest spike trains), seismology, and the modelling of assignment was preparing a lecture for the animal tracks. He is the author of “Time Series celebrated Bourbaki Seminar in Paris. His Analysis: Data Analysis and Theory” and former monograph “Cohomology of Finite Groups” editor of the International Statistical Society of (jointly written with R. James Milgram) was Canada. He is a member of the American Academy published as a Springer-Verlag Grundlehren of Arts and Sciences and is a Fellow of the Royal (Volume 309) in 1994, and a second edition Society of Canada. He received a D.Sc. degree appeared in 2005. from the University of Western Ontario in 1999 Dr. Adem served as Chair of the Department of and a D.Math. degree from the University of Mathematics at the University of Wisconsin- Waterloo in 2003. Madison, during the period 1999-2002. He was He was a member of the PIMS SRP from 1999 to awarded an NSF Young Investigator Award in June, 2005. 1992, a Romnes Faculty Fellowship in 1995 and a Vilas Associate Award in 2003. He is an editor for the Memoirs and Transactions of the American Mathematical Society. He is currently
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The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences
David Brydges received his Ph.D. probabilistic planning. Dr. Condon also works in 1976 at the University of on computational prediction of RNA secondary Michigan under the direction of structure, and on verification of cache coherence Paul Federbush. He held a protocols. postdoctoral position at She has been a member of the PIMS SRP since Rockefeller University working for 2005. James Glimm. In 1978, he became Assistant Professor at the University of Virginia. He was Carl de Boor is a Professor promoted to Professor of Mathematics and Physics Emeritus in Mathematics and in 1981 and became Commonwealth Chair in 1996. Computer Science at the In 2001 he was appointed as a Canada Research University of Wisconsin-Madison. Chair at the University of British Columbia. He won the 2003 U.S. National Dr. Brydges received the Alfred P. Sloan Research Medal of Science. An expert in fellowship in 1982. He has given lectures numerical analysis, Dr. de Boor is the author of throughout the world including courses in the more than 150 papers and four books. He has Troisiéme Cycle at Lausanne in 1992, Centre Emile earned world recognition for his work on spline Borel in 1998, and the NachDiplom programme functions, mathematical expressions that describe at ETH, Switzerland. He is the President of the free-form curves and surfaces. In particular, Dr. de International Association of Mathematical Physics. Boor developed simpler approaches to complex His interests are centred in the renormalization spline calculations, a contribution that group with applications to quantum field theory, revolutionized computer-aided geometric design. statistical mechanics and probability. His work is now routinely applied in a range of He has been a member of the PIMS SRP since fields that rely on precise geometry, including the 2002. use of special effects in films, and in the aircraft and automotive industries. Anne Condon is a Professor in the Dr. de Boor grew up in East Germany and came to Department of Computer Science the United States in 1959. He received a doctorate at the University of British from the University of Michigan in 1966 and joined Columbia and is the NSERC/ the University of Wisconsin-Madison faculty in General Motors Chair for Women 1972. Until 2003, Dr. de Boor was the Steenbock in Science and Engineering for Professor of Mathematical Sciences and the P.L. British Columbia and Yukon. She received her Chebyshev Professor of Mathematics and Computer Ph.D. (1987) from the University of Washington, Sciences. He was awarded the John von Neumann and B.Sc. (1982) from University College, Cork, Prize by SIAM in 1996. In 1993 he was elected Ireland. Her Ph.D. thesis on game-like to the National Academy of Engineering, and in computational models won an ACM Distinguished 1997 to the National Academy of Sciences. Dr. Dissertation award. She also received an NSF de Boor is a member of the Deutsche Akademie National Young Investigator Award (1992) and an der Naturforscher (1998) and a foreign member of NSF Visiting Professorships for Women Award the Polish Academy of Sciences (2000). He holds (1996) to support her work. honorary doctorates from Purdue University (1993) Dr. Condon’s research focuses on the power of and the Technion in Israel (2002). randomness in computation. Through classification He has been a member of the PIMS SRP since of randomized and nondeterministic complexity 2005. classes, her work has led to improved understanding of what types of intractable problems can be approximated and/or computed efficiently, notably PSPACE-hard problems and also problems in
2005 | 06 • t h e pacific i n s t i t u t e f o r t h e mathematical s c i e n c e s a n n u a l r e p o r t 11 The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences
Ivar Ekeland is the Canada significantly to mathematics in other ways, Research Chair in Mathematical especially in Canada, through his role at NSERC Economics at the University of (Mathematics GSC, 1991-94), as Mathematics British Columbia. He is a former Convenor of the Royal Society of Canada President of Université Paris (1990-93), and as a Council Member (1989-95) and Dauphine, and a former Director Scientific Advisory Panel Member (1996-2000) of of the research centres CEREMADE and Institute the Fields Institute. He has served on the Editorial Finance-Dauphine. Board of the Canadian Journal of Mathematics and He has received prizes from the French Academy the Canadian Mathematics Bulletin. He has been a of Sciences, the French Mathematical Society, and member of the PIMS SRP since 2005. the Belgian Academy of Sciences. He is a foreign member of the Norwegian Academy of Sciences R.G. (Randy) Goebel is currently and he holds honorary doctorates from UBC professor and chair in the and from the University of Saint-Petersburg for Department of Computing Science Economics and Finance. at the University of Alberta. He Dr. Ekeland is the founding editor of the “Annales received his B.Sc. (Computer de l’Institut Henri Poincaré-Analyse nonlineaire.” Science) from the University of He has written several books, which are reflections Regina, M.Sc. (Computing Science) from the on, or popularization of, mathematics. For these University of Alberta, and Ph.D. (Computer contributions, Dr Ekeland was awarded the “Prix Science) from the from the University of British Jean Rostand” by the Association des Ecrivains Columbia. Scientifiques de France and the “Prix d’Alembert” Dr. Goebel’s research is focused on the theory and by the Société Mathématique de France. He is a application of intelligent systems. His theoretical regular contributor to the journal “Nature” as well work on abduction, hypothetical reasoning and as to the magazine “Pour la Science.” belief revision is well known, and his recent He has been an ex-officio member of the PIMS SRP application of practical belief revision to scheduling since 2003. and web mining is now having industrial impact. He has been a member of the PIMS SRP since John Friedlander is one of the 2002. world’s foremost analytic number theorists, and is a recognized Ronald Graham is the Irwin and leader in the theory of prime Joan Jacobs Professor of Computer numbers and L-functions. He and Information Science in the received his B.Sc. from the Computer Science and Engineering University of Toronto in 1965, an M.A. from the Department of the University of University of Waterloo in 1966, and a Ph.D. from California at San Diego. He served Penn State in 1972. He was a lecturer at MIT in as the President of the Mathematical Association of 1974-76, and has been on the faculty of the America during 2003-04, and has served as the University of Toronto since 1977, where he served Treasurer of the National Academy of Sciences. He as chair during 1987-91. He has also spent several was the President of the American Mathematical years at the Institute for Advanced Study where he Society from 1993-95, and served as Chief Scientist has collaborated with E. Bombieri and many others. of AT&T Labs until 1999. Dr. Friedlander is a Fellow of the Royal Society Dr. Graham’s academic awards include membership of Canada (1988), an invited lecturer at the 1994 in the National Academy of Arts and Sciences, ICM in Zurich, and he delivered the CMS Jeffery- Fellow of the America Association for the Williams Lecture in 1999. He has contributed Advancement of Science, and Fellow of the
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The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences
Association of Computing Machinery. He is the the American Statistical Association and the Institute recipient of the Polya Prize in Combinatorics, of Mathematical Statistics, a recipient of the the Euler Medal in Combinatorics, a Lester Ford Presidents’ Award of the Committee of Presidents Award of the Mathematical Association of America, of Statistical Societies, the first recipient of the a Carl Allendorfer Award of the Mathematical Canadian Mathematical Society’s Krieger-Nelson Association of America, and the Leroy Steele Prize Lectureship, and the Institute of Mathematical Award for Lifetime Achievement from the American Statistics’ Wald lecturer for 2000. Her research Mathematical Society in 2002. He served as interests include inferential statistics with special President of the International Jugglers Association. emphasis on asymptotic theory for likelihood based Dr. Graham’s current mathematical interests include inference, design of experiments, and applications of combinatorics, number theory, graph theory, discrete statistics to health and environment. and computational geometry, design and analysis of She has been a member of the PIMS SRP since algorithms, and applications thereof. 2005. He was a member of the PIMS SRP from 1996 to June, 2005. Bob Russell received his Ph.D. in 1971 at the University of New Ian F. Putnam received his Ph.D. Mexico under the direction of from the University of California at Lawrence Shampine. In 1971, he Berkeley in 1985. He was an became Assistant Professor at NSERC University Research Colorado State University and in Fellow at Dalhousie University 1972 he moved to Simon Fraser University. He was before moving to the University of promoted to Professor in 1981. He has held Victoria where he is currently Canada Research numerous visiting positions throughout the world, Chair in Operator Algebras and Dynamical Systems including at Stanford, University of Auckland and in the department of mathematics and statistics. He Imperial College (as an SERC Fellow). has received the Israel Halperin Prize and the André Dr. Russell’s travels include serving as an Invited Aisenstadt prize. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society Scholar at the USSR and Chinese Academies of Canada. of Science and as a plenary speaker at SIAM’s He has been a member of the PIMS SRP since 1999. Dynamical Systems Conference in 2000. His journal editorships have included SIAM Journal on Numerical Analysis and SIAM Journal for Scientific Nancy Reid is University Professor Computing. He is a founding member and past of Statistics at the University of Vice-President of CAIMS (Canadian Applied and Toronto. She received her Bachelor Industrial Mathematics Society), has served two of Mathematics in 1974 from the terms on NSERC’s Grant Selection Committee in University of Waterloo, her M.Sc. Computer Science, is on IMACS Board of Directors, in 1976 from the University of and is a Canadian representative for ICIAM. British Columbia, and her Ph.D. in 1979 from Stanford University. She held an academic His field of research is scientific computing, with appointment at the UBC from 1980-86 and has held special emphasis on the numerical solution of PDEs visiting appointments at Imperial College, London, and ODEs. He is particularly interested in dynamical Harvard University and the University of Texas at systems and computational methods which preserve Austin. She has served as President of the Institute qualitative features of solutions of differential of Mathematical Statistics and of the Statistical equations. This has recently been in the context of Society of Canada; and as Vice-President of the developing mathematical software using adaptive International Statistical Institute. gridding techniques. Dr. Reid is a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, He has been a member of the PIMS SRP since 2002.
2005 | 06 • t h e pacific i n s t i t u t e f o r t h e mathematical s c i e n c e s a n n u a l r e p o r t 13 The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences
Donald Saari is a Distinguished she was a Fellow of King’s College, Cambridge, Professor of Mathematics and of and from 1981-85 was Fellow and Director of Economics as well as the Director Studies in Mathematics at Newnham College. From of the Institute for Mathematical 1976-85, she was a University Lecturer in the Behavioral Sciences at the Department of Pure Mathematics and Mathematical University of California at Irvine. Statistics, University of Cambridge. He received his undergraduate degree from She joined the faculty of the University of Michigan Technological University and his Ph.D. Washington in December, 1985, as a Professor from Purdue University under advisor Harry of Statistics. In 1988, Dr. Thompson also became Pollard, where his thesis discussed the collision a Professor of Biostatistics at the University of dynamics of the Newtonian N-body problem. After Washington. Since the spring of 2000, she has a postdoctoral position in the Yale University served as an Adjunct Professor in Genetics (now Astronomy Department, he joined the Mathematics Genome Sciences) at the University of Washington, Department at Northwestern University where he and an Adjunct Professor of Statistics at North served as chair of the department and was the first Carolina State University. She was the Chair of the Pancoe Professor of Mathematics. After three Department of Statistics from 1989-94. decades at Northwestern, in July 2000, he moved to In 1981, she was elected a member of the California. International Statistical Institute, and in 1988, she Dr. Saari’s research interests centre on dynamical was awarded an Sc.D. degree by the University systems and their applications to mathematical of Cambridge. In 1994, she gave the R.A. Fisher physics (primarily the Newtonian N-body Lecture at the Joint Statistical Meetings in Toronto. problem) as well as to mathematical issues from In 1996, she gave the Neyman Lecture (IMS) the social sciences coming from economics, at the Joint Statistical Meetings in Chicago. In voting theory, and evolutionary behaviour. He is 1998, she was elected a Fellow of the American the Chief Editor of the “Bulletin of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 2001, she Mathematical Society” as well as serving on the received the inaugural Jerome Sacks Award for editorial boards of several journals on analysis, Cross-Disciplinary Research from the National dynamics, economics, and decision analysis. He Institute for Statistical Science, and was also is a member of the National Academy of Sciences awarded the Weldon Prize, an international prize and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, for contributions to Biometric Science awarded by a Guggenheim Fellow, the past chair of the U.S. the University of Oxford. National Committee of Mathematics, chair of the Dr. Thompson’s research interest is in the U.S. delegation to the 2002 general assembly of the development of methods for inference from genetic International Mathematical Union, and a member data, and particularly from patterns of genome of several NRC committees including Math Science sharing observed among members of large and Education Board. large and complex pedigree structures, whether of He has been a member of the PIMS SRP since plants, animals, or humans. Questions of interest 2005. range from human genetic linkage analysis to gene extinction in highly endangered species, and from Elizabeth Thompson received a inference of relationship to inferences of the genetic B.A. in Mathematics (1970), a basis of traits, Her current focus is on developing Diploma in Mathematical research and education in Statistical Genetics at the Statistics (1971), and Ph.D. in University of Washington. Statistics (1974), from Cambridge She was a member of the PIMS SRP from 2002 to University. In 1974-75 she was a June, 2005. NATO/SRC postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Genetics, Stanford University. From 1975-81,
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The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences
Gang Tian received his Ph.D. from Gunther Uhlmann received his Harvard University in 1988. After Ph.D. in 1976 at MIT under the positions at Princeton University direction of Victor Guillemin. He and the State University of New held postdoctoral positions at York at Stony Brook, he went to the Harvard, Courant Institute and Courant Institute of Mathematical MIT. In 1980 he became Assistant Sciences at New York University in 1991 as an Professor at MIT and in 1985 he moved to the Associate Professor and became a Professor in 1992. University of Washington as an Associate Professor. He is currently a J. Simons Professor at the He was promoted to Professor in 1987. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dr. Tian is a Dr. Uhlmann was awarded the Annual National Prize recipient of the Alfred P. Sloan research fellowship of Venezuela in Mathematics in 1982. He received (1991-93). He presented a 45-minute invited address an Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship in 1984 and at the International Congress of Mathematicians in a John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship in 2001. He Kyoto in 1990 and a plenary address at the has given numerous lectures throughout the world International Congress of Mathematics in Beijing in including an invited address at the Portland meeting th 2002. In 1994, he received the 19 Alan Waterman of the AMS in 1991, the CBMS-NSF lectures on Award from the National Science Foundation. In “Inverse Problems and Non-Destructive Evaluation” 1996, Dr. Tian received the Veblen Prize of the in 1995, an invited lecture at the International American Mathematical Society. Congress of Mathematicians in Berlin in 1998, and He has been a member of the PIMS SRP since 2002. the PIMS Distinguished Lectures at UBC in 2002. His current interest is inverse problems; in particular Tatiana Toro received her Ph.D. inverse boundary value problems and inverse from Stanford University in 1992. scattering problems. In these problems, one attempts Since 1996 she has been at the to determine internal parameters of a medium University of Washington where by making measurements at the boundary of the she became a Professor in 2002. medium or by remote observations. She has held positions at Harvard He has been a member of the PIMS SRP since 2002. University, the University of Chicago, and the University of California-Berkeley. From 1996-2000, she held a Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship, and from 1994-98 she held an NSF Mathematical Sciences Postdoctoral Research Fellowship. Dr. Toro’s research areas include geometric measure theory and partial differential equations. She applies techniques from these two fields to study free boundary regularity problems with very rough boundary data. These problems arise naturally in physics and engineering, where the free boundary may appear as the interface between a fluid and the air, or water and ice. She has also worked in the problem of constructing good parameterization for sets satisfying some minimal geometric requirements (for example: snowballs). She has been a member of the PIMS SRP since 2005.
2005 | 06 • t h e pacific i n s t i t u t e f o r t h e mathematical s c i e n c e s a n n u a l r e p o r t 15 The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences
Hugh Williams holds the iCORE Efim Zelmanov is the Rita L. Chair in Algorithmic Number Atkinson Chair in Mathematics at Theory and Computing at the the University of California, San University of Calgary and is a Diego. He attended Novosibirsk Professor in the Mathematics and State University, obtaining his Statistics Department. His main Ph.D. in 1980 having had his research interests are in computational number theory, research supervised by Dr. Shirshov and Dr. Bokut. cryptography and the design and development of His Ph.D. thesis completely changed the whole of special-purpose hardware devices. His work in the subject of Jordan algebras by extending results computational number theory extends from analyzing from the classical theory of finite dimensional the complexity of number theoretic algorithms to the Jordan algebras to infinite dimensional Jordan actual implementation and testing of such algorithms. algebras. Dr. Zelmanov described this work on Dr. Williams has published more than 130 refereed Jordan algebras in his invited lecture to the journal papers, 20 refereed conference papers and 20 International Congress of Mathematicians at Warsaw books or chapters therein. From 1983-85, he held a in 1983. national Killam Research Fellowship. He has been In 1980, Dr. Zelmanov was appointed as a Junior an associate editor for Mathematics of Computation Researcher at the Institute of Mathematics of the since 1978 and is also a member of the editorial Academy of Sciences of the USSR at Novosibirsk. boards of two other journals. By 1986 he had been promoted to Leading Dr. Williams has also served on the Natural Science Researcher. In 1987 Zelmanov solved one of the and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) Grant big open questions in the theory of Lie algebras. He Selection Committees for both Computing and proved that the Engel identity ad y(n)= 0 implies Information Science (1972-75) and Pure and Applied that the algebra is necessarily nilpotent. This was a Mathematics (1991-94), and chaired the latter from classical result for finite dimensional Lie algebras 1993-94. He has also been a member of the Steacie but Dr. Zelmanov proved that the result also held Awards Selection Committee. also for infinite dimensional Lie algebras. In 1990, Dr. Zelmanov was appointed a Professor at the He has been a member of the PIMS SRP since 2002. University of Wisconsin-Madison. He held this appointment until 1994 when he was appointed to the University of Chicago. In 1995, he spent the year at Yale University. In 1991, Dr. Zelmanov went on to settle one of the most fundamental results in the theory of groups: the restricted Burnside problem, which had occupied group theorists throughout the 20th century. In 1994, Dr. Zelmanov was awarded a Fields Medal for this work at the International Congress of Mathematicians in Zurich in 1994. He is also a recipient of an André Aisenstadt Prize and a College de France Medal. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a Member of the National Academy of Sciences. He has been a member of the PIMS SRP since 2005.
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The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences
PIMS Site Directors s i m o n f r a s e r u n i v e r s i t y u n i v e r s i t y o f c a l g a r y Dr. Manfred Trummer (to September, 2005) Dr. Gemai Chen Dr. Rustum Choksi (from September, 2005) u n i v e r s i t y o f v i c t o r i a u n i v e r s i t y o f a l b e r t a Dr. Chris Bose Dr. Gerald Cliff u n i v e r s i t y o f w a s h i n g t o n u n i v e r s i t y o f b r i t i s h c o l u m b i a Dr. Gunther Uhlmann Dr. Alejandro Adem (PIMS Deputy Director)
PIMS Postdoctoral Fellows for 2005 – 06 PIMS has created a large number of postdoctoral opportunities for young researchers in the mathematical sciences. The regular PIMS PDF competition takes place each January. PDFs associated with the Collaborative Research Group periods of concentration go through the same rigorous review process. Candidates must be nominated by a scientist or group of scientists affiliated with PIMS. Fellowships are tenable at any of the Canadian member or affiliated universities. s i m o n f r a s e r u n i v e r s i t y
Boaz Ben-Moshe: Computational Geometry Ronald van Luijk: Number Theory Supervised by Binay Bhattacharya Supervised by Nils Bruin Joshua Buresh-Oppenheim: Computational Complexity Supervised by David Mitchell u n i v e r s i t y o f a l b e r t a
Jian-Jun Xu: Scientific Computing Hosne Ara Jasmine: Mechanics Supervised by: Manfred Trummer Supervised by Bruce R. Sutherland
Antonia Kolokolva: Computational Logic Mohammad Akbar: General Relativity Supervised by Eugenia Temovska Supervised by Eric Woolgar
Youngsuk Lee: Atmospheric Modelling Shuang Cai: Algebraic Geometry Supervised by Mary Catherine Kropinski and David Supervised by Vladimir Chernousov Muraki Dana Cobzas: Algebraic Geometry Yongmei Liu: Artificial Intelligence Supervised by Martin Jagersand Supervised by Eugenia Ternovska and John Bowman
Wilson Lu: Statistics Ying-Fen Li: Analysis Supervised by Derek Bingham Supervised Anthony To-Ming Lau
Robert Samal: Graph Theory Holly Freedman: Biophysics Supervised by Bojan Mohar and Pavol Hell Supervised by Jack Tuszynski Hung Le Pham: Harmonic and Rahul Santhanam: Computational Complexity Geometric Analysis Supervised by Valentine Kabanets Supervised by Tony Lau
Christopher Sinclair: Number Theory Iulia Pop: Algebraic Geometry Supervised by Peter Borwin and Stephen Choi Supervised by Arutro Pianzola
Germain Tanoh: Medical Imaging Andriy Prymak: Approximation Theory Supervised by Manfred Trummer Supervised by Zeev Ditzian
2005 | 06 • t h e pacific i n s t i t u t e f o r t h e mathematical s c i e n c e s a n n u a l r e p o r t 17 The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences
u n i v e r s i t y o f b r i t i s h c o l u m b i a
Nathaneal Berestycki: Probability Gert Williams: Robust Statistics Supervised by Alexander Holroyd Supervised by Ruben Zamar and Matias Salibian-Barrera Alexi Cheviakov: Partial Differential Equations Supervised by George Bluman u n i v e r s i t y o f c a l g a r y Ben Green: Number Theory Supervised by David Boyd Lassina Dembele: Number Theory Supervised by Clifton Cunningham Jae-Hun Jung: Theoretical Chemistry Supervised by Bernie Shizgal Mark Hamilton: Symplectic Geometry Supervised by Jedrzej Sniatycki Kyungkeun Kang: Nonlinear PDE Supervised by Stephen Gustafson Ali Rezakhani: Quantum Information Science and Tai-Peng Tsai Supervised by Barry Sanders
Friedrich Littman: Number Theory Niu Zhuang: Algebra Supervised by David Boyd Supervised by Berndt Brenken
Chris Rowe: Number Theory Supervised by David Boyd u n i v e r s i t y o f v i c t o r i a
Jacob Shapiro: Algebraic Geometry, Lin Wang: Mathematical Biology Group Cohomology, Representation Theory Supervised by Pauline van den Driessche Supervised by Kai Behrend and Jim Bryan and Fred Brauer
Jianying Zhang: Scientific Computing Xiaoming Yuan: Statistics Supervised by: Manfred Trummer Supervised by Jane Yu
Omer Angel: Probability Supervised by Gorden Slade u n i v e r s i t y o f w a s h i n g t o n
Shlomo Hoory: Expander Graphs Aravind Asok: Algebraic Geometry Supervised by Joel Friedman Supervised by Charles Doran
Mario Pineda-Krch: Mathematical Ecology Xiaosheng Li: Inverse Problems Supervised by Michael Doebeli Supervised by Gunther Uhlmann
Jens Rademacher: Dynamics/Scientific Computing Vitaliy Vologodskiy: Algebraic Geometry Supervised by Michael War and Ralf Wittenberg Supervised by Sandor Kovacs
Pierpaolo Esposito: Non-linear PDE Supervised by Nassif Ghoussoub u n i v e r s i t y o f r e g i n a
Guangyue Han: Coding Theory Pedro Massey: Operator Algebras and Operator Supervised by Brian Marcus Supervised by Martin Argermai Jochen Kuttler: Algebraic Geometry Supervised by Jim Carrell
Matilde Lalín: Number Theory Supervised by David Boyd
Antonio Ramirez: Topology Supervised by Alejandro Adem
Hsian-Hua Tseng: Algebraic Geometry Supervised by Jim Bryan and Kai Behrend
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The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences
PIMS Distinguished Chairs 2005 – 06
PIMS has established a programme of Distinguished Chairs, which serves to host eminent researchers in the mathematical sciences for extended visits at the PIMS sites. The researchers will have the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues at the PIMS universities and to give a series of lectures on their work.
PIMS distinguished c h a i r s f o r 2005-06 PIMS distinguished c h a i r l e c t u r e s
William Symes (Rice University) Williams Symes (Rice University): Mathematics Site: Inverse Problems CRG at University of of Seismic Imaging, July 19, 2005 (Part one), British Columbia July 20, 2005 (Part two), and July 21, 2005 (Part three). July 2005
Fredrick Cohen (University of Rochester): Braid Fred Cohen (University of Rochester) Groups and the Applications, August 2, 2005 Site: Topology CRG at University of British (Part one) and August 4, 2005 (Part two) Columbia August 2005 Lou Fishman (University of Calgary/MDF International): Seismic Imaging-the Seismic Way, Richard Bass (University of Connecticut) September 13, 2005 Site: Probability CRG at University of British Columbia Lou Fishman (University of Calgary/MDF September 2004-August 2005 International): Phase Space and Path Integral Methods, September 15, 2005 (Part One) and September 20, 2005 (Part two) Yaozhong Hu (University of Kansas) Site: Probability CRG at University of Alberta Lou Fishman (University of Calgary/MDF September 2004-August 2005 International): Application to Seismic Imaging, September 20, 2005 Lou Fishman (MDF International) Site: Inverse Problems CRG at University of Frank den Hollander (University of Leiden and Calgary EURANDOM): Phase Transition for Interacting September 2005 Diffusions, January 18, 2006
Frank Den Hollander (Lieden University and Frank den Hollander (University of Leiden EURANDOM, the Netherlands) and EURANDOM): Random Walk in Random Site: Probability and Statistical Mechanics CRG Scenery, February 3, 2006 at University of British Columbia January-August 2006 Panagiotis Souganidis (University of Texas, Austin): Recent Advances to the Theory of Homogenization in Random Environments, March 7, 2006
Weiyue Ding (Peking University): Recent Progress in Schroedinger Flows, March 21, 2006
Weiyue Ding (Peking University): Evolution of Minimal Tori in Riemannian Manifolds, March 28, 2006
2005 | 06 • t h e pacific i n s t i t u t e f o r t h e mathematical s c i e n c e s a n n u a l r e p o r t 19 The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences
PIMS Personnel
Top Row (left to right): Fanny Lui, Danny Fan, Melania Alvarez-Adem, Ken Leung, Chee Chow, Clarina Chan, Kelly Choo, Kathryn Wood, Brenda Shakotko, Brent Kearney
Front Row (left to right): Shervin Teymouri, Margaret Gardiner, Dil Baines, Andrea Lunquist, Dana McCallum, Marian Miles, Heather Jenkins, Shelley Alvarado, Ivar Ekeland
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The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences
PIMS Personnel
PIMS c e n t r a l o f f i c e a t t h e u n i v e r s i t y o f b r i t i s h c o l u m b i a Dr. Ivar Ekeland, PIMS Director Dr. Alejandro Adem, PIMS Deputy Director Shelley Alvarado, Chief Operations Officer Danny Fan, Assistant to the PIMS Director Melania Alvarez-Adem, BC Education Dr. Klaus Hoechsmann, Education Facilitator Coordinator Heather Jenkins, Communications and Publications Clarina Chan, MITACS Administrator for Manager PIMS-UBC Ken Leung, Programme Coordinator Kelly Choo, Website Manager Fanny Lui, PIMS Administrator Chee Chow, Financial Officer Shervin Teymouri, Computer Systems Administrator
PIMS a t s i m o n f r a s e r u n i v e r s i t y Dr. Manfred Trummer, SFU Site Director Dr. Rustum Choksi, SFU Site Director (to September 2005) (from September 2005)
Dr. Malgorzata Dubiel, Education Coordinator Dr. Germain Tanoh, PIMS PDF Margaret Gardiner Administrative Assistant Dr. Christopher Sinclair, PIMS PDF Shahin Teymouri, PIMS/MITACS Computer Dr. Joshua Buresh-Oppenheim, PIMS PDF Systems Administrator Dr. Rahul Santhanam, PIMS PDF Dr. Antonia Kolokolova, PIMS PDF Dr. Ronald Van Luijk, PIMS PDF Dr. Wilson Lu, PIMS PDF Dr. Robert Samal, PIMS PDF
PIMS a t t h e u n i v e r s i t y o f v i c t o r i a PIMS a t u n i v e r s i t y o f a l b e r t a Dr. Chris Bose, UVic Site Director Dr. Gerald Cliff, UA Site Director
Dil Bains, Administrative Assistant Dana McCallum, Administrative Assistant Kelly Choo, Web Manager Dr. Jack Macki, Education Coordinator Dr. David Leeming, Education Coordinator Dr. Mohammad Akbar, PIMS PDF Dr. Wael Bahsoun, PIMS PDF Dr. Ying-Fen Lin, PIMS PDF Dr. Shuang Cai, PIMS PDF Dr. Holly Freedman, PIMS PDF PIMS a t t h e u n i v e r s i t y o f c a l g a r y Dr. Hung Le Pham, PIMS PDF Dr. Gemai Chen, UC Site Director Dr. Adriy Prymak, PIMS PDF Dr. Indy Lagu, Education Coordinator Dr. Gary Margrave, PIMS Industrial Facilitator Marian Miles, Administrative Assistant PIMS u n i v e r s i t y o f w a s h i n g t o n Dr. Lassina Dembele, PIMS PDF Dr. Gunther Uhlmann, UW Site Director Dr. Mark Hamilton, PIMS PDF Mary Sheetz, Administrative Assistant Dr. Wentao Sun, PIMS Research Fellow Dr. Roger Thelwell, PIMS PDF Dr. Elena Kudryavtseva, PIMS Visiting Research Dr. Vitaliy Vologodskiy, PIMS PDF Fellow b a n f f international r e s e a r c h s t a t i o n Dr. Nassif Ghoussoub, BIRS Scientific Director Shelley Alvarado, BIRS Managing Director
Danny Fan, Assistant to the BIRS Director Brenda Shakotko, BIRS Station Manager Brent Kearney, BIRS Systems Administrator Kathryn Wood, BIRS Programme Coordinator
2005 | 06 • t h e pacific i n s t i t u t e f o r t h e mathematical s c i e n c e s a n n u a l r e p o r t 21 The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences
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Scientific Activities
2005 | 06 • t h e pacific i n s t i t u t e f o r t h e mathematical s c i e n c e s a n n u a l r e p o r t 23 The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences
Collaborative Research Groups
he PIMS Collaborative Research Groups planning of resource allocation allows the CRGs T(CRG) consist of researchers with a com- to support a large number of PDFs and graduate mon research interest, and with a common desire students, and creates new research opportunities for to collaborate and develop some aspects of their these young scientists, including exchanges, joint research programmes. Groups may be organizing supervision and summer schools. joint seminars and workshops, making joint PDF The CRGs directly address the problems of reten- appointments, or developing joint graduate train- tion and recruitment of faculty. They are a venue for ing programmes. However, with the resources and new faculty to enter into a larger community, they organizational structure of PIMS CRGs, they can do give young faculty an effective network to build considerably more. their research programme, and they enhance the at- The CRGs act as a vehicle for networking be- tractiveness of the universities. tween universities. They effectively integrate the PIMS has identified 32 potential CRGs within its mathematical sciences community at the various community, spanning five broad areas of research PIMS universities into the scientific infrastructure to which PIMS is committed: Fundamental Math- of PIMS. They build on already existing joint ef- ematics, Applied and Computational Mathematics, forts and links between the researchers of Western Mathematical Biology and Medicine, Statistical Canada and the Pacific Northwest, opening up a Sciences and Theoretical Computer Science. While new era of scientific collaborations between the two some are already well established and structured, in countries. most cases they are just forming. Each CRG, which The CRGs create critical mass that substantially en- usually consists of 10–15 researchers, are to be hances training programmes at all levels. The pool- jointly coordinated by at least three senior research- ing of PIMS support with other sources and the joint ers representing various PIMS sites.
p e r i o d s o f concentrated a c t i v i t i e s • Workshops and conferences at PIMS sites f o r t h e CRGs • Intensive graduate courses The Periods of Concentration (POC) are designed • Distinguished chairs and long-term visitors to promote and support longer term, multi-event, • Graduate students exchanges multi-site coordinated activities of competitively selected CRGs, in tandem with their national and • Graduate and senior undergraduate schools international collaborators and visitors. Every year, • Industrial training camps the PIMS Scientific Review Panel selects, on a • International collaborations competitive basis, proposed POCs. The selected With this support, a CRG can gather a significant areas will be the focus of much of the institute’s portion of the world’s experts in its scientific area programme over a one- to two-year period of of research for periods of intense collaboration. The concentrated activities that will be delivered fruits of such intensity can be expected to persist for through the selected CRGs. At any given time, it many years and to be exponentially greater than the is expected that between five and eight CRGs will results of more normal activity levels. lead the PIMS scientific enterprise. Proposals can vary greatly according to the needs of the particular Each CRG must have significant participation group and may combine a number of existing PIMS and leadership from at least two Canadian PIMS activities. During its period of concentration, a CRG universities. Each CRG will designate a coordinator can expect to receive priority for: for its period of concentration. This coordinator must be based at a Canadian PIMS university; she/ • PIMS postdoctoral fellowships he will co-ordinate the various CRG activities, • Pacific Northwest seminar series approve all CRG events, and will be the CRG’s
24 t h e pacific i n s t i t u t e f o r t h e mathematical s c i e n c e s • a n n u a l r e p o r t 2005 | 06
The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences liaison with the PIMS scientific and administrative • Foster multi-site interactions and collabo- personnel. rations: The programme will continue to build the inter-site collaborative nature of the PIMS Each CRG designs its activities according to its community and will alleviate the problems of specific needs within the guidelines provided by interconnection inherent in large geographical PIMS. Facilitating the training of highly qualified separations between the PIMS sites. It creates a personnel has been identified as a priority for context through which researchers can collec- PIMS. CRGs are encouraged to take full advantage tively profit from the opportunities created by the of the opportunities provided through the PIMS PIMS network. Postdoctoral Fellowship programme, and to take a leadership role in the training of graduate and senior • Create new research opportunities and undergraduate students. PIMS encourages CRGs to enhance training: The periods of concentration develop innovative programmes in consultation with allow for the planning of a series of advanced the Deputy Director. graduate courses at any one site with the participation of students from multiple PIMS CRGs have priority access to the PIMS PDF pro- universities. The Western Dean’s Agreement gramme. Individual PDF applications have to be allows graduate students at any Western Canadian submitted to the local PIMS site as part of the regular university to take courses, for credit, at any PIMS PDF competition. Canadian PIMS university. The result is new In due course, all 32 of the PIMS CRGs recognized opportunities for PIMS graduate students and a so far would be given the benefit of a period of larger audience for PIMS and visiting scientists. concentration. This approach should dramatically This leads directly to a vigorous graduate student increase the effectiveness of the PIMS research pro- exchange programme. gramme by making its facilities and its opportunities • Support existing collaborative research available to all CRGs on a periodic basis. groups and foster new groups: The periods of concentration help to strengthen groups and give e x p e c t e d i m p a c t o f t h e p e r i o d s o f them a vehicle for long-range planning of re- concentration search and advanced education activities. As well, A targeted and coordinated, yet inclusive grass- the CRGs will encourage and empower isolated roots approach of this form, will present a new and groups or smaller ones at one university by bring- innovative way for the institute to drive and stimulate ing them into larger collaborative teams. research and will result in a significant impact on the • Effectively facilitate Canada-U.S. collabora- research excellence of its activities. The programme’s tions: The programme effectively integrates the extended time scale, its multi-event nature and its mathematical sciences community at the Uni- cross-university character together distinguish it from versity of Washington into the operations of the any other institute programme. Its implementation institute. It allows groups of Canadian and U.S. will allow PIMS to achieve several of its goals. It researchers develop their collaborative activities, will: and allow other groups to launch new types of • Provide new ways of having its scientific activities. The programme will also provide re- programmes driven by its member scientists: searchers with the means to play a leadership role The programme will help elicit proposals for on the national and international level. thematic summers, mini-programmes, BIRS • Attract additional support for research: events, and distinguished scholars as part of the Periods of concentration provide departments and application process. These programmes will universities with a mechanism for granting teach- have strong local interest and will encourage ing and administrative releases to the scientists grass-roots generation and long-term planning of involved. Such programmes can also be devel- activities with a much more inclusive and flexible oped in collaboration with other organizations and format than standard thematic programmes. institutes, hence multiplying the opportunities.
2005 | 06 • t h e pacific i n s t i t u t e f o r t h e mathematical s c i e n c e s a n n u a l r e p o r t 25 The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences
Report on Period of Concentration 2003–05 of the Collaborative Research Group in Dynamics
he University of Washington has long been CRG f a c u l t y Ta leading centre for ergodic theory and • University of Victoria: Chris Bose, dynamical systems. Within the CRG in Dynamics, Anthony Quas, Ian Putnam it assumed a natural leadership role. However, the • University of Washington: Doug Lind, growth of dynamics in the PIMS sites in Canada Selim Tuncel, Boris Solomyak has been truly remarkable over the last five years. It includes the appointments of Brian Marcus and • University of British Columbia: Brian Marcus, Rick Kenyon (Canada Research Chair) at UBC and Richard Kenyon Anthony Quas (Canada Research Chair) at U.Vic. • University of Alberta: Robert Moody Through these appointments and the Period of (now at Victoria) Concentration, the region now has a large presence on the dynamics scene. This has also seen a growth in the number of graduate students and post- s c i e n t i f i c e v e n t s doctoral fellows. One, Wael Bahsoun, who was a • Distinguished Chair, Klaus Schmidt PIMS PDF through the CRG at Victoria, now has a (University of Vienna), November 2002. position at the University of Manchester. Two other Klaus Schmidt is one of the world leaders former Ph.D. students of Robert Moody at Alberta in ergodic theory and especially algebraic have held or now hold NSERC PDFs in the CRG. dynamics, a subject in which he literally wrote Jeongyup Lee spent one year at the University of the book, an award winning research monograph Washington and the second at the University of laying the foundations of the subject. Dr. Victoria. Nicolae Strungaru is now at Victoria. Schmidt gave series of lectures on the basics and Another development is the move of Yuval Peres most recent developments in both Victoria and to Microsoft Research in Seattle. Already, he is Seattle, as well as a colloquium talk at UBC involved in a collaboration with Doug Lind and • Banff International Research Station 5-Day Boris Solomyak at UW. Workshop on Joint Dynamics, June 28-July The CRG has been very effective in establishing 3, 2003. In classical dynamical systems, links between the sites. There has been some the evolution of a physical system is one sharing of visitors. In the area of aperiodic order, dimensional, modelled on temporal evolution. it has been critical in making connections between The relatively recent development of dynamics Moody’s group at Alberta and those at Washington, in higher dimensions has revealed a number of most notably Boris Solomyak. Solomyak and Lee striking and unexpected results. The dynamics now have a strong collaboration which has made group within PIMS has been one of the world significant advances over the past two years. In centres for this development. The workshop the area of algebraic dynamics, one of the main brought together most of the leaders of this field. outstanding problems is the so-called Furstenberg • Banff International Research Station 5-Day conjecture. Although it remains open, significant Workshop on The Many Aspects of Mahler’s progress was made in collaborations between Measure, April 26-30, 2003. One area Manfred Einsiedler, Klaus Schmidt and Elon where higher dimensional dynamics has Lindenstrauss. These were largely made possible been particularly effective and important has because of events in the Period of Concentration. been in algebraic dynamics. This field has seen a beautiful development which includes interactions between dynamics, algebra and number theory. The University of Washington
26 t h e pacific i n s t i t u t e f o r t h e mathematical s c i e n c e s • a n n u a l r e p o r t 2005 | 06
The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences
has been a world leader is this program. This to the topological setting where Putnam and his workshop concentrated on aspects in this area, collaborators have already obtained interesting especially those related to number theory. It results. This stimulated some very interesting involved a unique mix of people from these interactions which will likely be pursued over different areas. the next few years between Colorado State and Victoria. The visit was extremely useful for • Banff International Research Station Research graduate students because of Dr. Rudolph’s in Teams on Topological Orbit Equivalence, stimulating style of presentations, the interest in April 26-May 10, 2003. The participants, the research programme and a special informal Giordano (Ottawa), Putnam (Victoria) and Skau session in which he participated on ‘how to be a (Trondheim) have developed a programme graduate student’. extending the notion of orbit equivalence to the topological setting. This is an appealing mix of • Banff International Research Station Focused ideas from dynamics and operator algebras. This Research Group on Topological Aspects of particular project involved extending dynamical Aperiodic Order, July 16-30, 2005. As noted ideas from one dimension to higher ones. The above, the area of Aperiodic Order has drawn result gave conclusive results for certain special on a wide variety of mathematics. Two of these cases and has lead to a recent solution to the are the areas of topology and operator algebras. problem in dimension two. Here, classical invariants from topology and others from non-commutative geometry are used • Banff International Research Station 5-Day to describe and quantify aperiodic order. This Workshop on Aperiodic Order: Dynamical particular activity had a unique mix of people Systems, Combinatorics and Operators, with backgrounds in topology, operator algebras May 29-June 3, 2004. Aperiodic order is the and physics. Several open problems were solved phenomenon of physical and mathematical during the course of the two weeks. In addition, geometric structures which display a high degree a volume, to be written by the participants of regularity but are not periodic. It has been an and published by the American Mathematical extremely lively area since the discovery of such Society, is planned as a kind of handbook for the mathematical objects in the 1960s and quasicrys- subject. tals (analogous physical materials) in the 1980s. It is also notable for the diversity of mathemat- • Summer School in Aperiodic Order, August ics that it draws upon to quantify and explain 2005, University of Victoria. The summer the nature of the order. It may seen viewed as school was a highly successful event, intended dynamics as a ‘spatial’ evolution. The Universi- mainly for graduate students and post-doctoral ties of Washington, Alberta and Victoria are all fellows. There were four lecture series covering well-represented in various aspects of this field the very broad range of the basics of the subject: making PIMS a unique world centre on the area. harmonic analysis for discrete point patterns, This workshop was another in a series usually ergodic theory, physics and topological aspects. held at research institutes in Europe bringing There was also the opportunity for short together experts on a wide variety of areas. presentations by participants on their own work. • Distinguished Chair, Dan Rudolph • Second Northwest Dynamical Systems (University of Maryland and Colorado State Symposium, August 2005, University of University), October 2004. Dan Rudolph is Victoria. This was a follow-up to a similar another world leader in ergodic theory, known meeting held five years earlier. Held the week especially for his work on restricted orbit after the Summer School, there was a large equivalence. His lectures in Victoria on the overlap among the participants. But this meeting subject were an excellent introduction to the also attracted ergodic theory experts from across subject, leading to the most significant results. North America and Europe. These meetings The visit was especially fruitful since Dr. have helped establish Victoria as a centre for Rudolph is beginning to extend these techniques dynamics.
2005 | 06 • t h e pacific i n s t i t u t e f o r t h e mathematical s c i e n c e s a n n u a l r e p o r t 27 The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences
Report on Period of Concentration 2003–06 of the Collaborative Research Group in Mathematical Ecology and Evolution
s the current revolution in biological postdoctoral fellows (PDFs) in interdisciplinary Ainformation progresses, there is a well research projects and the manifold involvement of recognized need for new quantitative approaches students in research activities. and methods to solve problems in ecology. One Our primary goal was to develop and strengthen the challenge is to model complex ecological systems synergistic interactions between mathematics and - systems that depend upon a myriad of inputs, but ecology within and between PIMS Universities. often with incomplete details regarding the inputs. Considerable collaborations have been fostered Such systems range from spatial disease dynamics between Universities of Victoria, Calgary, Alberta (e.g., influenza, tuberculosis, West Nile Virus) to and British Columbia as a result of the PIMS- the responses of biota to global environmental sponsored CRG. Through the various CRG related change (e.g., vegetation shifts, invaders into lake activities a very strong collaboration between ecosystems, stream ecosystems), to the impacts the groups of Ed McCauley (U. Calgary) and of habitat fragmentation on species survival Mark Lewis (U. Alberta) has developed. Regular (biodiversity). Mathematical tools for addressing visits from McCauley in Edmonton and Lewis in such biological problems include stochastic Calgary initiated a collaboration, which was further processes, nonlinear dynamical systems, adaptive strengthened by a shared PDF, Frithjof Lutscher. dynamics, scaling methods from individuals to F. Lutscher has been instrumental in the continued populations, statistical inference, and computational exchange between these groups and the 2-Day BIRS methods. retreat provided a great opportunity for students Research in any interdisciplinary field brings its from both groups to meet. Recently, Ed McCauley own particular set of challenges: (i) The rigorous has become co-leader of a new Water Ingenuity and unambiguous aspects of mathematics versus Center supported from the Alberta Ingenuity Fund. the overwhelming complexity of the biological This research center has a yearly budget of about world. (ii) The different languages of mathematics $1.5 million. The involvement of PIMS through and biology that can provide a major barrier to the CRG and McCauley’s close collaboration with interdisciplinary research. With this in mind, mathematicians at PIMS cites has been an important an interdisciplinary research programme that driving force for the establishment of the water significantly impacts both mathematics and biology center. Within this center mathematical modeling has some basic requirements: (i) the opportunity for will be used to investigate and understand the training outside the core discipline of mathematics overwhelming complexity of river ecosystems. The or biology, and (ii) a mechanism for effective corresponding projects, which were supported by collaborations and cross-communication between the CRG, will be continued within this water center. empiricists and theoreticians. Collaboration on a smaller scale developed between The collaboration between mathematicians and Michael Doebeli (UBC), Firthjof Lutscher (U. ecologists were central to the training of personnel Calgary and U. Alberta) and Thomas Hillen (U. in this research plan. This is expressed through Alberta) on phenotype splitting, which is a keystone the summer workshops at the University of to explain the development of biodiversity. It turns Alberta for undergraduate students, a BIRS retreat out that the integro-differential equation models are for graduate students, a workshop and summer mathematically very similar to other models that school for graduate students, a regular seminar Lutscher and Hillen have studied previously. series in mathematical biology, the hiring of three A productive collaboration has developed since.
28 t h e pacific i n s t i t u t e f o r t h e mathematical s c i e n c e s • a n n u a l r e p o r t 2005 | 06
The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences
The high involvement of Dr. Lutscher in the scientists across all ages (from graduate student to CRG activities gave him the necessary scientific emeritus professors), with significant representation maturity to obtain an assistant professor tenure track from both genders, and with a mixture of talks from position at Ottawa University in 2005. The CRG novice and experts alike. Mathematical Ecology and Evolution supported The BIRS focused research group on “Mathematical Mario Pineda-Krch during his PDF at UBC. Dr Models for Plant Dispersal” was organized by M. A. Pineda-Krch worked on developing a modeling Lewis (Alberta), and J. Bullock (NERC Centre for framework for studying ecological and evolutionary Ecology and Hydrology, UK). The ability of plants dynamics of spatially structured communities. One to move into new environments and adapt to global particular goal of his work is to study dynamics in change depends crucially upon the dispersal of the finite predator-prey populations, and in particular plant seeds. The importance of dispersal applies the phenomenon of evolutionary branching, i.e., equally to invasive pest plants (many of which are the adaptive mechanisms generating evolutionary extremely costly to agriculture), to persistence of diversification using numerical simulations that threatened plants and species, and to the movement were run on the computer clusters provided by of indigenous plants, such as hemlock and spruce, WestGrid. He studied two main phenomena: in response to climate change. The meeting brought The occurrence of predator-prey cycles due to together mathematicians and quantitative biologists. demographic stochasticity, and evolutionary This cross-disciplinary research environment led to branching and phenotypic plasticity as alternative specific advances in the modeling of plant dispersal. responses to disruptive selection. The focused research group comprised of J. Bullock The PDF Joanna Renclawowicz (U. Alberta) (NERC, Dorset), D. Greene (Concordia), S. Higgins worked with Pauline van den Driessche (U. Victo- (UFZ, Leipzig), M. Lewis (Alberta), A. Pielaat ria) and Mark Lewis (U. Alberta) on the spread of (Alberta), T. Robbins (Utah), M. Soons (Utrecht), West Nile Virus. This very successful project led to and O. Tackenberg (Regensburg). new insight into the mechanism of the spread of this The international conference on “Differential Equa- disease (see list of publications). They derived and tions and Applications in Mathematical Biology” at analyzed the first spatially explicit model for West- Malaspina University of Nanaimo, BC, was par- Nile Virus spread. In collaboration with Thomas tially supported by the CRG. It was organized by Hillen (U. Alberta) we obtained some specific E. Braverman (Calgary), M. Li (Alberta), L. Idels important results on existence and boundedness of (Nanaimo), L. Berezansky (Israel), A. Ponosov solutions to a chemotaxis model that includes at- (Norway), and E. Litsyn (Israel). Represented at tractive and repulsive signals. This forms a valuable this conference were about 60 scientists from all contribution to the mathematical theory of chemot- over the world, including young and experienced axis equations. researchers. Focus areas included applications of The CRG hosted two international meetings delay equations, modeling of aquatic ecosystems at BIRS (Banff, Alberta) and supported an and modeling of epidemics. international conferences on differential equations Finally, our educational efforts (summer workshops in mathematical biology in Nanaimo, BC. in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2-Day retreat in 2005, the The BIRS-meeting “Mathematical Biology: From seminar in mathematical biology 2003-06, and Molecules to Ecosystems: The Legacy of Lee the visitor program) have been well-received Segel” was organized by L. Keshet (UBC), S. Levin and garnered excellent feedback. The summer (Princeton), and M.A. Lewis (Alberta). In this workshops were held at University of Alberta and workshop we explored a unifying common link that the course notes from these workshops have been highlights how seemingly diverse areas of biologi- published as a textbook with SIAM publishing cal application are interwoven in the discipline, a (see references). Moreover, the PDFs and graduate theme that centers on the work and contributions students from U. Alberta were involved in the of Lee Segel. Represented at this workshop were instruction process and they gained important
2005 | 06 • t h e pacific i n s t i t u t e f o r t h e mathematical s c i e n c e s a n n u a l r e p o r t 29 The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences experience in the teaching of mathematical biology. projects) - and also the immense power of a From about 60 students of our summer workshops relatively limited set of techniques. M.S. we know that at least 15 have chosen mathematical The PIMS Distinguished Visitors Bryan Grenfell biology as their area of graduate studies, most of and Roger Nisbet, and the Endowment Fund for the them at PIMS Universities. As an example we cite Future Distinguished Visitor Brian Sleeman all spent two replies of undergraduate students of our summer considerable time with students from the various workshops: PIMS Universities. In particular Brian Sleeman and • There were two main benefits of the Workshop a PhD student, Zhian Wang, worked on a problem to me. First, it gave me some experience in related to hyperbolic partial differential equations modeling, which I had never done before. As well, and a paper has been submitted (see references). The it was a wonderful opportunity to meet students PIMS travel fund was used to send graduate students from across the country and gave me a broader to BIRS meetings which were held within the CRG. perspective on my own education. L.F. This presented a great opportunity for the students to learn about new methods and to meet scientists from • I think the biggest thing I got out of the workshop all over the world. was an appreciation of the wide variety of modeling applications (especially through the
CRG f a c u l t y • Michael Doebeli (UBC) • Mark Lewis (U. Alberta) • Carl Bergstrom • Eirikur Palsson (SFU) • Michael Li (U. Alberta) (U. Washington) • Bernard Roitberg (SFU) • Jens Roland (U. Alberta) • Daniel Grunbaum (U. Washington) • Mark Boyce (U. Alberta) • Joseph So (U. Alberta) • Ray Hilborne (U. Washington) • Herb Freedman (U. Alberta) • Edward McCauley (U. Calgary) • Mark Kot (U. Washington) • Thomas Hillen (U. Alberta) • James Anderson • Pauline van den Driessche • Subhash Lele (U. Alberta) (U. Washington) (U. Victoria)
CRG postdoctoral f e l l o w s • Frithjof Lutscher (U. Alberta • Joanna Renclawowicz (U. • Mario Pineda-Krch (UBC), and U. Calgary), collaboration Alberta and U. Victoria), collaboration with M. Doebeli with E. McCauley (U.Calgary), collaboration with P. van den (UBC). Now at the Center for M. Doebeli (UBC), M. Lewis Driessche (U. Victoria), M. Animal Disease Modeling and (U. Alberta) and T. Hillen Lewis (U. Alberta), and T. Surveillance, University Of (U.Alberta). Since 2005 Hillen (U. Alberta). Since 2004 California, Davis. Assistant Professor at U. Polish Academy of Sciences, Ottawa. Warsaw, Poland. s t u d e n t s a n d p o s t d o c s i n v o l v e d w i t h t h e CRG g r a d u a t e s t u d e n t s : Brad Davis, Sandra Merchant, • Postdocs: (not CRG Postdocs) Jabus Tyerman. U. Calgary: • U. Alberta: Tomas de Camino- • Erik Noonburg (U. Alberta), Susan Bailey, Priscilla Beck, Andria Dawson, Raluca Alex Potapov (Research Crumrine, Kyla Flanagan, Bill Eftimie, Amy Hurford, Chris Associate, U. Alberta), Shane Nelson, Karilynn Sweet. U. Jerde, Martin Krkosek, Hannah Richards (U. Calgary), David Washington: Rebecca Dore, Jan McKenzie, Jung Min Lee, Peter Brian Walton (U. Wash.), Medlock, Tim Reluga, Damon Molnar, Tom Robbins. Marjorie Wonham (U. Alberta). Toth. Undergraduates: Andrew • U. British Columbia: Alistair Beltaos (U. Alberta) Blachford, Priscilla Crumrine,
30 t h e pacific i n s t i t u t e f o r t h e mathematical s c i e n c e s • a n n u a l r e p o r t 2005 | 06
The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences s c i e n t i f i c e v e n t s Glasgow), Dan Coombs (UBC), Bo Deng (U. Nebraska-Lincoln), Michael Doebeli (UBC), The benefits of the PIMS-sponsored CRG have ex- Bryan Grenfell (Cambridge U.), Michael Mackey ceeded our expectations. From the very beginning of (McGill U.), Bernard Roitberg (Simon Fraser U.), this CRG we have involved as many PIMS-University Birgitt Schönfisch (U. Tuebingen), Pauline van research groups as possible. For example, the work- den Driessche (U. Victoria), James Watmough (U. shops, the BIRS meetings and an international confer- New Brunswick), Abba Gumel (U. Manitoba), K.P. Hadeler (U. Tuebingen), Eric Cyrtynbaum ence in Nanaimo always included organizers and (UBC), Roger Nisbet (UC Santa Barbara), Steve participants from other PIMS Universities. Through Cantrell (U. Miami), Hermann Eberl (U. Guelph), our association with PIMS and the CRG we were able Chris Cosner (U. Miami), Lou Gross (U. Tenes- to attract internationally recognized experts in Math- see). ematical Biology to give talks at PIMS institutions, • Sept. 11-25, 2003: PIMS Distinguished Chair: Dr. attend BIRS meetings, and collaborate with CRG Bryan Grenfell, (Cambridge and Penn State), five researchers. Distinguished visitors, such as Roger Nis- lectures at U. Alberta, U. Calgary and UBC. bet (Santa Barbara), Bryan Sleeman (Leeds) and Brian • Sept. 20-Oct. 2, 2003: BIRS meeting: Mathemati- Grenfell (Cambridge/Pennsylvania State) gave a series cal Models for Plant Dispersal, Focused Research of lectures at U. Alberta, UBC and U. Calgary. Group. • Nov. 2003 – Oct. 2004: PIMS Postdoc, Dr. Joanna Interaction between PIMS sites was particularly dem- Renclawowicz, 33% with T. Hillen, 33% with M. onstrated through three shared PDF positions. Frithjof Lewis, (both U. Alberta) and 33% with P. van den Lutscher worked with Ed McCauley (U. Calgary) and Driessche (U. Victoria). with Mark Lewis (U. Alberta) on a topic related to the • Nov. 1-30, 2003: Long-term visitor: Dr. Pauline modeling of river-ecosystems. Joanna Renclawowicz van den Driessche, (U. Victoria), one lecture. worked with Pauline van den Driessche (U. Victoria) • Nov. 21-Dec. 12, 2003: EFF Distinguished Visi- and with Mark Lewis (U. Alberta) on the modeling tor Dr. Brian Sleeman (Leeds), six lectures at U. of West Nile Virus; and she worked with Thomas Alberta. Hillen (U. Alberta) on problems related to chemotaxis • March 18-20, 2004: BIRS meeting: 2-Day Retreat modeling. Mario Pineda-Krch worked with Michael on Mathematical Ecology and Evolution. Doebeli on modeling of evolution and selection. • April 2004 – March 2005: PIMS Postdoc: Dr. Ma- The support of the CRG enabled us to increase our rio Pineda-Krch, with Michael Doebeli, UBC. educational efforts as well. We gave three summer • May 4-14, 2004: 3rd annual PIMS Mathematical workshops in mathematical biology for undergraduate Biology Summer Workshop for Undergraduates, U Alberta. students and a 2-Day retreat for graduate students in Banff. The BIRS-retreat involved groups from Cal- • July 18-23, 2004: International Conference on gary, Seattle, Vancouver and Edmonton. None of these “Differential Equations and Applications in Math- ematical Biology” in Nanaimo (Vancouver Island, research collaborations, workshops, retreats, or talks Canada). could have been done without PIMS support. And by • Sept. 25–Oct. 16, 2004: PIMS Distinguished Chair hosting such successful events we believe the CRG Dr. Roger Nisbet (UC Santa Barbara), five lectures has augmented PIMS’ international reputation. at UBC, U Calgary, U Alberta. • April 30-May 9, 2003: 2nd annual PIMS Math- • Nov. 27–Dec. 2, 2004: BIRS meeting: Biological ematical Biology Summer Workshop for Under- Invasions. graduates, U Alberta. • May 2-12, 2005: 4th annual PIMS Mathematical • July 5-10, 2003: BIRS meeting: Mathematical Bi- Biology Summer Workshop for Undergraduates, U ology: From Molecules to Ecosystems; The legacy Alberta. of Lee Segel. • Oct. 1-7, 2006: Graduate Short Course: Analysis • Aug. 2003 - July 2005: PIMS Postdoc, Dr. Frithjof of ecological systems under uncertainty, change Lutscher, 50% with McCauley U. Calgary and and adaptation: Confronting Models with Data. 50% with Lewis (U Alberta). Kananaskis Field Station, Alberta. • Sept. 2003-March 2006: PIMS/MITACS Semi- For a list of CRG publications, please see the PIMS web- nar in Mathematical Biology, U Alberta. PIMS site www.pims.math.ca/Collaborative_Research_Groups/ supported speakers: Christina Cobbold (U.
2005 | 06 • t h e pacific i n s t i t u t e f o r t h e mathematical s c i e n c e s a n n u a l r e p o r t 31 The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences
Report on Period of Concentration 2003–05 of the Collaborative Research Group in Number Theory
umber theory is one of the oldest and 2005, the critical mass of the group built up during Ndeepest branches of modern mathematics. the two years of extra funding was certainly a Its development has led to some of the most significant factor in being able to attract our current sophisticated and profound of mathematical ideas very strong group of PIMS PDFs, Chris Sinclair, (e.g. Wiles proof of Fermat’s Last Theorem). And Matilde Lalín and Ronald van Luijk, who were yet it remains broadly useful in many areas of pure awarded PIMS PDFs in competition with a very and applied mathematics. Indeed, it is remarkable strong field of applicants. how often number theory comes to bear both in Regular activities of our group that were in other areas of mathematics and in applications. existence prior to the CRG and still continue are Notable recent examples are the fields of the joint PIMS sponsored SFU/UBC number cryptography and internet security whose protocols theory seminar (held biweekly alternating between are based on computationally intractable number SFU and UBC) and the PIMS sponsored Pacific theoretic problems. Number theory is particularly Northwest Number Theory seminar, which strong in Canada with the PIMS Number Theory meets once each year at various locations in BC, Group featuring prominently. This group is large Washington and Oregon. During the CRG, we and well distributed across the PIMS Universities. were able to plan more ambitious events including It has a number of prominent senior world-class a summer period of concentration on Mahler’s researchers leading a group of richly talented young measure held at SFU in the summer of 2003. One mathematicians. very successful event which certainly would not PIMS support of the Number Theory group, have taken place without the stimulus of the CRG especially the core group in Vancouver, has been a funding was the one day conference for postdoctoral major factor in the expansion and strengthening of fellows in Number Theory held in Vancouver prior that group. The core group in Vancouver consists of to the winter CMS meeting in 2003. This broadened four number theorists at SFU (P. Borwein, I. Chen, the network of many young number theorists and S. Choi and N. Bruin) and four number theorists has been repeatedly cited by many of them as a at UBC (D. Boyd, M. Bennett, V. Vatsal and G. significant event in their careers. Martin). Prior to the formation of the CRG, S. The SFU/UBC Number Theory group organized the Choi and N. Bruin had been joint SFU/UBC PIMS PIMS sponsored international conference of the Ca- postdoctoral fellows and were subsequently hired nadian Number Theory Association in 2006. Again, into tenure-track positions at SFU. this event did not occur during the CRG period but The guaranteed funding of two PIMS postdoctoral the network established during the period of the positions during the CRG period allowed the group CRG was certainly a significant factor in its suc- to attract Ben Green to Vancouver for a year of cess. Other indications of the continuing influence postdoctoral work as a PIMS postdoctoral fellow. of the two years of CRG funding are the number of His success during that year and his subsequent successful BIRS proposals put forward by subsets appointments as chair at Bristol and now as of the group each year, for example the BIRS work- Hershel Smith Professor at Cambridge indicate shop Number Theory Inspired by Cryptography, the wisdom of that decision. One of our other Nov. 5-10, 2005, which was conceived during the PIMS postdoctoral fellows during that period, period of the CRG funding and the BIRS workshop Friederich Littmann, found an academic position Analytic Methods for Diophantine Equations, May while another, Christopher Rowe, decided to change 13–18, 2006, which built on the success of the two direction into financial mathematics. Even after the BIRS workshops in November, 2004 organized by guaranteed funding for two fellows ended in April the CRG during its period of funding.
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The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences
No doubt the strength and cohesiveness of the core subsequent summer programme at SFU in 2003 group of the CRG was a factor in its success in were influential in attracting two of our current obtaining an NSERC Leadership grant of $40,000 postdoctoral fellows, Chris Sinclair and Matilde per year for 2003–2007 which was used entirely for Lalín. European participants in these events, Vincent the support graduate students at SFU and UBC. This Maillot and Marie-José Bertin were inspired to led to a considerable strengthening of the graduate organize a workshop at CIRM in June, 2005, on programme in Number Theory at SFU and UBC. Mahler measure and then Dan Silver and Susan Williams organized a conference on Mahler The PIMS PDF Ben Green (2003-04) was a measure and Knot Theory at the University of South spectacular success. During his time in Vancouver, Alabama in January, 2006. A number of successful he and Terry Tao resolved an important old collaborations were begun during the events of problem that shows that the sequence of primes 2003, e.g. the work of P. Borwein, E. Dobrowolski contains arbitrarily long arithmetic progressions. and M. Mossinghoff on Lehmer’s problem for This work won him a Clay Research Prize for in polynomials with odd coefficients. 2004, led to his appointment to a chair at Bristol University and then his appointment as Hershel The BIRS workshop on Explicit Methods in Number Smith Professor of Pure Mathematics and Fellow of Theory in November 2004 was the scene of the Trinity College, Cambridge. This work also led to solution of a long-standing problem in the theory of his invitation to speak at the International Congress diophantine equations, namely the complete solution of Mathematicians in Madrid in August 2006. (This of the equation x 2+y 3=z 7 in relatively prime work was also cited in the Fields Medal awarded to integers, due to B. Poonen, M. Stoll and E. Schaefer. Terry Tao at that same congress). Some of the organizers of that event have been successful in another bid for a BIRS workshop on CRG member Nike Vatsal was awarded the André Explicit methods for rational points on curves, Feb. Aisenstadt prize of the CRM in 2004, the Ribenboim 4-9, 2007, aimed at a deeper understanding of Kim’s prize of the CNTA in 2006 and was given an new non-abelian Chabauty method. The workshop invitation to speak at the ICM in 2006 as the result and the subsequent activity in the field also played of his ground-breaking work on the distribution of a role in attracting one of our current PIMS PDFs in Heegner points. Number Theory, Ronald van Luijk, who will join us The BIRS workshop in Mahler measure and the in January 2007.
CRG f a c u l t y
• CRG Leaders: Peter Borwein Renate Scheidler, Hugh PIMS postdoctoral (SFU), Williams f e l l o w s David Boyd (UBC) • U.Washington: Ralph • Ben Green, September, • UBC: Michael Bennett, Greenberg, 2003, to August, 2004, now David Boyd, Adrivan Iovita, Neal Koblitz, Professor, Trinity College, Bill Casselman, Rajiv Gupta, Boris Solomyak Cambridge Izabella Laba, Greg Martin, • Other Institutions: Amir • Friederich Littmann, Nike Vatsal Akbary (U. Lethbridge), September, 2003, to August, • SFU: Peter Borwein, Imin Edward Dobrowolski 2005, now Assistant Chen, Stephen Choi, Petr (College of New Caledonia), Professor, U. North Dakota Lisonek Matt Klassen (DigiPen Inst. • Christopher Rowe, • U. Alberta: James Lewis of Tech.), Kristin Lauter September, 2003, to August, (Microsoft) 2005, now in financial • U. Calgary: Richard Guy, mathematics, Boulder, James Jones, Colorado
2005 | 06 • t h e pacific i n s t i t u t e f o r t h e mathematical s c i e n c e s a n n u a l r e p o r t 33 The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences
s c i e n t i f i c e v e n t s • PIMS PNWNT conference, Seattle, April 5-6, 2003 • PIMS sponsored BIRS workshop, The Many Aspects of Mahler’s Measure, April 26–May 1 , 2003. • PIMS Number Theory Group Thematic Summer Program, Mahler Measure, June 6-29, 2003. • PIMS Distinguished Visitor, Jeff Vaaler, June 6-29, 2003.
• PIMS sponsored BIRS workshop, Current trends in arithmetic geometry and number theory, Aug. 23–28, 2003. • PIMS CRG in Number Theory, postdoctoral conference, Vancouver, Dec. 5, 2003. • PIMS PNWNT conference in Corvallis, Oregon – April 17, 2004 • PIMS Distinguished Visitor, Sergei Konyagin, March 1–May 1, 2004. • PIMS sponsored BIRS workshop, Explicit Methods in Number Theory, Nov. 13–18, 2004. • PIMS sponsored BIRS workshop, Number Theorists weekend, Nov. 18–20, 2004. • PIMS sponsored BIRS workshop, Diophantine approximation and analytic number theory, Nov. 20–25, 2004.
34 t h e pacific i n s t i t u t e f o r t h e mathematical s c i e n c e s • a n n u a l r e p o r t 2005 | 06
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Report on Period of Concentration 2003–05 of the Collaborative Research Group in Scientific Computing
he major goal of the period of concentration Seminars and Talks. Throughout the period there Twas to develop the group’s common research were regular weekly seminars co-hosted by the programmes, and to promote research in scientific Centre for Scientific Computing at SFU, largely by computing and increase related interdisciplinary visiting researchers. These weekly seminars pro- collaboration within the region and on an interna- vided a focal point for) and students. At UBC, the tional level. In addition, this period of increased PIMS-IAM Distinguished seminar series attracted activity in scientific computing provided a focus to excellent speakers and large audiences. We consider solidly establish SFU’s Centre for Scientific Com- these seminar series (in addition to on-going infor- puting (CSC). The majority of the activity of this mal seminars) an important anchor for the activities concentration period took place at the PIMS sites at of the Collaborative Research Group. Indeed, these SFU, UW and UBC and at BIRS. series of talks continued both at SFU and UBC with Distinguished Lecture Series beyond the period of A large number of graduate students (over 50) concentration. and postdoctoral fellows (at least 10) directly benefited from the concentration period in scientific Workshops and Conferences. The period of con- computing. centration allowed the group to organize a number of scientific meetings. In addition to our annual Scientific computing plays a critical role in applied Pacific Northwest Numerical Seminar (in 2004 we and industrial mathematics at the PIMS universities organized a two-day meeting at Banff instead of and across North America. Within PIMS the customary one-day format) we had an excellent universities, the scientific computing community international workshop on numerical linear algebra has been a very active collaborative group with a as well as a 2-Day BIRS workshop on wavelets. In tradition of multi-university activities particularly 2005 we organized an international conference on among researchers at U. of Washington, SFU, and adaptive methods for solving differential equations. UBC. Recently new activities have emerged, due All these events attracted world leaders in the field, in large part to the leading role played by PIMS. A and provided an invaluable experience for the many special feature of this period of concentration was postdocs and graduate students in our programmes. the promotion of a multidisciplinary approach to Without PIMS support (both financial and admin- the subject and the inclusion of important research istrative) these meetings simply would not have topics such as fuel cells and medical imaging. The happened. base of support for the group includes researchers from Mathematics, Applied Mathematics, and Recruitment. Over the last three to four years Computer Science. many new) members in the field of Scientific Computing joined various departments at PIMS i m p a c t o f t h e p e r i o d o f concentration universities. Clearly, the decision whether to accept The period of concentration established new or reject a job offer is a complex one, and cannot collaborations and strengthened existing ones. Its be easily attributed to just one single factor. Yet, the strongest impact was probably felt at UBC and increased scientific activity in the region, the strong SFU, but there is also a much increased awareness collaborative spirit and clear evidence of funding of activities and expertise at all PIMS Universities. opportunities for scientific initiatives appear to be The groups at SFU and UBC worked together in very attractive to bright young researchers. Recent organizing and coordinating the events, establishing hires come from the top institutions, and many a tradition of sharing opportunities. The spirit of this chose a PIMS university offer over offers from cooperation continues, and researchers regularly other prestigious universities. attend seminars and talks at the other site.
2005 | 06 • t h e pacific i n s t i t u t e f o r t h e mathematical s c i e n c e s a n n u a l r e p o r t 35 The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences
Student Recruitment. With the strong emphasis international audience; most speakers in our various of PIMS programmes on supporting training of Lecture Series were international experts, and many highly qualified personnel it is no surprise to find of them spent bigger chunks of time with their hosts a strong impact of the period of concentration and graduate students. The PIMS Distinguished on PIMS researchers ability to attract excellent Chairs spent a month or more at the host graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. As an institutions. They gave a series of lectures, and were example, the community spirit in our CRG proved engaged in many informal discussions as well as to be contagious to graduate students, who have concrete collaborations. These ties have continued now organized two regional one-day meetings beyond the concentration period. For example, this of students related to the CRG in Scientific summer two students of PIMS Distinguished Chair Computing, in particular, inviting also colleagues Otmar Scherzer participated in the PIMS Graduate from other areas of applied mathematics. Modeling workshop and Industrial Problem Solving Workshop, and one student worked for a month Interdisciplinary Collaboration. The special period with the PIMS Medical Imaging Group. gave rise to a close interdisciplinary collaboration in medical imaging, involving the medical imaging Scientific Computing continues to be a very active group at VGH/Radiology (UBC), and researchers PIMS Collaborative Research Group, and owes from Computer Science and Mathematics. The much of its strength to the support provided by period was also a boost to the interdisciplinary PIMS. fuel cells project with Ballard Power Systems and Two postdoctoral fellows were funded as part of this researchers from UBC and SFU. period of concentration: Jianying Zhang (at UBC), International Collaboration. PIMS activities who is now a member at Western Washington during our period of concentration provided many University, and Jianjun Xu (SFU), who currently opportunities for international collaboration. All holds a position at the University of California at our conferences and workshops attracted a strong Irvine.
CRG f a c u l t y
• R. Choksi (SFU) • B. Shizgal (UBC) • D. Durran (U. Washington) • M.C. Kropinski (SFU) • J. Varah (UBC) • A. Greenbaum (U. • T. Möller (SFU) • M. Ward (UBC) Washington) • D. Muraki (SFU) • B. Wetton (UBC) • G. Hakim (U. Washington) • K. Promislow (SFU) • M. Yedlin (UBC) • N. Kutz (U. Washington) • B. Russell (SFU) • Y. Lin (U. Alberta) • R. LeVeque (U. Washington) • S. Ruuth (SFU) • J. Macki, (U. Alberta) • R. O’Malley (U. Washington) • L. Trajkovic (SFU) • P. Minev (U. Alberta) • P. Schmid (U. Washington) • M. Trummer (SFU) • Y.S. Wong (U. Alberta) • R. Bradean (Ballard Corp.) • J. Verner (SFU) • T. Ware (U. Calgary) • J. Kenna (Ballard Corp.) • R. Zahar (SFU) • R. Westbrook (U. Calgary) • M. Epton (Boeing Corp.) • U. Ascher (UBC) • P. van den Driessche (U. • S. Filipowski (Boeing Corp.) • O. Dorn (UBC) Victoria) • J. Lewis (Boeing Corp.) • S. Dunbar (UBC) • D. Olesky (U. Victoria) • S. Reddy (Quadrus Financial Technologies) • I. Frigaard (UBC) • L. Adams (U. Washington) • Jian-Jun Xu PIMS SFU Postdoc • A. Peirce (UBC) • C. Bretherton (U. Washington) • Jian Ying Zhang, PIMS/ • B. Seymour (UBC) • J. Burke (U. Washington) MITACS UBC Postdoc
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The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences s c i e n t i f i c e v e n t s
• PIMS-IAM-CSC Senior Undergraduate • Pacific Northwest Numerical Analysis Seminar – Modeling Workshop, SFU & UBC, Feb. 2003 2-Day BIRS workshop, BIRS, Oct. 2004 • BIRS Workshop on Computational Fuel Cell • Multiscale Modeling and Computation of Flow Dynamics, BIRS, April 2003 in Heterogeneous Media (Tom Hou), UBC-SFU, Oct. 2004 • Workshop on Numerical Linear Algebra and Applications, UBC, Aug. 2003 • Joint SFU CSC and UBC IAM Seminar Data Assimilation in Nonlinear Dynamics Models • Five-Day BIRS Workshop on Computational (Juan Restrepo), Simple and complex impact Techniques for Moving Interfaces, BIRS, Aug. oscillators and their bifurcations (Chris Budd), 2003 SFU-UBC, Nov. 2004 • Pacific Northwest Numerical Analysis Seminar, • PIMS Distinguished Chair – Juan Restrepo, SFU, UW, Oct. 2003 Fall 2004 • Biological Molecular Algorithms - A • Computational Fuel Cell Dynamics, BIRS, Mathematician s Perspective on Molecular March 2005 Biology (Barry Merriman), SFU & UBC, March 2004 • Intl. Conference: Adaptivity and Beyond, SFU, Aug. 2005 • Five-Day BIRS Workshop on Mathematical Foundations of Scientific Visualization, • PIMS-IAM Distinguished Speaker Series, UBC, Computer Graphics and Massive Data 2003-2005 Exploration, BIRS, May 2004 • PIMS-MITACS-CSC Seminar Series, SFU, • Adaptive wavelet and multiscale methods for 2003-2005 partial differential equations – 2-Day BIRS • University of Alberta Distinguished Lectures workshop, BIRS, June 2004 Series in Scientific Computing and Information • PIMS Distinguished Chair - Chris Budd - Technology, UA, 2004-2006 Analytical and numerical aspects of multi-scale problems SFU, July to August, 2004 • PIMS Distinguished Chair - Otmar Scherzer - Scale Space Methods and Regularization for Denoising and Inverse Problems, UBC, Aug. 2004
2005 | 06 • t h e pacific i n s t i t u t e f o r t h e mathematical s c i e n c e s a n n u a l r e p o r t 37 The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences
Report on Period of Concentration 2003–05 of the Collaborative Research Group in String Theory
he goal of the Collaborative Research Group close to the standard model of elementary particle Ton String Theory is to incubate significant new physics. Its promise and excitement have captured research on string theory. the attention of a large fraction of the world’s Elementary particle physics seeks to discover community of theoretical particle physicists for the the most fundamental constituents of nature and past 20 years. the laws which govern their behaviour. Current Theoretical particle physics is well represented understanding of fundamental physics is in terms of in Canada with many institutions having a long the standard model. This is a beautiful, enormously tradition for research in the subject. On the other successful model which describes all known hand, although it has been a major research area particles and gives a partially unified picture of in the international arena for some time, string their interactions. The dynamical framework of the theory is a relatively new subject for Canada. standard model is quantum field theory. Following recent faculty hiring initiatives, there One of the problems of current interest in are now groups of string theorists at the University fundamental physics is to explain the origin of the of British Columbia, the University of Toronto standard model, particularly the patterns of particles and the Perimeter Institute, as well as a number of and interactions seen there and to resolve a subtle people with interests close to the subject in other mathematical inconsistency, the hierarchy problem. institutions nationwide. One approach to this is to search for a theory which Part of the mandate of the Collaborative Research lies beyond the standard model and encompasses Group on String Theory is to nurture this nascent it. It is hoped that such a theory would have a group of string theorists. It has the aim of seeding more unified picture of the origin of elementary collaborative research both at a national and particles and their interactions. The standard model international level and in helping Canadian string itself could be regarded as the first successful step theorists to exposit the results of their research in finding such a theory in that it describes the to the international community. The Schools, current non-gravitational interactions as gauge Workshops and Conferences in particular serve field theories and contains a true unification of the these goals while raising the profile of Canadian electromagnetic interactions and the weak nuclear groups in the international community. force. The hope is that identification of the correct Another essential goal of the programme is unified theory would resolve some of the remaining to expose synergy between string and particle puzzles of the standard model. theory and other fields of physics, most notably Another long-standing problem is to understand cosmology and condensed matter physics. String gravitational interactions in regimes where quantum theory, being a theory of quantum gravity has mechanical effects would be important. The present obvious applications to cosmology where it makes model of gravity is Einstein’s general theory of predictions about the initial state of the universe. relativity which is a classical field theory. The In fact, understanding how string theory dynamics problem of quantum gravity which asks how to of the initial state might be printed on the present reconcile general relativity with quantum theory cosmos is now one of the best suggestions for has vexed theorists for over half of a century. detecting observable manifestations of strings. String theory is dynamical framework which could Theoretical condensed matter physics and simultaneously address both of these problems. It is string theory have a large number of common apparently a consistent theory of quantum gravity. mathematical techniques, particularly in conformal It also has solutions with structures tantalizingly field theory and the study of dissipative systems.
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The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences
This overlap has not been exploited to any great the UBC node of this group. The existence of the extent so far and it is a direction in where the CRG also played a role in attracting Andreas Karch programme can make an important contribution. to the University of Washington. Andreas continues to be an enthusiastic participant in the programs. The benefits of this programme are many. As an attractive asset of the local environment, the The second great benefit of the Collaborative infrastructure assembled by the Collaborative Research Group infrastructure has been the Research Group has been instrumental in recruiting enhanced educational environment for graduate and the excellent appointments of junior faculty students and postdoctoral fellows that the activity made at the University of British Columbia over the generates. Both the UBC and University of Alberta past five years. In string theory, these are assistant group have produced outstanding Ph.D. graduates professors Moshe Rozali and Joanna Karxzmarek during the last few years. Also, the success rate of and CRC chair Mark van Raamsdonk (who is also postdoctoral fellows who have been involved in the a Sloan Fellow). These researchers form the core of programme in finding faculty jobs is high.
CRG f a c u l t y
• University of British • J. Rasmussen (Lethbridge) g r a d u a t e s t u d e n t s Columbia: Moshe Rozali, (now at Melbourne University) UBC: Gordon Semenoff, Mark • Vardarajan Suneeta (Alberta) • Philip de Boer (M.Sc. 2002, van Raamsdonk, Joanna (now at New Brunswick U.) Ph.D. 2005. Financial industry) Karczmarek, Don Witt, Kristen The activities of this collaborative • Henry Ling (M.Sc. 2003. Ph.D. Schleich, Jim Bryan research group have been greatly student at UBC) • University of Alberta: Eric enhanced by the presence of a • Mark Laidlaw (Ph.D. 2004. Woolgar, Don Page, Valeri number of PIMS Postdoctoral Lecturer at University of Frolov, Bruce Campbell (Now Fellows. Victoria) at Carleton), Terry Gannon • Donovan Young (M.Sc. 2003, • University of Lethbridge: n o n -CRG postdoctoral Ph.D. student at UBC) Mark Walton f e l l o w s : • Bojan Ramadanovic (M.Sc. • Domingo Luis-Martinez • University of Washington: 2003, Ph.D. student at UBC) Andreas Karch, Matt Strassler, (UBC) (now faculty at UBC • Shirin Hadizedeh (M.Sc. 2005, Charles Doran Science 1) Ph.D. student at UBC) • Andre Dubin (UBC) (senior • Jaffer Gardezi (M.Sc. 2003, PIMS CRG postdoctoral scientific staff, ITEP, Moscow) d e l l o w s : Ph.D. student at McMaster • Roberto Scipioni (UBC) • Konstantin Zarembo (UBC) University) (material science at Oxford (Professor at Uppsala • Matheson Longton (M.Sc. University) University) 2006) • Emil Akhmedov (UBC) (senior • Sumati Surya (Alberta) • Matthew Hasselfield (M.Sc. scientific staff, ITEP, Moscow) (faculty, Raman Research Inst., 2006) • Paul Koerber (UBC) (research Bangalore) • Simon Yewchuk (M.Sc. 2006) position at Max Planck • Kazuyuki Furuuchi (UBC) Institute, Munich) • Brian Shieh (M.Sc. 2004, (now at Taiwan National Ph.D. student at UBC) • Kazumi Okuyama (UBC) University) (permanent faculty position in • Udi Schreiber (UBC) (financial Japan) • University of Alberta: industry) • Todd Oliynyk (Alberta) (now • Murarri Vasevudean (Ph.D. • Dominic Brecher (UBC) at Max Planck Institute, 2006, Postdoc at Stanford) (financial industry) Potsdam) • Mohammad Akbar (Alberta)
2005 | 06 • t h e pacific i n s t i t u t e f o r t h e mathematical s c i e n c e s a n n u a l r e p o r t 39 The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences s c i e n t i f i c e v e n t s The APCTP Winter Schools have occurred during The Collaborative Research Group on String the past several years, typically for a week in mid- Theory has organized a significant number of Winter in Korea. They are aimed at educating young workshops, conferences and schools. The main researchers, graduate students and postdoctoral aim of these events is the efficient dissemination fellows and they draw students from Asia, mainly of novel research results and the encouragement of Korea, China, Taiwan and Japan. With the help of collaborative research. A secondary purpose is to PIMS, we have managed to have a strong presence bring together the string theorists in the Canadian there a number of times. G. Semenoff, G. Grignani, community, to encourage synergy between their R. Myers, M. van Raamsdonk and M. Rozali as research programmes and to enhance their profile in well as other senior members of the collaborative the international community by sponsoring world research group have been speakers at the school on class events. at least one occasion. A number of graduate students and postdoctoral fellows from Canada have been This activity has been made possible through able to attend this school. Financial support from the generous funding of PIMS, which supported this programme comes almost entirely from the the CRG as a “Period of Concentration in String Asia Pacific Center for Theoretical Physics and the Theory” between the years 2003-2005. Since then, Korean Institute for Advanced Study, both based PIMS has continued to support this group through in Korea. Members of the collaborative research their contribution to the funding for the series of group, G. Semenoff, Taejin Lee and S. Nam are also Summer Schools. organizers of the string programme at the APCTP. • Pacific Northwest String Seminar Travel expenses of some students from Canada to attend the school were paid by PIMS. – March 2001 – March 2002, Vancouver • Summer Schools on “Strings, Gravity, Cosmology” – November 2003, Vancouver – December 2003, Seattle, Washington – July 2003, Vancouver – January 2005, Vancouver – August 2004, Vancouver The Pacific Northwest String Seminar is a small – June 2005, Perimeter Institute, Waterloo, meeting which has been held on either the campus Ontario of the University of British Columbia or the – August 2006, Vancouver University of Washington. It is usually over a – Planned for Summer 2007, Perimeter Institute, weekend during the academic year. It consists of Waterloo between five and 10 one-hour seminars, mostly These summer schools are our major event. by invited speakers, about recent developments in They are a two-week-long training programme string theory. The prime purpose of these meetings consisting of approximately sixty hours of lectures is to update and inform the string theory researchers by prominent experts on the latest developments in the collaborative research group, particularly in string theory and are intended for young graduate students and postdoctoral Fellows working researchers. They have drawn students from the in the Vancouver and Seattle areas, about the latest U.S. as well as Europe, Asia and Canada. The results in the field. These events typically cost attendance is limited to 80 students and in the past $5,000 and have been supported by PIMS with two years they have been heavily oversubscribed. some help from other sources, such as the PITP. Financial support totalling about $50,000 came • APCTP Winter School from PIMS ($10,000), APCTP ($15,000), Perimeter Institute ($10,000), PITP ($10,000), Institute for – Pohang, Korea, December, 2001. Particle Physics (IPP) ($2,500) the Department of – Peongchang, Korea, February, 2002 Physics and Astronomy and the Faculty of Science – Seoul, Korea, February, 2005 of UBC ($5,000) and some other sources. These events have been enormously successful. As a
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The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences pedagogical venue in an advanced field like String expenses were borne by BIRS. Some support for Theory, they have no real competitors in North travel was obtained from the Canadian Institute America. They have therefore been able to draw for Advanced Research (CIAR), the Institute for the very best speakers and students from major Particle Physics (IPP) and the National Science institutions worldwide. They are now established as Foundation (NSF). a series of events that students look forward to each “String Field Camp”, Focused Research Group year. at the Banff International Research Station, July, • Frontiers of Mathematical Physics Summer 2004 Workshops This was a small gathering of 10 people who spent “Particles, Fields and Strings”, Simon Fraser two weeks in Banff collaborating on research in University, Burnaby, BC, August, 2001 and string theory. It brought together researchers from “Braneworlds and Supersymmetry”, July, 2002, Eastern and Western Canada, Japan, Korea and Vancouver the United States. It was intended to encourage research contacts between scientists in Canada and Before we had Summer Schools, our major Summer the Pacific Rim region and it was quite successful event were research workshops. They occurred in doing so. A number of research papers have each year between 1994 and 2002 and involved top resulted, including some good collaborative work. physicists from the string theory and theoretical Financial support for local expenses was supplied particle physicists from the international community by BIRS. Encouraged by our success this time, speaking about and collaborating on their ongoing Amanda Peet (U. of Toronto) and Gordon Semenoff research. Financial support came from PIMS have proposed to hold another focused research ($15,000), the Perimeter Institute ($15,000) and the group next Summer. APCTP ($15,000). Participants in the 2004 event were: • Five-day workshops at the Banff • Yoshi Kitazawa, KEK Lab, Japan International Research Station (BIRS) • Yutaka Matsuo, University of Tokyo, Japan “Recent Developments in String Theory”, • Taejin Lee, APCTP, Seoul, Korea March, 2003 • David Berenstein, University of California Santa “New Horizons in String Cosmology”, Barbara June, 2004 • Anastasia Volovich, KITP, Santa Barbara “Developments in String Theory”, February, 2006 • Marcus Spradlin, KITP, Santa Barbara These are high profile events located at the Banff • Gordon Semenoff, UBC International Research Station. Our “Recent • Mark van Raamsdonk, UBC Developments in String Theory” workshop was • Andre Mikhailov, Caltech the first ever 5-Day meeting at that institution. • Amanda Peet, University of Toronto All of our workshops there have been extremely • Washington Taylor, MIT successful. They attract the elite of the world’s string theorists and cosmologists as participants. • Shiraz Minwalla, Harvard University/Tata They had an intense programme of seminars Institute and sessions meant to encourage discussion and collaborative work. These workshops have become well-known in the worldwide community as one of the best places for the dissemination of new results and a unique atmosphere which encourages informal discussions. Financial support for local
2005 | 06 • t h e pacific i n s t i t u t e f o r t h e mathematical s c i e n c e s a n n u a l r e p o r t 41 The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences
PIMS distinguished c h a i r s “Fermion droplets, giant gravitons and giant • 2003: Ashoke Sen, Harish Chandra Research Wilson loops” Institute, India: Professor Sen gave a series of • March 28, 2006: Vardarajan Suneeta (University lectures on unstable D-branes in July and August of New Brunswick), “Geometric Flows and of 2003. All lectures were on the UBC Campus. String Theory” (at University of Alberta) He also participated as a lecturer in the Frontiers • March 30, 2006: Lee Smolin (Perimeter of Mathematical Physics Summer School in Institute), “Emergence of the standard model 2004. from quantum gravity” • 2004: Washington Taylor, Massachusetts • March 9, 2006: Joe Polchinski (KITP and Institute of Technology, USA: Professor Taylor University of California at Santa Barbara), gave a series of lectures on his work on matrix “Cosmic Strings and Superstrings” model formulations of M-theory and on Open • Dec. 9, 2005: Todd A. Oliynyk (Albert Einstein String Field Theory. These lectures took place Institute, Potsdam), “Newtonian Limit for on the UBC Campus during July and August of Perfect Fluids” (at University of Alberta) 2005. He was also a lecture at the Frontiers of • Dec. 5, 2005: Nadav Drukker (Niels Bohr Mathematical Physics Summer School and he Institute Copenhagen), “Circular loop operators participated in the Focused Research Group at in conformal field theories” BIRS in July, 2004. • Dec. 1, 2005: Paul J. Steinhardt (Princeton University), “Einstein, Time and the Future of o t h e r distinguished v i s i t o r s the Universe” • David Gross (2003) KITP, Santa Barbara • Nov. 14, 2005: Hermann Verlinde (Princeton • Lisa Randall (2004,2005), Harvard University University), “A Bottom-Up Approach to String • Hirosi Ooguri (on three occasions 2004, 2005, Phenomenology” 2006), Caltech • Oct. 17, 2005: Mark Trodden (Syracuse • Nathan Seiberg, (2002) IAS Princeton University), “Connecting Cosmology and Fundamental Physics” • Michael Duff (2004) Imperial College, London • Oct. 10, 2005: Hitoshi Murayama (University of • John Schwarz (two occasions 2004, 2005) California at Berkeley), “The next twenty years Caltech in particle physics” • Igor Klebanov (2002), Princeton University • Oct. 3, 2005: A. Barvinsky (Lebedev Physics • Hermann Verlinde (2005), Princeton University Institute, Moscow), “Cosmological branes and • Tohru Eguchi (2005), University of Tokyo macroscopic extra dimensions” • Leonard Susskind (2002, 2003, 2004, 2005), • April 11, 2005: Rafael Bousso (University Stanford University of California at Berkeley), “From Quantum • Steven Shenker (2005), Stanford University Gravity to the Physics of Flat Space” • Alexandre Polyakov (2001), Princeton • March 21, 2005: Sergei Gukov (Caltech), “The University International Collaborations geography of extra dimensions” • March 7, 2005: Mark van Raamsdonk p a r t i a l l i s t o f s e m i n a r s (UBC), “An analytic study of confinement/ • Oct. 30, 2006: Jaume Gomis (Perimeter deconfinement in four dimensional gauge Institute), “Holographic Wilson Loops” theory” • Oct. 26, 2006: Matt Strassler (University of • Jan. 31, 2005: Petr Horava (University of Washington), “Mysterious Metamorphoses: California, Berkeley), “From Godel Universes Duality in Quantum Theory” to Astrophysics of Compact Objects in String Theory” • Sept. 10, 2006: Gordon Semenoff (UBC),
42 t h e pacific i n s t i t u t e f o r t h e mathematical s c i e n c e s • a n n u a l r e p o r t 2005 | 06
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• Jan. 24, 2005: S. Mathur (Ohio State University), • Nov. 17, 2003: Steven Shenker (Stanford Univer- “The quantum structure of black holes” sity), “Exploring the Black Hole Singularity in • Jan. 17, 2005: David Kutasov (University of Chi- String Theory” cago), “Fun With Tachyons” • Oct. 6, 2003: Steven Giddings (University of Cali- • Jan. 26, 2004: M. Strassler (University of Wash- fornia at Santa Barbara), “Moduli, branes, fluxes, ington), “An Example of Surprising Nonsuper- and the fate of four dimensions” symmetric Physics in Field Theory and String • Sept. 22, 2003: Michael Peskin (Stanford Linear Theory” Accleerator Center), “Laboratory Astrophysics” of • Jan. 5, 2004: Y. Frishman (Weizmann Institute, Supersymmetry and Dark Matter” Israel), “QCD2 as a Model for Quantum Chromo- • Sept. 8, 2003: Sean Carroll (University of Chica- dynamics” go), “Dark Energy and the Preposterous Universe”
The greatest success of the Collaborative Research Berkhooz in a plenary lecture at the Strings 2004 Group is in spawning productive collaborative conference in Paris in 2004. research. The following are some examples of M. van Raamsdonk (UBC), A. Volovich, M. Spradlin research collaborations which resulted from (KITP, Santa Barbara): This collaboration resulted activities supported by the CRG: from interactions at the BIRS Focused Research M. van Raamsdonk (UBC), O. Aharony (Weizmann Group which occurred in July, 2004. It has generated Institute, Israel), S. Minwalla (Harvard University): a research paper which is considered an important This collaboration has generated one substantial input to its subject. high-impact work on phase transition in high G.W.Semenoff (UBC), Ch. Kristjansen (Niels Bohr temperature gauge theory and its mirror in string Institute, Copenhagen), J. Plefka, N. Beisert, M. theory duals of gauge theory, that is collapse to Staudacher (Albert Einstein Institute, Potsdam): This black holes. This collaboration was greatly aided by collaboration began with Period of Concentration participation of some of the collaborators in Banff sponsored one-month visits by J. Plefka and events as well as a visit of both Shiraz Minwalla M. Staudacher of the Albert Einstein Institute and Ofer Aharony to UBC. The latter visits were in Pottsdam to PIMS in the Spring of 2002 and supported by the Period of Concentration which continued with a subsequent visit of G. Semenoff PIMS awarded the CRG in the period 2003-2005. to the Albert Einstein Institute for one month. It M. Rozali (UBC), K. Okuyama (University of produced a new approach to computing string Chicago), R. Lee (University of Illinois, Urbana): interactions in string theory on a certain background. This collaboration began when Okuyama visited As a measure of its importance, it produced two UBC to participate in a Pacific Northwest String 100+ citation papers. In fact, the first one achieved Seminar. This visit was supported by the Period 100 citations within a year of its first appearance on of Concentration. It generated a high impact the hep-th archive, and was among only six papers in publication. Since then, Okuyama has joined UBC the entire field of elementary particle physics to have as a postdoctoral Fellow. done so at the time. M. Rozali (UBC), B. Pioline (University of Paris), G. W. Semenoff (UBC), Yu. M. Makeenko, A. M. Berkhooz (Weizmann Institute, Isreal): This Morozov, A. Marshakov, A. Mironov (ITEP, collaboration grew out of the participation of Micha Moscow), J. Ambjorn, (Niels Bohr Institute, Berkooz of the Weizmann Institute in Isreal as a Copenhagen): This is a long-time collaboration speaker in the Frontiers of Mathematical Physics which has existed for 15 years. It has examined Summer School in 2003. It generated a very good various aspects of random matrix theories and their publication exploring the nature of some exotic applications to gauge field theories and string theory. cosmologies which are solutions of string theory. It has been supported by visitor fellowships at the As testament to its importance, it was presented by Niels Bohr Institute and a NATO Collaborative
2005 | 06 • t h e pacific i n s t i t u t e f o r t h e mathematical s c i e n c e s a n n u a l r e p o r t 43 The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences
Research Grant. The collaboration occurred in the Summer of 2003 during a visit by Y. Makeenko to UBC as a speaker in the Summer School. G. W. Semenoff (UBC), G. Grignani, V.Forini, M. Orselli, G. de Risi (University of Perugia, Italy): This has been an ongoing collaboration for the past 10 years. It focuses on issues in quantum field theory and string theory and has generated a number of published works. It is presently working on a project in string theory. Financial support from the Italian INFN and a crucial element of the collaboration has been a number of visits to PIMS by G. Grignani and M. Orselli. G. W. Semenoff (UBC), K. Zarembo (Uppsala, Sweden): This collaboration has been ongoing for almost 10 years. It began in 1995 with a visit by G. Semenoff to Moscow where K. Zarembo and continued when Zarembo joined UBC as a NATO Postdoctoral Fellow and then a PIMS Postdoctoral Fellow. It produced a number of results in string theory. The collaboration has continued at a slower pace since Zarembo moved to Uppsala University in Sweden in 2002. It presently has some results which will eventually be published. G. W. Semenoff, Philip Stamp (UBC), Taejin Lee (APCTP and Kangwon University, Korea): Fermionization of the rolling Tachyon boundary conformal field theory. We found exact boundary states for a decaying unstable D-brane and used them to confirm a number of speculations about the behaviour of the system. The work was supported by a year-long visit of Taejin Lee to PIMS in 2004. With the participation of Philip Stamp, it was then extended to cover some condensed matter systems where the exact solution of the boundary conformal field theory that we found has interesting applications to the motion of particles in a dissipative environment. For a list of CRG publications, please see the PIMS website: www.pims.math.ca/Collaborative_Research_Groups/
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Ongoing Periods of Concentration Topology 2004–06
he PIMS community has an active group of of the contributions in algebraic topology are: appli- Tresearchers in topology and related fields. cation of algebraic topology to robotics, developing Their research may be roughly divided into two equivariant minimal models in homotopy theory, major themes: geometric and algebraic. Among the applying subtle algebraic properties of projective geometric issues being studied by PIMS topologists spaces and bundles to solve classical problems in are the classification of manifolds (particularly in quadratic forms and combinatorics. Because of their dimension 3 and 4), group actions on Riemann sur- geographic separation and diversity of interests, this faces, knot theory and its applications, and relating community of scientists is particularly well-served 3-manifold topology to relativity theory. A sample by forming a collaborative research group.
CRG l e a d e r s : • Laura Scull (UBC), George Peschke (U. Alberta), Dale Rolfsen (UBC), Peter Zvengrowski (U. Calgary)
CRG f a c u l t y • James Timourian (University • Kalathoor Varadarajan • Michael Freedman (University of Alberta) (University of Calgary) of Washington) • Jim Bryan (UBC) • Peter Zvengrowski (University • Steve Mitchell (University of • Kee Lam (UBC) of Calgary) Washington) • Dale Rolfsen (UBC) • Eric Babson (University of • John Palmieri (University of Washington) Washington) • Laura Scull (UBC) • Ethan Devinatz (University of • Jack Segal (University of • Denis Sjerve (UBC) Washington) Washington)
CRG distinguished c h a i r s • Fred Cohen (University of Rochester, New York) at UBC in 2005 s c i e n t i f i c a c t i v i t i e s w o r k s h o p o n homotopical localization c a s c a d e t o p o l o g y s e m i n a r a n d t h e c a l c u l u s o f f u n c t o r s Banff International Research Centre Banff International Research Centre July 14-16, 2005 April 2-7, 2005 Organizers: George Peschke (University of Organizers: Kristine Bauer (University of Calgary), Alberta), Laura Scull (University of British Ralph Cohen (Stanford University), George Peschke Columbia). (University of Alberta), Hal Sadofsky (University of For more information please see Oregon). http://www.pims.math.ca/birs/workshops/2005/05w2612/ For more information please see Schedule05w2612.pdf http://www.pims.math.ca/birs/birspages. php?task=displayevent&event_id=05w5078
2005 | 06 • t h e pacific i n s t i t u t e f o r t h e mathematical s c i e n c e s a n n u a l r e p o r t 45 The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences w o r k s h o p o n h y p e r p l a n e arrangements t o p o l o g y s y m p o s i u m a t t h e w i n t e r c m s University of British Columbia University of Victoria August 21-24, 2005 December 10-12, 2005 Organizers: Graham Denham (U. Western Ontario), Organizer: Dale Rolfsen (UBC) Sergey Yuzvinsky (University of Oregon) Speakers included: Plenary speakers included: • Alejandro Adem (UBC) • Alex Suciu (Northeastern): Algebraic invariants • Kristine Bauer (Calgary) for Bestvina-Brady groups • Steven Boyer (UQAM) • Laurentiu Maxim (Pennsylvania): Multivariable • Ian Hambleton (McMaster) Alexander invariants of hypersurface complements • Gabriel Indurskis (UQAM) • Nicole Lemire (Western Ontario): Galois Module Structure of Galois Cohomology • Rick Jardine (UWO) • Dan Cohen (Louisiana State): Pure braid • Richard Kane (UWO) monomorphisms • Robion Kirby (California - Berkeley, USA) • Daniel Matei (Romanian Academy of Sciences): • Elena Kudryavtseva (Calgary) Local system homology of pure braid groups • Victor Nuñez (CIMAT, Guanajuato, Mexico) • Hal Schenck (Texas A&M): Projective dimension • Dorette Pronk (Dalhousie) of D(A) • Antonio Ramirez (UBC) • Richard Randell (Iowa): Some representations • Dale Rolfsen (UBC) of arrangement groups • Laura Scull (UBC) • Franco Saliola (Cornell): The Face Semigroup • Donald Stanley (Regina) Algebra of a Hyperplane Arrangement • Jens von Bergmann (Calgary) • Misha Shapiro (Michigan State): Cluster algebras of finite mutation type • Genevieve Walsh (Texas, USA) For more information please see • Liam Watson (UQAM) http://www.pims.math.ca/science/2005/05hyper/ • Peter Zvengrowski (Calgary) For a complete list of speakers and title of their t o p i c s i n h o m o t o p y t h e o r y presentations please see Gr a d u a t e Su m m e r Sc h o o l http://www.cms.math.ca/Events/winter05/abs/speakers. html University of Calgary August 22-26, 2005 Organizers: Kristine Bauer (University of Calgary), Laura Scull (University of British Columbia)
Plenary speakers included: • Alejandro Adem, University of British Columbia, Orbifolds and group cohomology. • John Baez, University of California Riverside, Gauge fields and homotopy theory . • Dan Dugger, University of Oregon, Motivic homotopy theory. • Dev Sinha, University of Oregon, Operads and the interplay between algebraic and geometric topology. For more information please see http://www.pims.math.ca/ science/2005/05homotopy/
46 t h e pacific i n s t i t u t e f o r t h e mathematical s c i e n c e s • a n n u a l r e p o r t 2005 | 06
The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences
Probability and Statistical Mechanics 2004–06
uch of the original motivation for the study drift coefficients which depend on the current state Mof spatially interactive stochastic systems of the system. Two challenging and related topics came from stochastic models in statistical physics. are therefore: An intensive area of recent research centers around I. The development of a general theory of the idea that complex local dynamics can lead to a interactive superprocesses and in particular small number of well-understood continuum models methods to characterize these processes and upon space-time rescaling. When the underlying study their properties. system is at or near criticality the limit invariably II. The use of such models in mathematical ecology seems to be closely related to super-Brownian and evolution. motion. The list of such results obtained in recent years is remarkable and includes Fisher-Wright The rescaling results of Slade and his co-authors and Fleming-Viot Models in population genetics have created some strong common interests between (Dawson Donnelly, Etheridge, Kurtz, March and the statistical physics and spatial stochastic process Perkins), interacting particle systems including communities. The scaling limits of low dimensional contact process and voter models (Bramson, statistical physics, however, are not super-Brownian Cox, Durrett, Le Gall, Perkins, and Sakai), lattice motion. It is a defining goal of statistical mechanics trees and animals above the critical dimension to identify them and to calculate their properties. of 8 (Derbez and Slade), and percolation and At present there is excellent progress in two oriented percolation at criticality above the critical dimensions where the stochastic Loewner processes dimensions of 6 and 4, respectively (Hara, van der provide natural candidates for scaling limits Hofstad and Slade). (ongoing work of Lawler, Schramm and Werner). Another promising programme is based on the Other local interactions arising in models for renormalization group. The self-avoiding walk in 4 competing species, predator-prey systems or (and 4 - ε ) dimensions can in principle be analyzed symbiotic branching lead to more complex by these methods (on going work of Brydges, stochastic models which behave locally like Imbrie and others). superprocesses but with branching, migration and c r g l e a d e r s : • David Brydges (UBC), Chris Burdzy (University of Research) Chris Burdzy (U. Washington) • Oded Schramm (Microsoft Washington), Zhen-Qing Chen (University Research) Ed Perkins (UBC), of Washington) • David Wilson (Microsoft Byron Schmuland (U. Alberta) • Bruce Erickson (University of Research) • CRG Faculty Washington) • Michael Kozdron (University Joel Feldman (UBC) • Chris Hoffman (University of of Regina) Alexander Holroyd (UBC) Washington) Chris Soteros (University of Vlada Limic (UBC) Lisa Korf (University of Saskatchewan) Gordon Slade (UBC) Washington) Raj Srinivasan (University of Martin Barlow (UBC) Steffen Rohde (University of Saskatchewan) John Walsh (UBC) Washington) Remco van der Hofstad Byron Schmuland (University • Jennifer Chayes (Microsoft (Eindhoven) of Alberta) Research) Don Dawson (McGill Mike Kouritzin (University of • Christian Borgs (Microsoft University) Alberta
2005 | 06 • t h e pacific i n s t i t u t e f o r t h e mathematical s c i e n c e s a n n u a l r e p o r t 47 The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences c r g distinguished c h a i r s c i e n t i f i c a c t i v i t i e s • Frank Den Hollander (Leiden University and c r i t i c a l s c a l i n g f o r p o l y m e r s a n d EURANDOM, The Netherlands) will be visiting percolation UBC Jan. 1-Aug. 15, 2006. Banff International Research Station May 28 to June 2, 2005 c r g v i s i t o r s Organizers: David Brydges (University of British • June 3-July 9, 2005 Lorenzo Zambotti (Pisa) at Columbia), Jennifer Chayes (Microsoft Research), UBC Gordon Slade (University of British Columbia). • June and July, 2005 Dan Romik (Weizmann For more information please see http://www.pims. Institute) at UBC math.ca/birs/birspages.php?task=displayevent&event_ • June 6-July 1, 2005 Yuval Peres (University of id=05w5025 California, Berkeley) at UBC • Summer 2005 Takashi Kumagai (Kyoto s u m m e r s c h o o l i n probability University) at UBC University of British Columbia • Summer 2005 Leonid Mytnik (Technion) at June 6 - July 1, 2005 UBC Organizers: David Brydges (UBC) and Ed Perkins (UBC) • Summer 2005 Carl Mueller (University of Rochester) at UBC Course included: • Gordon Slade (University of British Columbia): • Summer 2005 Steve Evans (University of The lace expansion and its applications California, Berkeley) at UBC • Yuval Peres (University of California, • Jan. 2-8, 2006 Ted Cox (Syracuse University) at Berkeley): Mixing for Markov Chains and Spin UBC Systems • Jan. 1 to Aug. 18, 2006 Frank den Hollander (Leiden University and EURANDOM) at UBC For more information please see http://www.pims.math.ca/science/2005/ssprob/ • Feb. 28 to March 9, 2005 Jean-Dominique Deuschel (Technische Universität Berlin) at UBC w o r k s h o p o n u n i q u e n e s s q u e s t i o n s f o r i n f i n i t e dimensional d i f f u s i o n s • May 21 to June 18, 2006 Akira Sakai University of British Columbia (EURANDOM) at UBC July 4 - 8, 2005 • June 26 to Sept. 9, 2006 Malek Abdeselam Plenary speakers included: (Universite Paris 13) at UBC Steven N. Evans (University of California, Berkeley): Modelling segregation of cellular damage in E. coli with super-processes and stochastic partial differential equations • Donald A. Dawson (University of Carleton): Uniqueness problems for catalytic branching networks • Yaozhong Hu (University of Kansas): Detecting moving objects under the ocean • Jean-Francois Le Gall (Ecole Normale Supérieure): Conditioned Brownian trees • Leonid Mytnik (Technion): On uniqueness for stochastic heat equations with non-Lipschitz coefficients
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• John Walsh (UBC): A stochastic two-point s t o c h a s t i c a n a l y s i s c o n f e r e n c e boundary-value problem. University of Washington • Yongjin Wang (Nankai): From discrete Markov August 7-11, 2006 jump systems to two species competitive Organizing Committee: Krzysztof Burdzy and stochastic Lotka-Volterra Equations Zhen-Qing Chen • Lorenzo Zambotti (Milan): On reversible Plenary speakers included: solutions of SPDEs. • Krzysztof Bogdan (Wroclaw University of For more information please see Technology, Poland) http://www.pims.math.ca/science/2005/05uidd/ • Erhan Cinlar (Princeton University) • Tzuu-Shuh Chiang (Academia Sinica, Taipei) s e s s i o n o f probability , c m s w i n t e r m e e t i n g • Mike Cranston (University of Californian at Victoria, B.C. Irvine) Dec. 10-12, 2005 • Steven N. Evans (University of Californian at Organizing Committee: Ed Perkins (UBC) and Berkeley) Martin Barlow (UBC) • Patrick J. Fitzsimmons (University of Californian Speakers included: at San Diego) • Oded Schramm (Microsoft Research): • Masatoshi Fukushima (Osaka University, Japan) • Juan Alvarez (Saskatchewan): Morita • Ronald Getoor (University of Californian at San approximations to random copolymer localization Diego) • Omer Angel (UBC): 1 Dimensional DLA • Masanori Hino (Kyoto University, Japan) • Virag Balint (Toronto): Noise limits for complex • Elton P. Hsu (Northwestern University) eigenvalues • Davar Khoshnevisan (University of Utah) • David Brydges (UBC): Joint density for the local • Panki Kim (University of Illinois at Urbana- times of continuous-time random walks Champaign) • Jean-Francois Delmas (Ecole Nationale des Ponts • Kazuhiro Kuwae (Kumamoto University, Japan) et Chausses, France): Fragmentation associated to Edwin Perkins (University of British Columbia) continuous random trees • Jay Rosen (City University of New York) • Antal Jarai (Carleton): A self-organized critical forest fire model • Michael Röckner (Purdue University) • Richard Kenyon (UBC): Groves, Pfaffians, and • Rene Schilling (Universität Marburg, Germany) crossing probabilities • Byron Schmuland (University of Alberta) • Mike Kozdron (Regina): Loop-erased random • Oded Schramm (Microsoft Research) walk and Fomin’s identity • Renming Song (University of Illinois at Urbana- • Vlada Limic (UBC): Recent progress on the Champaign) attracting edge problem • Karl-Theodor Sturm (Universität Bonn, • Jeremy Quastel (Toronto): Travelling fronts in the Germany) stochastically perturbed KPP equation • Wei Sun (Concordia University, Canada) • Bruce Reed (McGill): On the diameter of a • Jason Swanson (University of Wisconsin at random Minimum Weight Spanning Tree Madison) • Tom Salisbury (York): Singular stochastic • Masayoshi Takeda (Tohoku University, Japan) integral equations • Pierre Vallois (Université Henri Poincaré) • Chris Soteros (Saskatchewan): Self-avoiding • Zoran Vondracek (University of Zagreb, Croatia) walk models of random copolymers • Hao Wang (University of Oregon) For more information please see For more information please see http://www.pims.math.ca/science/2005/05cmsprob/ http://www.math.washington.edu/~zchen/Conference/
2005 | 06 • t h e pacific i n s t i t u t e f o r t h e mathematical s c i e n c e s a n n u a l r e p o r t 49 The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences
Algebraic Geometry, Cohomology, and Representation Theory 2005–07
lgebraic geometry is a mathematical discipline about by the fact that algebraic geometry poses Awhich uses the techniques and tools of algebra intrinsically interesting and relevant problems, and (e.g. rings, ideals and fields) to attack geometric has the property of developing the mathematical problems. The fundamental objects which algebraic tools to solve them. It has therefore attracted many geometers study are algebraic varieties, the common talented mathematicians, many of whom are not zeros of a collection of polynomials. In the last formally trained in the area, but have realized its four decades, beginning with the ground breaking value. This has further stimulated new connections work of Alexandre Grothendieck, the discipline between algebraic geometry and other disciplines: has undergone phenomenal growth and has had a e.g. combinatorics, cryptography, statistics, and profound influence on the development of modern quantum computing. mathematics. Algebraic geometry has also given us new insight Many of the discipline’s celebrated works have led into the nature of algebraic groups and Galois to Fields Medals: the proofs of the Weil Conjectures cohomology. During the last two decades many by Deligne, Mumford’s work on geometric invariant exciting fundamental theorems have been established theory, Hironaka’s work on the resolution of due to the introduction of new powerful techniques singularities, Mori’s work on the classification of from algebraic topology and algebraic geometry. algebraic varieties in dimension three and Wiles’ For instance, Voevodsky’s use of homotopy and proof of Fermat’s Last Theorem which used cobordism theory have resulted first in the solution arithmetic algebraic geometry. Furthermore, the of Milnor conjecture and, more recently, the Bloch- work of Kazhdan, Lusztig, Kashiwara and others has Kato conjecture. Further development of these ideas made algebraic geometry an indispensable tool for is crucial. representation theory. The PIMS CRG has many people working in the In the last 15 years, exciting new connections cutting edge in several of the above areas. Among between algebraic geometry and physics emerged, the specialties represented by our varied group which led to unexpected new mathematical theories are algebraic stacks, geometric invariant theory, such as mirror symmetry and quantum cohomology algebraic group actions, toric varieties and torus and to many important developments in the field of actions, algebraic cycles, Gromov-Witten theory, mathematical string theory. arithmetic algebraic geometry, classification theory, algebraic representation theory, Lie theory and For the most part, these advances have been brought Schubert varieties, group cohomology. c r g l e a d e r s : • Arturo Pianzola (Alberta) Terry Gannon (University of • Jim Carrell (UBC) • Jim Bryan (UBC) Alberta) • Bill Casselman (UBC) Nils Bruin (SFU) • Jim Lewis (University of • Kalle Karu (UBC) Alberta) • Imin Chen (SFU) • Dale Peterson (UBC) Xi Chen (University of • Arturo Pianzola (University of • Zinovy Reichstein (UBC) Alberta) Alberta) • Clifton Cunningham • Gerald Cliff (University of • Alejandro Adem (UBC) (University of Calgary) Alberta) • Kai Behrend (UBC) • Eric Babson (University of • Vladimir Chernousov • Jim Bryan (UBC) Washington) (University of Alberta)
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• Sara Billey (University of Washington) • Rekha Thomas (University of Washington) • Sandor Kovacs (University of Washington) • Chuck Doran (University of Washington) • James Zhang (University of Washington) • Paul Smith (University of Washington) • Arner Iqbal (University of Washington)
CRG distinguished c h a i r • Michael Thaddeus (Columbia University): September 2005-August 2006
CRG v i s i t o r s • P. Gille (CNRS, Universite Paris-Sud) • O. Mathieu (University of Lyon I, France) • D. Harari (ENS Paris) • M. S. Raghunathan (Tata Institute of • Canon Leung (University of Science and Fundamental Research, Mumbai, India) Technology, Hong Kong) • I. Panin (Steklov Institute, S. Pitersburg, Russia) • D. Maulik (Princeton) • Yongbin Ruan (Wisconsin-Madison), August 2-5 • Jan Minac (U.Western Ontario) 2005, UBC • M. Roth (Queens) • Steven Mitchell, Feb 22, 2006 • S. Smith (U. Illinois at Chicago) • Ching-Li Chai, March 7-10, 2006 • G. Soifer (Bar - Ilan University, Ramat Gan, • K. Zainoulline (Bielefeld University, Germany), Israel) March 2006 s c i e n t i f i c a c t i v i t i e s w e s t e r n a l g e b r a i c g e o m e t r y s e m i n a r g r a d u a t e s t u d e n t w a r m -u p w o r k s h o p University of Washington, f o r a m s s u m m e r i n s t i t u t e i n a l g e b r a i c April 9-10, 2005 g e o m e t r y Seattle, July 18-22, 2005 Organizing Committee: Chuck Doran, Sándor Kovács and Vitaly Vologodsky. Organizing Committee: Sándor Kovács (UW), Tony Pantev (UPenn), and Ravi Vakil (Stanford), Plenary speakers included: David Ellwood (Clay Math Inst, ex-officio), Doug • Gavril Farkas (UT Austin): Syzygies and the Lind (UW, ex-officio), Hugo Rossi (MSRI, ex- effective cone of the moduli space of curves officio) • Mark Gross (UC San Diego): Moduli of log Calabi-Yau spaces • a m s s u m m e r i n s t i t u t e i n a l g e b r a i c • Christopher Hacon (University of Utah): g e o m e t r y Shokurov’s rational connectedness conjecture Seattle, July 25-Aug. 12, 2005 Joel Kamnitzer (UC Berkeley): Geometry and Organizing committee: D. Abramovich, A. Bertram combinatorics of the Mirkovic-Vilonen cycles L. Katzarkov, R. Pandharipande, M. Thaddeus • Ravi Vakil (Stanford University): Murphy’s Law in algebraic geometry: Badly-behaved Plenary speakers included: deformation spaces • K. Hori (Toronto): • Aleksey Zinger (Stanford University): Reduced • R. Pandharipande (Princeton): Genus-One Gromov-Witten Invariants and • P. Seidel (Univ. of Chicago): Applications • M. Haiman (Berkeley): For more information please see http://www.math. • J. Harris (Harvard): washington.edu/~kovacs/wags/
2005 | 06 • t h e pacific i n s t i t u t e f o r t h e mathematical s c i e n c e s a n n u a l r e p o r t 51 The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences
• C. Voisin (Jussieu): of classes of fields and zero cycles on projective • D. Gaitsgory (Univ. of Chicago): homogeneous varieties. • P. Griffiths (IAS, Princeton): • J. Minac (University of Western Ontario): Connectedness of classes of fields and zero • F. Loeser (ENS, Paris): cycles on projective homogeneous varieties.
BAGS: b e l l i n g h a m a l g e b r a i c Ge o m e t r y • A. Adem (University of British Columbia): Se m i n a r Commuting Elements and Spaces of Bellingham, Washington Homomorphisms Nov. 19, 2005 m o t i v e a n d p e r i o d WAGS: We s t e r n Al g e b r a i c Ge o m e t r y UBC Se m i n a r June 5-12, 2006 Salt Lake City Dec. 3-4, 2005 Organizing Committee: Jim Carrell (UBC), James D. Lewis (University of Alberta), BAGS: b e l l i n g h a m a l g e b r a i c g e o m e t r y Stefan Müller-Stach (Universität Mainz), s e m i n a r Andreas Rosenschon, (University at Buffalo), Bellingham, Washington Pramath Sastry (University of Toronto) Feb. 25, 2006 Organizing Committee: Jim Bryan, James Carrell applications o f t o r s o r s t o g a l o i s Sándor Kovács c o h o m o l o g y a n d l i e t h e o r y Plenary speakers included: Banff, AB • Aravind Asok (Washington): Cohomology of April 23-28, 2005, Quotients Revisited Organizers: Vladimir Chernousov (University of • Andreas Rosenschon (Alberta): Algebraic cycles Alberta), David Harari (Ecole Normale Supérieure), Shrawan Kumar (UNC-Chapel Hill), Arturo Pian- on products of elliptic curves over p-adic fields zola (University of Alberta) • Sam Payne (Clay Mathematics Institute and Stanford): Toric vector bundles and the interactions b e t w e e n noncommutative resolution property a l g e b r a a n d a l g e b r a i c g e o m e t r y Banff, AB a l b e r t a -b r i t i s h -c o l u m b i a a l g e b r a Sept. 10-15, 2005 w o r k s h o p Organizers: Michael Artin (Massachusetts Institute UBC of Technology), Colin Ingalls (University of New April 8-9, 2006 Brunswick), Zinovy Reichstein (University of Organizing committee: Arturo Pianzola British Columbia), Lance Small (University of (U. Alberta), Zinovy Reichstein (UBC) California, San Diego), James Zhang (University of Plenary speakers included: Washington) • S. Garibaldi (Emory University): Cohomological invariants p r o g r e s s i n a l g e b r a i c g e o m e t r y i n s p i r e d b y p h y s i c s • V. Chernousov (University of Alberta): Banff, AB Connectedness of classes of fields and zero Oct. 8-13, 2005 cycles on projective homogeneous varieties. • P. Brosnan (University of British Columbia): Organizers: Jim Bryan (University of British Connectedness of classes of fields and zero Columbia), Michael Thaddeus (Columbia cycles on projective homogeneous varieties. University), Ravi Vakil (Stanford University) • A. Weiss (University of Alberta): Connectedness
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The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences h o m o t o p y t h e o r y a n d g r o u p a c t i o n s Banff, AB Nov. 12-17, 2005 Organizers: Alejandro Adem (University of British Columbia), William Dwyer (Notre Dame Univer- sity), Richard Kane (University of Western Ontario), Clarence Wilkerson (Purdue University) r e g u l a t o r s II Banff, AB Dec. 10-15, 2005 Organizers: James Lewis (University of Alberta), Victor Snaith (University of Sheffield)
PIMS/UNAM s u m m e r s c h o o l Banff, AB July 1-6, 2006 Organizers: Alejandro Adem (University of British Columbia), James Carrell (University of British Columbia), José Antonio de la Peña (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México) m o d u l i s p a c e s a n d combinatorics Banff, AB July 22-27, 2006 Organizers: Jim Bryan (University of British Columbia), Richard Kenyon (University of British Columbia), Andrei Okounkov (Princeton University), Rahul Pandharipande (Princeton University)
Al g e b r a i c g r o u p s , q u a d r a t i c f o r m s a n d r e l a t e d t o p i c s Banff, AB Sept. 2-7, 2006 Organizers: Vladimir Chernousov (University of Alberta), Richard Elman (University of California, Los Angeles), Alexander Merkurjev (University of California, Los Angeles), Jan Minac (University of Western Ontario), Zinovy Reichstein (University of British Columbia)
2005 | 06 • t h e pacific i n s t i t u t e f o r t h e mathematical s c i e n c e s a n n u a l r e p o r t 53 The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences
Inverse Problems 2005–07
nverse Problems (IP) are problems where artificial sources and recorded into extensive Icauses for a desired or observed effect are to be arrays of sensors (geophones or hydrophones). determined. An important example is to determine The technology is based on a complex, and rapidly the density distribution inside a body from evolving, mathematical theory that employs measuring the attenuation of X-rays sent through advanced solutions to a wave equation as tools to this body, the problem of “X-ray tomography”. The solve approximately the general seismic inverse mathematical problem was studied first by Radon problem. In the year 2000, nearly $4 billion was in 1917. Much later, pioneering work by Hounsfield spent worldwide on seismic imaging. and Cormack led to the first working X-ray The heterogeneity and anisotropy of the Earth’s tomography machines and later to CAT scans and upper crust require advanced mathematics to was honored with the Nobel Prize for Medicine in generate wave-equation solutions suitable for 1979. This development revolutionized the practice seismic imaging. Other inverse problems arise of medicine. in nondestructive evaluation of materials. The Other more recent medical imaging techniques are structural changes due to cracks or flaws are MRI where the effect of a strong magnetic field used to identify the locations of those defects. on the body is measured, ultrasound where sound Radar and sonar are based on inverse scattering waves are sent through the body their reflections methods. Mathematics plays a crucial role in the measures and Electrical Impedance Tomography understanding and modeling of the inverse problem where electrical measurements are made on the as well as in finding reconstruction algorithms. boundary of the body to name just a few. Earth Bring the last twenty years or so there have been sciences continue to be a generator of many remarkable developments in the mathematical compelling inverse problems. All of our knowledge theory of inverse problems. These developments of the Earth’s interior is indirectly derived from together with the enormous increase in computing surface measurements, as is a great deal of what we power and new powerful numerical methods have know about the surface and the atmosphere. made it possible to make significant progress on Reflection seismology in oil exploration is a increasingly more realistic and difficult inverse well-known and economically important inverse problems. Physical situations indicated above are problem. Here sound waves are generated at the modeled by partial differential equations. The surface of the Earth. By looking at the reflection inverse problem is to determine the coefficients of of these waves one would like to determine the the partial differential equation inside the medium location and character of oil deposits. From an from some knowledge of the solutions, usually economic perspective, seismic imaging is by far on the boundary. Already the interaction between the dominant geophysical inversion technique. experts in partial differential equations and on Seismic imaging creates images of the Earth’s inverse problems has produced significant advances. upper curst using seismic waves generated by
CRG l e a d e r s : • Gary Margrave (U. Calgary), Gunther Uhlmann (U. Washington)
CRG Fa c u l t y • Joel Feldman (UBC) • Paul Binding (University of • Michael Lamoureux • Richard Froese (UBC) Calgary) (University of Calgary) • Nassif Ghoussoub (UBC) • Peter Gibson (University of • Peter Lancaster (University of Calgary) Calgary)
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• Larry Lines (University of Calgary) • James Morrow (University of Calgary) • Ken Bube (University of Washington) • Jedrzej Sniatycki (University Washington) • John Sylvester (University of of Calgary) • Edward Curtis (University of Washington) • Tony Ware (University of Washington)
Sc i e n t i f i c Ac t i v i t i e s Lecture Series on Mathematics of Seismic Imaging, Geophysical Inversion Workshop, August 14-18, William Symes, Rice University, July 19-20, 2005, at 2006, at the University of Calgary the University of British Columbia Organizing Committee: Gary Margrave (U Calgary), Gunther Uhlmann (U Washington), Mauricio Sacchi PIMS-MITACS-VIGRE Summer Graduate School (U Alberta), Peter Cary (CSEG), Robert Stewart on Inverse Problems, August 1-5, 2005, at the (CREWES) University of Washington Plenary speakers included: Plenary speakers included: • Norm Bleistein (Mines) • Guillaume Bal (Columbia) Some Inverse Transport • Chris Chapman (Schlumberger) Problems and Their Applications • David Colton (Delaware) • Joyce McLaughlin (RPI) Interior Elastodynamics • Maarten de Hoop (Purdue) inverse problems: Finding shearwave speed from interior displacements • John Etgen (BP) • Lou Fishman (Slidell) • Gary Margrave (U. Calgary) Seismic Imaging: Theory and Promise • Sam Gray (Veritas) • Plamen Stefanov (Purdue University) Tensor • Dmitri Lokshtanov (Norsk Hydro) Tomography and Boundary Rigidity • Wim Mulder (Shell) • William Symes (Rice University) Mathematics of • Frank Natterer (Muenster) Seismic Imaging • Victor Palamodov (Tel Aviv) • Gunther Uhlmann (University of Washington) • George Papanicolaou (Stanford) Electrical Impedance Tomography • Gerhard Pratt (Queens) • Robert Stolt (ConocoPhilips) Seismic Imaging Summer School, August 7-11, • Bill Symes (Rice) 2006, at the University of Calgary • John Washbourne (ChevronTexaco) Organizing Committee: Gary Margrave (U Calgary), • Art Weglein (Houston) Gunther Uhlmann (U Washington), Mauricio Sacchi • Ru-shan Wu (University of California, Santa Cruz) (U Alberta), Peter Cary (CSEG), Robert Stewart (CREWES) BIRS Workshop on Time Frequency Analysis and Instructors included: Nonstationary Filtering, September 24-29, 2005 • David Colton (U of Delaware) Organizers: Hans Feichtinger (University of Vienna), • Robert Ferguson (U Texas, Austin) Karlheinz Groechenig (Institute of Biomathematics • Michael Lamoureux (U of Calgary) and Biometry), Michael Lamoureux (University of • Gary Margrave (U of Calgary) Calgary), Gary Margrave (University of Calgary). • Mauricio Sacchi (U of Alberta) BIRS Workshop on Inverse Problems and • Charles Ursenbach (CREWES) Applications, August 19-24, 2006 Organizers: Gary Margrave (University of Calgary), Gunther Uhlmann (University of Washington).
2005 | 06 • t h e pacific i n s t i t u t e f o r t h e mathematical s c i e n c e s a n n u a l r e p o r t 55 The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences
Quantum Topology 2005–07
he problems of interest in this CRG are (i) a group of mathematicians and physicists whose Tthe so-called “many-body problem” in non- interests are united by the 2 problems stated above. relativistic physics, particularly on lattices in low Our aim is to resolve some critical issues, which are spatial dimension; and (ii) the problem of finding issues in both mathematics and physics. The work a universal quantum computer which evades we plan will focus around the following projects: decoherence. Phrased this way, these problems 1. 1-dimensional Problems seem almost parochial. However we now know 2. Renormalisatoin Group that they are in many ways equivalent, and that 3. Topological Methods moreover they are closely related to important problems in theoretical computation, graph theory, 4. Numerical Methods in topology, in black hole physics and string theory, 5. New Field Theories and in non-commutative geometry. There is also a 6. Quantum Environments and Decoherence strong relation to problems in number theory. 7. Spin Nets of Qubits The main purpose of this CRG is to bring together
CRG Le a d e r s : Philip Stamp (UBC), Boris L. Spivak (U. Washington), and Joel Feldman (UBC)
CRG Fa c u l t y • UBC: Ian K. Affleck, Mona Berciu, Joel Others: Feldman, George A. Sawatzky, Philip Stamp • M. Freedman (Microsoft Research), A. Kitaev • U. Alberta: Frank Marsiglio (Caltech), C. Bourbonnais (Sherbrooke), D. • U. Calgary: Richard E. Cleve, John Watrous Senechal (Sherbrooke), A. M. • SFU: Igor Herbut • Tremblay (Sherbrooke), R. Gill (Utrecht), R.B. • U. Washington: Boris L. Spivak Laughlin (Stanford), A.J. Leggett (Urbana), S. Popescu (Bristol, UC • Berkeley), P.B. Wiegmann (U Chicago), S.C. Zhang (Stanford), C. Nayak (UCLA)
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Core Scientific Activities
2005 | 06 • t h e pacific i n s t i t u t e f o r t h e mathematical s c i e n c e s a n n u a l r e p o r t 57 The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences
Conferences p a c i f i c n o r t h w e s t s t a t i s t i c s m e e t i n g mathematically oriented aspects of black hole University of Victoria theory, such as black holes in space times with large April 22, 2005 extra dimensions, black strings, black rings, and topological black holes. The Pacific Northwest Statistics Meeting was held at the University of Victoria. There were two invited Organizers: Valeri Frolov (University of Alberta), speakers: Brian Leroux (University of Washington) Don Page (University of Alberta) and Steven K. Thompson (Pennsylvania State fermi.phys.ualberta.ca/Black_Holes_2005.html University).
ISMVL-35t h a n n u a l international s y m - t h e p a c i f i c n o r t h w e s t n u m b e r t h e o r y p o s i u m o n m u l t i p l e -v a l u e d l o g i c c o n f e r e n c e 9 University of Calgary Simon Fraser University May 19-21, 2005 April 23, 2005 Organizers: Svetlana Yanushkevich, Claudio Organizers: Stephen Choi (SFU), and Peter Moraga, Vlad Shmerko, Jackie Rice, Denis Popel Borwein (SFU) www2.enel.ucalgary.ca/ISMVL2005/ oldweb.cecm.sfu.ca/MRG/NTG/pnwnt9.html s e c o n d a n n u a l p a c i f i c n o r t h w e s t t h e o - 11 t h c a n a d i a n c o n f e r e n c e o n r y d a y g e n e r a l r e l a t i v i t y a n d relativistic University of British Columbia astrophysics April 30, 2005 University of British Columbia May 19-21, 2005 The Second Annual Pacific Northwest Theory Day was held at UBC on April 30. Invited speakers Organizers: Kristin Schleich (UBC), Don Witt included Joel Friedman (UBC), Frank Ruskey (UBC) (UVic), Nathan Segerlind (UW), Ryan O’Donnell www.pims.math.ca/science/2005/05ccgrra/ (MS Research), and Funda Ergun (SFU). www.cs.ubc.ca/labs/beta/Div/theoryday/ f i f t h combinatorics d a y University of Lethbridge, Alberta c o n f e r e n c e o n b l a c k h o l e s : t h e o r i e s May 20, 2005 a n d mathematical As p e c t s The 5th Combinatorics Day attracted about 35 Banff participants, with about half local, with the rest May 14-18, 2005 mainly from universities in Western Canada Black Holes V was a scholarly research-related including Calgary, Alberta, Regina, Manitoba, and conference focusing on recent advances in the from Montana, U.S. About half of the participants theoretical and mathematical aspects of black holes were graduate and undergraduate students. physics. The conference covered a wide spectrum The single-day event provided a chance for of topics, such as physical effects near black holes, researchers and others with an interest in black holes and quantum gravity, black holes and combinatorics to meet and exchange ideas, and strings, the statistical mechanics and entropy of develop collaborative relationships. The event black holes, numerical relativity, black holes in included the presentation of the 2004 Hall Medal to astrophysics, relativistic effects and compact objects, Masaaki Harada on behalf of the ICA by Professor gravitational waves production in systems containing Ralph Stanton. black holes, and possible observable consequences of the existence of topologically nontrivial higher- The speakers were Masaaki Harada (Yamagata U., dimensional objects. It also focused on more Japan), Steve Kirkland (U. Regina), and John W. Moon (U. Alberta).
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The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences
Organizers: Wolf Holzmann (University of The Graduate Summer School on Strings, Gravity Lethbridge) and Hadi Kharaghani (University of and Cosmology was held as part of the thematic Lethbridge) programme on the Geometry of String Theory, www.pims.math.ca/science/2005/05combday/ which was hosted jointly by the Fields Institute and the Perimeter Institute in Waterloo. The school ran foundational m e t h o d s i n c o m p u t e r for three weeks from June 20 to July 8, 2005, at s c i e n c e Perimeter. This was the third in an ongoing series University of British Columbia of annual summer schools in theoretical physics June 2–5, 2005 held in Canada. The schools are intended to educate The Foundational Methods in Computer Science graduate students and young researchers on current (FMCS05) workshop was an informal meeting developments in string theory and also its interface to bring together researchers in mathematics and with gravity and cosmology. The first and second computer science with a focus on applications of editions of the school was held at UBC in 2003 and category theory in computer science. 2004. As well as being the first time the school was held at Perimeter, this marked the first ever graduate Featured speakers included Vaughan Pratt summer school to be organized at the institute. (Stanford) and Steve Bloom (Stevens Institute of Technology) as well as Ernie Manes (U. The school brought together 23 first-class lecturers Massachusetts) and Phil Mulry (Colgate U.). and approximately 110 students from all of the The meeting began with a reception on the UBC world (including a dozen students from the local campus on June 2, 2005. This was followed by a area). The lecture topics ran from introductory day of tutorials aimed at students and newcomers to material to new (as yet unpublished) research computer science applications of category theory, results. The introductory courses included followed by a day and a half of research talks. The “Supersymmetry Basics” by Erich Poppitz meeting ended on June 5. (University of Toronto) and “Perturbative String Theory” by Clifford Johnson (University of There were a few invited presentations, but the Southern California). The advanced topics included majority of the talks were solicited from the lectures by Nathan Seiberg (IAS, Princeton) on participants. Student participation was particularly “Matrix Models and Noncritical Strings,” by encouraged at FMCS with several students making Hirosi Ooguri (Caltech) on “Topological String presentations based on their theses. Theory” and by Ashoke Sen (Harish Chandra The next meeting of this workshop will be at Research Institute) on “Black Holes, Attractors and the Kananaskis field station of the University of Elementary Strings.” Calgary in June, 2006. It is scheduled to return to Organizers: Alex Buchel (Perimeter Institute the UBC campus in 2009. & University of Western Ontario), Taejin Lee Organizer: John MacDonald (University of British (Kangwon National University & APCTP), Robert Columbia) Myers (Perimeter Institute and University of www.pims.math.ca/science/2005/05fmcs/ Waterloo), Moshe Rozali (University of British Columbia), Gordon Semenoff (University of British c m s /c s h p m s u m m e r 2005 m e e t i n g Columbia) University of Waterloo, ON www.pims.math.ca/science/2005/05sssgc/ June 4-6, 2005 www.cms.math.ca/Events/summer05/ w o r k s h o p o n u n i q u e n e s s q u e s t i o n s f o r i n f i n i t e dimensional d i f f u s i o n s s u m m e r s c h o o l o n s t r i n g s , g r a v i t y a n d University of British Columbia c o s m o l o g y July 4-8, 2005 Perimeter Institute, Waterloo The focus of the workshop was on open problems June 20 - July 8, 2005 and trying to solve them. As such, the formal part
2005 | 06 • t h e pacific i n s t i t u t e f o r t h e mathematical s c i e n c e s a n n u a l r e p o r t 59 The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences of the workshop was limited to the mornings, 2005 Connecting Women in Math Across Canada while the afternoons were left open for group (CWiMAC) workshop for women graduate discussions and impromptu presentations. students in the mathematical sciences at Canadian universities. It was designed to continue the work Several participants stayed longer to continue started by the very successful CWiMAC which to work on problems discussed at the meeting. took place June 12–13, 2003, at the University of These included Steve Evans, Peter March, Leonid Alberta. The 30 participants attended two plenary Mytnik, Yongjin Wang and Lorenzo Zambotti. talks in mathematics, given by Barbara Keyfitz Organizers: Ed Perkins (University of British (Fields Institute) and Neeza Thandi (actuary), Columbia), Martin Barlow (University of British and panel and small group discussions. Each Columbia) participant gave a 20-minute presentation on their www.pims.math.ca/science/2005/05uidd/ research interests or presented a poster. The CWiMAC workshops are intended to be an s t r i n g s 2005 c o n f e r e n c e integral part of developing a mentoring network University of Toronto to help young women interested in pursuing July 11-16, 2005 research in the mathematical sciences, by giving them opportunity to meet women mathematicians Strings is the top international conference series in working at Canadian and U.S. universities. They the field of string theory. Strings 2005 was the first also have the opportunity to present their research Strings conference held in Canada, bringing over to a peer group, as well as learn various career 425 of the world’s premiere string theorists to the strategies, such as how to present a paper, and how University of Toronto. to organize their research goals. They are able to The bulk of the conference was devoted to invited meet other women graduate students from across talks highlighting recent progress in the field and Canada and from Washington State, and share charting out new directions. their experiences. The public lecture session was presented by Organizers: Judith McDonald (Washington State Robbert Dijkgraaf (Amsterdam) and Lennie University), Malgorzata Dubiel (SFU), Rachel Susskind (Stanford), both international superstars Kuske (UBC) and Gerda de Vries (U. Alberta) in string theory, will lead us on two engaging www.birs.ca/birspages.php?task=displayevent&event_ introductory tours through mind-bending concepts id=05w2010 like warped space-time, black holes, strings, the big bang and the ultimate fate of the universe, in s t o c h a s t i c c a l c u l u s a n d i t s a talk entitled, “If String Theory’s the Answer, applications t o quantitative f i n a n c e What’s the Question?” a n d e l e c t r i c a l engineering University of Calgary Organizers: Alex Buchel (Perimeter/UWO), July 24–27, 2005 Jaume Gomis (Perimeter), Kentaro Hori (Toronto), The conference, partially funded by PIMS, was Robert Myers (Perimeter/Waterloo) and Amanda exceptionally successful. The scientific organizer Peet (Toronto) www.fields.utoronto.ca/programs/scientific/04-05/ was Paul Malcolm (National Information and string-theory/strings2005/ Communications Technology, Australia). The conference opened on July 24 with two c o n n e c t i n g w o m e n i n m a t h a c r o s s parallel series of tutorial lectures. One was given c a n a d a i i by John van der Hoek and Alexei Filinkov (both BIRS from U. Adelaide) on fractional Brownian motion July 21-23, 2005 and white noise calculus, respectively. The other, The CMS Committee for Women in Mathematics, on filtering, estimation and control, was given by in cooperation with PIMS and BIRS organized the Paul Malcolm, Lakhdar Aggoun (Sultan Qaboos
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The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences
U.) and Charalambos Charalambous (U. Cyprus). a d a p t i v i t y a n d b e y o n d : computational These tutorials had audiences of over 20 in each m e t h o d s f o r s o l v i n g differential parallel session, including graduate students from e q u a t i o n s t h Calgary, Edmonton, Waterloo and elsewhere. celebrating t h e 60 b i r t h d a y o f r o b e r t d. r u s s e l l The conference proper was opened on July 25 Vancouver by Carol Stewart (Vice-Dean, Haskayne School Aug. 3–6, 2005 of Business) and Paul Malcolm. The opening The main theme of this conference was adaptive speaker was Dilip Madan (Morgan Stanley computational methods for differential equations. and U. Maryland). The other three speakers on Adaptation has now become fundamental to the opening morning were Eckhard Platen (U. the numerical solution of differential equations: Technology, Sydney), John van der Hoek and accuracy and efficiency can be gained by adapting Monique Jeanblanc (Université d’Evry). Monday the computation to the physical solution or and Tuesday afternoons were taken up with parallel important properties of the equation to be solved. finance and engineering sessions. Over the last three decades, adaptive computation Tuesday morning the opening speaker was Alain has established itself as an area of intensive Bensoussan (formerly head of the French Space research activities driven by ever more challenging Agency, now at U. Texas, Dallas) followed by applications. It is a rapidly changing area and one Vikram Krishnamurthy (UBC), Charalambos in need of development of even more robust and Charalambous and Wolfgang Runggaldier (U. reliable strategies and better understanding of the Padova, Italy). The closing speaker on Wednesday basic principles behind them. Bob Russell has was Helyette Geman (ESSEC and Universite de made many ground-breaking contributions to the Paris IX). field, and it was a special privilege to dedicate this conference to Dr. Russell in celebration of his 60th Scientifically and socially the conference was very birthday. enjoyable. Many people said it was the best meeting they had attended. Ms. Barbara Charlie, an esteemed Elder of the Squamish Nation opened the meeting with Organizers: Paul Malcolm (Australian National a blessing and welcoming ceremony to her University), Allanus Tsoi (University of Missouri), traditional lands. A short slide show provided some Gordon Sick (University of Calgary), Vikram photographic snapshots of Bob Russell’s career. Krishnamurthy (University of British Columbia) Rolf Jeltsch from the ETH Zurich delivered a homepages.ucalgary.ca/~rje2005/RJEProgram.html special greeting address to Bob from the ICIAM Board of Directors. Chris Budd from the University c e c m d a y 2005 of Bath gave a humourous yet informative opening Simon Fraser University talk entitled “Who put the r into r-adaptivity?” Aug. 3, 2005 describing some of Bob Russell’s many contributions to scientific computing. In total 32 The 2005 CECM one-day summer meeting on talks were presented, the majority dealing with computational mathematics was held on Aug. 3 at current research in “adaptivity”, with a few talks in the IRMACS Centre SFU. The meeting consisted of the “beyond” section. Yet even those stirred up a six invited talks and a poster session. Speakers were great deal of interest and led to interesting questions Jason Bell (SFU), Marni Mishna (SFU), Kevin Hare and discussions. (University of Waterloo), Allan Wittkopf (CECM), Walter Gander (ETH Zürich) and Richard Crandall Organizers: Manfred Trummer (SFU), Steve (Apple Computer / Reed College). Ruuth (SFU), John Stockie (SFU), Erik Van Vleck (University of Kansas), Weizhang Huang Organizer: Michael Monagan (Simon Fraser (University of Kansas), and Luca Dieci (Georgia University) Tech) www.cecm.sfu.ca/events/CECM05/ www.pims.math.ca/science/2005/05adaptive/
2005 | 06 • t h e pacific i n s t i t u t e f o r t h e mathematical s c i e n c e s a n n u a l r e p o r t 61 The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences s u m m e r s c h o o l i n a p e r i o d i c o r d e r (TU Chemnitz), Franz Gaehler (University of University of Victoria Stuttgart), Lorenzo Sadun (University of Texas Aug. 8-13, 2005 at Austin) and Boris Solomyak (University of Washington). They presented a broad introduction Mathematically speaking, the term ‘aperiodic order’ to many of the most important and active aspects is used to describe various geometric objects (such of the field. The emphasis was on mathematics, but as certain tilings or tessellations of Euclidean space) attention was also paid to the physical side of the which are non-periodic and yet display a remarkable field. degree of regularity. The subject began with the work of Hao Wang, Raphael Robinson, Roger Penrose, Organizers: Robert Moody (University of Alberta), and others in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Ian Putnam (University of Victoria) A dramatic development of the subject was the www.pims.math.ca/science/2005/05ssao/ discovery in the early 1980s of physical materials whose diffraction spectra are discrete, indicating a t h e 17t h c a n a d i a n c o n f e r e n c e o n high degree of regularity in the atomic structure, and computational g e o m e t r y yet having symmetry patterns which are impossible University of Windsor in any periodic crystal structure. This engendered a Aug. 10-12, 2005 vigorous dialogue and exchange of ideas between The Canadian Conference on Computational the mathematics and physics communities that Geometry is an annual international event for has provided great insights in both directions and the dissemination of new results in the fields of which continues to do so today. The objects of the computational and combinatorial geometry. The mathematics of aperiodic order have become the 17th annual conference was held at the University of models for these ‘quasi-crystals’ and reciprocally Windsor on Aug. 10-12. their physics has continued to stimulate directions for research. Organizers: Prosenjit Bose (Carelton University), Asish Mukhopadhyay (University of Windsor), Although less than 50 years old, the mathematics of Peter Tsin (University of Windsor), Steven Wismath aperiodic order has grown rapidly and is now an area (University of Lethbridge) of considerable activity. One of its most remarkable www.cccg.ca/ characteristics is the diversity of ideas that are involved: harmonic analysis, dynamical systems, ergodic theory, topology, substitution systems, discrete geometry, and operator algebras have all interacted with the subject and reciprocally examples from aperiodic order have provided unexpected insights in these subjects. Due to the newness of the subject and the fluidity of the ideas around it, there is no single source that serves as an introduction to the mathematics t h e n o r t h w e s t d y n a m i c s s y m p o s i u m of aperiodic order and its many facets. As a University of Victoria consequence, students have not found it easy to get a feel for the area, even though some of its more Aug. 15-19, 2005 visible aspects, such as the Penrose tilings and The Northwest Dynamics Symposium was held spectacular diffraction patterns, may have piqued at the University of Victoria on Aug. 15-19, in the their interest. week after the Summer School in Aperiodic Order. Speakers included Vitaly Bergelson (Ohio State The Summer School in Aperiodic Order was University), Mike Boyle (University of Maryland), designed to address this deficiency, bringing together Bob Burton (Oregon State University), Mike Keane four well-known experts in the field: Daniel Lenz (Wesleyan University), Robert Moody (University of
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The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences
Alberta), Dan Rudolph (Colorado State University), 5t h international c o n f e r e n c e o n w o r d s and Klaus Schmidt (University of Vienna). University of Quebec at Montreal Organizers: Chris Bose (University of Victoria), Sept. 13-17, 2005 Chris Hoffman (University of Washington), Doug The 5th International Conference on Words was Lind (University of Washington), Ian Putnam held at the University of Quebec at Montreal on (University of Victoria) Sept. 13-17. Invited speakers included Arturo www.pims.math.ca/science/2005/05nwds/ Carpi (Italy), Denis Thérien (Montreal), Maxime h y p e r p l a n e arrangements w o r k s h o p Crochemore (France), Michel Mendès (France), Antonio Restivo (Italy) and Jeffrey Shallit University of British Columbia (Waterloo). Aug. 21-24, 2005 Organizers: Srecko Brlek, Cédric Chauve, Annie The Hyperplane Arrangements Workshop was held Lacasse, Geneviève Paquin at UBC on Aug. 21-24, 2005. Speakers included words2005.lacim.uqam.ca Alex Suciu (Northeastern), Laurentiu Maxim (Pennsylvania), Nicole Lemire (Western Ontario), Dan Cohen (Louisiana State), Daniel Matei p a c i f i c n o r t h w e s t s t a t i s t i c s m e e t i n g (Romanian Academy of Sciences), Hal Schenck UBC Okanagan (Texas A&M), Richard Randell (Iowa), Franco Oct. 1, 2005 Saliola (Cornell) and Misha Shapiro (Michigan The Pacific Northwest Statistics Meeting was State). held at UBC Okanagan on Oct. 1, 2005. A poster Organizers: Graham Denham (U. Western session took place, as well as lectures from Keith Ontario), Sergey Yuzvinsky (University of Oregon) Worsley (McGill University) and Subhash R. Lele www.pims.math.ca/science/2005/05hyper/ (University of Alberta). people.ok.ubc.ca/gillpara/PNWS/ t o p i c s i n h o m o t o p y t h e o r y g r a d u a t e s u m m e r s c h o o l 26t h m i d w e s t -p a c i f i c differential University of Calgary e q u a t i o n s c o n f e r e n c e Aug. 22-26, 2005 University of Alberta The goal of the Topics in Homotopy Graduate Oct. 15-17, 2005 Summer School was to provide an opportunity The conference was the continuation of the Midwest to graduate students in topology to broaden Differential Equations Conference series. The their experience by gaining exposure to several primary goal was to promote research and education specialized areas of research in homotopy theory. in the field of differential equations, i.e., ordinary Lectures were presented by Alejandro Adem and partial differential equations and functional (University of British Columbia), John Baez differential equations, measure chains, difference (University of California, Riverside), Dan Dugger equations, numerical techniques, and their (University of Oregon) and Dev Sinha (University applications to biological, medical, engineering and of Oregon). physical sciences. This conference brought together established and new researchers and advanced The talks were aimed to be most beneficial for graduate students for an exchange of ideas and students who had completed several years of discussions on the diverse aspects of differential graduate study, or had some exposure to graduate equations, representing a broad participation from algebra, homotopy theory and algebraic geometry. across and beyond Midwest and Pacific regions. Organizers: Kristine Bauer (University of The conference was dedicated to Jack W. Macki Calgary), Laura Scull (University of British and James S. Muldowney for the occasion of Columbia) their retirement from the University of Alberta. It www.pims.math.ca/science/2005/05homotopy/
2005 | 06 • t h e pacific i n s t i t u t e f o r t h e mathematical s c i e n c e s a n n u a l r e p o r t 63 The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences celebrated their distinguished academic careers and Nigel Boston (University of Wisconsin), who gave their contributions to research and education in the advice to students based on his ample experiences area of differential equations. in academia and industry. A webpage with resources for postdocs was established, which includes the Organizers: Michael Li (University of Alberta), presentations at this meeting, as well as useful links Herb Freedman (University of Alberta) for job applicants. www.math.ualberta.ca/ami/mwpde.html n o r t h w e s t probability s e m i n a r Organizers: Alejandro Adem (UBC), Loyce Adams University of Washington (U. Washington), Tom Archibald (SFU), Brian Marcus (UBC) and Brian Wetton (UBC) Oct. 22, 2005 www.pims.math.ca/science/2005/05postdoc/ Northwest Probability Seminars are one-day mini- conferences held at the University of Washington and organized in collaboration with the Oregon State combinatorial p o t l a t c h 2005 University, the University of British Columbia, the Seattle University University of Oregon, and the Theory Group at the Nov. 19, 2005 Microsoft Research. The Combinatorial Potlatch is an irregularly The Birnbaum Lecture in Probability in 2005 was scheduled, floating, one-day conference. It has been delivered by Charles Newman (Courant Institute, held for many years at various locations around New York University). Invited lectures were Puget Sound and southern British Columbia, and is presented by Rami Atar (University of Technion and an opportunity for combinatorialists in the region University of Washington), Nathanael Berestycki to gather informally for a day of invited talks and (UBC), and Yevgeniy Kovchegov (Oregon State conversation. University). Talks were presented by Bojan Mohar (University of Organizers: Chris Burdzy (University of Ljubljana (Slovenia) and Simon Fraser University), Washington), Zhenqing Chen (University of Jenny Quinn (Occidental College and University of Washington), Ed Perkins (UBC), Qi-Man Shao Puget Sound), and John Caughman (Portland State (University of Oregon), Ed Waymire (Oregon State University). University) Organizers: David Neel (Seattle University), Nancy www.math.washington.edu/~zchen/nwprob2005.shtml Ann Neudauer (Pacific University), Rob Beezer (University of Puget Sound) p i m s p o s t d o c 2005 d a y buzzard.ups.edu/potlatch/2005/potlatch2005.html University of British Columbia Oct. 29, 2005 p a c i f i c n o r t h w e s t p d e m e e t i n g PIMS hosted the annual PIMS Postdoc Day, University of British Columbia which was jointly organized with the University of Washington VIGRE Program. The event provided Dec. 3, 2005 much needed information for the professional The speakers at this year’s Pacific Northwest development of postdocs; topics which were PDE meeting were Maciej Zworski (University of discussed at length included teaching and mentoring, California, Berkeley), Nassif Ghoussoub (UBC), Yu research connections, industrial connections, job Yuan (University of Washington), Gustavo Ponce applications, and interview skills. (University of California, Santa Barbara), and Neil Trudinger (Australian National University). Over 30 postdocs from UBC, U.Washington, UVic and SFU attended this event, which included Organizer: Richard Froese (UBC) presentations as well as question-and-answer www.pims.math.ca/science/2005/05pnwpde/ sessions. There was also a featured speaker during lunch,
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The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences s t r i n g y t o p o l o g y c o n f e r e n c e Morelia, Mexico Jan. 9-20, 2006 The Stringy Topology conference was held in Morelia, Mexico, on Jan. 9-20, 2006. This conference featured new ideas in string theory, in particular D-branes and their relevance to open strings, which have in many ways revolutionized modern quantum field theory. The subject is currently highly heuristic: its formalization and mathematical development has barely begun. The geometric naturality and flexibility of these concepts has fostered rapid development, but their codification is completely open. Orbifolds, gerbes, and stacks are all topics with well-established classical literature, but the idea that they should be grouped together, and that the various kinds of twistings they manifest are relevant to physics, is a new idea in mathematics. The workshop was a Pan-American Advanced Studies Institutes Program. It was part of the one- semester programme, “New Topological Structures in Physics,” which was organized by MSRI. Funding was provided by the Office of International Science and Engineering of the National Science Foundation and the Office of Basic Science of the Department of Energy. PIMS funded the Canadian participants for the conference. Organizers: Ralph Cohen (Stanford), Jack Morava (Johns Hopkins), Alejandro Adem (UBC), Yongbin Ruan (UW-Madison) www.msri.org/calendar/workshops/WorkshopInfo/310/ show_workshop
2005 | 06 • t h e pacific i n s t i t u t e f o r t h e mathematical s c i e n c e s a n n u a l r e p o r t 65 The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences
Seminar and Lecture Series
PIMS Algebraic Geometry London): Mirror Families July 28, 2005 Seminars, UBC for Flag Varieties G/P and • Sadok Kallel (Universite de the Peterson Variety, Oct. 31, The 2005-06 seminars Sciences et Technologies de 2005 included: Lille): On String Topology • Yinan Song (UBC): Gromov- and Some of its Applications, • Alexander Yong (University Witten/Donaldson-Thomas July 29, 2005 of California, Berkeley): Correspondence, Nov. 7, 2005 • Yongbin Ruan (University of On Smoothness and • Tonny Springer (Universiteit Wisconsin-Madison): Recent Gorensteinness of Schubert Utrecht): Some Subvarieties Developments in Orbifold Varieties, April 6, 2005 of a Compactification of a Theory Part I, Aug. 3, 2005 • Behrang Noohi (Max Planck Semisimple Group Part I, • Yongbin Ruan (University of Institute): Uniformization of Nov. 21, 2005 Wisconsin-Madison): Recent Deligne-Mumford Curves, • Kiumars Kaveh (UBC): Developments in Orbifold April 26, 2005 Canonical Bases and Toric Theory Part II, Aug. 5, 2005 • Jim Bryan (UBC): Hurwitz- Degeneration of Flag and • Antonio Ramirez (UBC): Hodge Integrals and Spherical Varieties, Nov. 28, String Topology, Sept. 12, the Crepant Resolution 2005 2005 Conjecture, Sept. 12, 2005 • Antonio Ramirez (UBC): • Hsian-Hua Tseng (UBC): PIMS Algebraic Topology Open-Closed String Bend and Break: Old and Seminars, UBC Topology, Sept. 21, 2005 Not-so-Old, Sept. 19, 2005 The 2005-06 seminars • Stephen Smith (University • Michael Thaddeus (Columbia included: of Illinois at Chicago): University): Stable Maps to Homotopy Decompositions Loop Groups: Part I, Sept. 26, • Hendryk Pfeiffer and Classifying Spaces for 2005 (Cambridge): From Hopf Algebras to Trialgebras and Sporadic Simple Groups, Oct. • Michael Thaddeus (Columbia Hopf Categories, April 18, 5, 2005 University): Stable Maps to 2005 • Marston Conder (University Loop Groups: Part II, Oct. 3, of Auckland): Group actions 2005 • Claude Viterbo (Ecole Polytechnique Palaiseau): on hyperbolic 3-manifolds, • Julia Gordon (University of Communting Continuous Oct. 12, 2005 Toronto): Are Characters of Hamiltonians and Symplectic • Denis Sjerve (UBC): P-adic Groups Comuptable? Topology Part I, July 18, Invariant Spin Structures on Oct. 4, 2005 2005 Hyperelliptic Surfaces Part I, • Nai Chung (Conan) Leung • Claude Viterbo (Ecole Oct. 26, 2005 (The Chinese University Polytechnique Palaiseau): • Denis Sjerve (UBC): of Hong Kong): Mirror Communting Continuous Invariant Spin Structures on Symmetry and Magic Square, Hamiltonians and Symplectic Hyperelliptic Surfaces Part II, Oct. 17, 2005 Topology Part II, July 19, Nov. 2, 2005 • Jochen Kuttler (UBC): 2005 • Dale Rolfsen (UBC): The Blowing up Certain • Sadok Kallel (Universite de Poincaré Conjecture and its Singularities of T-Varieties in Sciences et Technologies Cousins, Nov. 16, 2005 G/P, Oct. 24, 2005 de Lille): On Symmetric • Tony Springer (Universiteit • Konstanze Rietsch (King’s Products of Two Dimensional Utrecht): Some Subvarieties College, University of Complexes and Applications, of a Compactification of a
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Semisimple Group, Nov. 23, • Alejandro Adem (UBC): A EURANDOM): Phase 2005 Stringy Product for Twisted Transitions for Interacting • Alejandro Adem (UBC): Orbifold K-Theory, March Diffusions, Jan. 18, 2006 Products in the Cohomology 29, 2006 • Bruno Eckhardt (Phillips- and K-Theory of Orbifolds, Universitat Marburg Nov. 30, 2005 PIMS Distinguished Lecture Germany): Transition to Series, PIMS Sites • Ian Hambleton (McMaster Turbulence in Shear Flows, University): Finite Groups Organizers: PIMS Site Jan. 21, 2006 Acting Freely on Products on Directors • Frank den Hollander Spheres, Dec. 7, 2005 (University of Leiden and The 2005-06 lectures included: • Ian Hambleton (McMaster EURANDOM): Random University): Groups and • Williams Symes (Rice Walk in Random Scenery, Geometry, Dec. 9, 2005 University): Mathematics of Feb. 3, 2006 Seismic Imaging-Part I, July • Genevieve Walsh (University • Panagiotis Souganidis 19, 2005 of Texas, Austin): Surfaces in (University of Texas, Austin): Finite Covers and the Group • William Symes (Rice Recent Advances to the Determinant, Dec. 14, 2005 University): Mathematics of Theory of Homogenization Seismic Imaging-Part II, July in Random Environments, • Victor Nunez (CIMAT): 20, 2005 March 7, 2006 Universal Montesinos Knots, Dec. 14, 2005 • Frederick Cohen (University • Weiyue Ding (Peking of Rochester): Braid Groups University): Recent Progress • Rick Jardine (University of and their Applications-Part I, in Schroedinger Flows, Western Ontario): Cocycle Aug. 2, 2005 March 21, 2006 Categories and Gerbes, Dec. 16, 2005 • Frederick Cohen (University • Weiyue Ding (Peking of Rochester): Braid Groups University): Evolution of • Dale Rolfsen (UBC): and their Applications-Part Minimal Tori in Riemannian Foliations of Orbifolds and II), Aug. 4, 2006 Manifolds, March 28, 2006 Manifolds, Feb. 1, 2006 • Lou Fishman (University of • Kee Lam (UBC): Truncated Calgary/MDF International): PIMS-MITACS Math Biology Projective Spaces and the Seismic Imaging-the Seismic Seminar, U. Alberta Kervaire Invariant Problem, Way, Sept. 13, 2005 Feb. 8, 2006 The 2005-06 PIMS funded • Lou Fishman (University of seminars were: • Steve Mitchell (University Calgary/MDF International): of Washington): K (1)-Local • Elaine Beltaos (University of Phase Space and Path Homotopy Theory and the Alberta): DNA Strands and Integral Methods Part I, Sept. Iwasawa Algebra, Feb. 22, Knots, April 4, 2005 15, 2005 2006 • Javier Gamarra (Cornell): • Lou Fishman (University of • Gabriel Indurskis (UBC): Critical Foraging in Calgary/MDF International): On the SL (2,C) Character Fragmented Fractal Phase Space and Path varieties of Manifolds Landscapes, April 11, 2004 Integral Methods Part II, Obtained from the Whitehead Sept. 20, 2005 • Steve Cantrell (University Link Exterior by Dehn of Miami): Reversals of • Lou Fishman (University of Filling, March 1, 2006 Competitive Dominance Calgary/MDF International): • Behrang Noohi (Max in Ecological Reserves via Applications to Seismic Planck Institute): What is External Habitat Degradation, Imaging, Sept. 22, 2005 Topological Stack? March April 11, 2005 • Frank den Hollander 15, 2005 • Thomas Hillen (University (University of Leiden and
2005 | 06 • t h e pacific i n s t i t u t e f o r t h e mathematical s c i e n c e s a n n u a l r e p o r t 67 The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences
of Alberta): Mathematical Terms, Feb. 6, 2006 • Michael Bennett (UBC): Models for Mesenchymal Integer points on Congruent • Caroline Bampfylde Motion, Sept. 26, 2005 Number Curves, Sept. 29, (University of Alberta): 2005 • Hermann Eberl (Guelph Biological Control Through University): The Good, Intraguild Predation: A • Nigel Boston (University of The Bad, and the Ugly: Case Study in the Dynamics Wisconsin, Madison): Galois On Bacteria and Partial of Rusty Crayfish and Groups of P-Extensions and Differential Equations, Oct. Smallmouth Bass, Feb. 13, Applications, Oct. 27, 2005 31, 2005 2006 • Patrick Ingram (UBC): • Bettina Greese (Alberta): An • Gordon Broderick (University Primitive Divisors in Elliptic Integro-Differential Model for of Alberta): TBA, Feb. 27, Divisibility Sequences, Oct. Cancer Growth, Nov. 7, 2005 2006 27, 2005 • Lora Major (University of • Lukasz Kurgan (University • Yoonjin Lee (SFU): The Alberta): Computational of Alberta): What, Why Structure of the Class Groups Simulation of and How of Computational of Global Functions Fields of Electrodiagnostic Methods, Protein Structure Prediction, any Unitrank, Nov. 24, 2005 Nov. 21, 2005 March 6, 2006 • Stephen Choi (SFU): Why • Jungmin Lee (University of • Bill Nelson (University of Lehmer’s Conjecture is so Alberta): TBA, Dec. 5, 2005 Alberta): Outbreak Risk in Difficult, Nov. 24, 2005 • Francesca O’Rourke (Queen’s Aggregate Systems: Seeing • Matilde Lalín (Institute for University of Belfast): the Trees Through the Forest Advanced Study): Mahler Mathematical Modelling of in Mountain Pine Beetles, Measures as Values of Cancer, Dec. 12, 2005 March 13, 2005 Regulators, Feb. 9, 2006 • Weide Li (Lanzhou • Alex Potatpov (University • Vinayak Vatsal (UBC): University): Risk as a Tool of Alberta): TBA, March 20, Special Values of L-Functions for Regional Ecosystem 2006 Modulop, Feb. 9, 2006 Management in Arid Area: A • Matthew Parliament Case Study in Shiyang River • Kate Petersen (Queen’s (University of Alberta): Basin, Jan. 16, 2006 University): Cusps and Candidate Gene Congruence Subgroups of • Kelvin Jones (University Polymorphisms and Radiation PSL(2, OK), March 9, 2006 of Alberta): Eavesdropping Toxicity, March 27, 2006 on Biological Sensors to • Ching-Li Chai (University of Pennsylvania): Canonical Reveal the Secret Code of PIMS Number Theory Coordinates for Leaves of Proprioception, Jan. 23, 2006 Seminar, UBC and SFU p-Divisble Groups, March 9, • Wenxiang Lu (University of The 2005-06 seminars 2006 Alberta): A Mathematical included: Model for Cancer Treatment • Renate Scheidler (University by Cell Cycle-Specific • Nathan Ng (University of of Calgary): The Real Model Chemotherapy, Jan. 30, 2006 Ottawa): The Distribution of a Hyperelliptic Curve, of Zeros of the Riemannzeta March 23, 2006 • Claudia Calin (University of Function, June 28, 2005 Alberta): A Few Theoretical • Peter Borwein (SFU): and Numerical Results in the • Chris Sinclair (UBC): Littlewood’s 22nd Problem, Smoluchowski Coagulation Counting Reciprocal March 23, 2006 Equation with Unbounded Polynomials with Integer Kernel and Particle Source coefficients, Sept. 29, 2005
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PIMS PDE/Geometry Seminar, Spheres, Oct. 18, 2005 • Malabika Pramanik UBC (California Institute of • Adam Oberman (SFU): Technology): Geometry The 2005-06 seminars Numerical Approximation of Linear and Monomial included: of First and Second Order Polyhedra and the Nonlinear Elliptic PDEs • Tai-Peng Tsai (UBC): Applications, Jan. 10, 2006 and Stochastic Game Stability in H1 of the Sum Interpretations, Oct. 25, 2005 • David Damanik (California of K Solitary Waves for Institute of Technology): Some Nonlinear Schrodinger • Ivar Ekeland (PIMS): A Geometry of Linear and Equations, April 5, 2005 Remarkable PDE Arising Monomial Polyhedra and from Non-Commitment in • Tetsu Mizumachi (Kyushu their Applications, Jan. 12, Economics, Nov. 1, 2005 University): Instability 2006 of Vortex Solitons for 2D • Nassif Ghoussoub (UBC): • Daniele Cassani (UBC): Focusing NLS, Sept. 8, 2005 On the Partial Differential Nonlinear Elliptic Systems Equations of Electrostatic • Stephen Gustafson (UBC): with Critical Growth, Jan. 17, MEMS Devices, Nov. 8, Scattering for the Gross- 2006 2005 Pitaevskiiequation, Sept. 20, • Zhiwu Lin (New York 2005 • Nataliya Ivanova (UBC): University): Stability of On Symmetry Properties • Hadi Jorati (UBC): Singular Collisionless Plasmas, Jan. of Non-Linear Schrodinger Kernels Adapted to Curved 19, 2006 Equations, Nov. 15, 2005 Flags, Sept. 27, 2005 • Antoine Mellet (University • Alan Hammond (UBC): • Pierpaolo Esposito (UBC): of Texas): Weak Solutions Moment Bounds and A Singularly Perturbed for Isentropic Compressible Gelation in PDE Modelling Neumann/Dirichlet Problem: Navier-Stokes Equations, Coalescence, Nov. 22, 2005 Pointwise Concentration Jan. 24, 2006 Towards Spike-Layer • Claudio Fernandez (Pontificia • Yujin Guo (UBC): On the Solutions, Oct. 4, 2005 Universidad Catolica de Partial Differential Equations Chile): Absence of Bound • Zhiqin Lu (University of in Dimensions Four, Feb. 7, States for Time Dependent California, Irvine): Weil- 2006 Hamiltonians, Nov. 29, 2005 Petersson Geometry on • Frederic Robert (Universite Calabi-Yau Moduli, Oct. 11, • Andrew Comech (Texas de Nice-Sophia Antipolis): 2005 A&M University): Global Quantization Issues for Attractor for the Klein- • Massimiliano Berti (SISSA, Fourth Order Elliptic Gordon Equation with a Italy): Nonlinear Oscillations Equations in Dimension Four, Nonlinearity Supported at a in Hamiltonian PDEs, Oct. Feb. 21, 2006 Point, Dec. 1, 2005 11, 2005 • Rustum Choksi (SFU): • Alexei Cheviakov (UBC): • Hideo Takaoka (Kobe A Nonlocal Isoperimetric Framework for Potential University): Global Well- Problem, Feb. 29, 2006 Systems and Nonlocal Posedness for the Modified Symmetries: Algorithmic • Valery Serov (University Benjamin-Ono Equation in Approach, Dec. 6, 2005 of Washington): Born the Energy Space, Oct. 18, Approximation in the 2005 • Andrej Zlatos (University Multidimensional Inverse of Wisconsin, Madison): • Yiming Long (Nankai Scattering Problem with Reaction and Diffusion in the University): Closed Singular Potentials, March Presence of Fluid Flow, Jan. Geodesics on 2 Dimensional 23, 2006 5, 2006
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PIMS Probability Seminars, • David Wilson (Microsoft • O.J. Boxma (EURANDOM): UBC Research): Random-Turn Phase Transitions for Games, Sept. 21, 2005 Interacting Diffusions, Jan. The 2005-06 seminars 18, 2006 included: • Nathanael Berestycki (UBC): Of Mice and Men (and • Michiel van den Berg • Ulrich Horst (UBC): State Random Walks), Sept. 28, (University of Bristol): Heat Dependent Queuing Systems 2005 Flow, Brownian Motion and with Semi-Markov Switching Newtonian Capacity, Jan. 25, and Applications to Finance, • David Brydges (UBC): Joint 2006 April 6, 2005 Density for the Local Times of Continuous-Time Random • Anthony Quas (University of • Thomas Duquesne (ENS, Walks, Oct. 5, 2005 Victoria): Non-Monotonicity Paris): Brownian and Levy in (BC) STV, Feb. 1, 2006 Continuum Random Trees, • Chris Hoffman (University of June 16, 2005 Washington): Coexistence for • Gregory Maillard Richardson Type Competing (EURANDOM): Parabolic • Bruce Reed (McGill Spatial Growth Models, Oct. Anderson Model on University): The Mixing Time 12, 2005 Interacting Particle Systems, of the Giant Component of Feb. 8, 2006 G{n,p}, June 29, 2005 • Gabor Pete (University of California, Berkeley): Corner • Micheal Kozdron • Dan Romik (University of Percolation on Z^2 and the (University of Regina): The California, Berkeley): Young Square Root of 17, Oct. 19, Configurational Measure Tableaux, with Young and 2005 on Mutually Avoiding SLE Old Applications, July 13, paths, Feb. 22, 2006 2005 • Vlada Limic (UBC): The Spatial Lambda-Coalescent, • Reda Messikh • Anita Winter (Friedrich- Oct. 26, 2005 (EURANDOM): On the 2d Alexander University of Ising Wulff Crystal Near Erlangen-Nuremberg): The • Jean-Francois Delmas Criticality, March 1, 2006 Tree-Valued Fleming-Viot (Centre d’Enseignement Dynamics, Aug. 9, 2005 et de Recherche en • Jean-Dominique Deuschel Mathematiques): (Technische Universitat • Nina Gantert (University of Fragmentation of the Berlin): Quenched Invariance Muenster): The Logloglog Continuous Random Tree, Principle for Random Walks Story for Recurrent Nov. 2, 2005 in Random Environment, Random Walk in Random March 8, 2006 Environment, Aug. 24, 2005 • Omer Angel (UBC): One- Dimensional DLA, Nov. 9, • Kevin Buhr (UBC): A Simple • Stanislav Volkov (University 2005 Construction of Arratia Flow, of Bristol): 5x+1: How Many March 15, 2006 Go Down? Aug. 31, 2005 • Richard Durrett (Cornell University): Waiting for • Nicolas Petrelis • Gordon Slade (UBC): The ATCAAAG, Nov. 16, 2005 (EURANDOM): Polymer Survival Probability for Pinning at an Interface, Critical Oriented Percolation • Codina Cotar (UBC): Edge March 22, 2006 Above 4+1 Dimensions, Sept. Reinforced Random Walk as 7, 2005 a Random Walk in Random • James Martin (University Environment, Nov. 23, 2005 of Oxford): Competition • Alan Hammond (UBC): Interfaces and Interacting Mass-Conservation and • Burgess Davis (Purdue Particles, March 29, 2006 Gelation in Reaction- University): Continuous Time Diffusion PDE, Sept. 14, Vertex Reinforced Random 2005 Walk, Dec. 5, 2005
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PIMS Problems in Discrete • Adam Smith (Weizmann Cryptography, Oct. 13, 2005 and Combinatorial Math Institute of Science): • David Keith (University Seminar, UBC Correcting Errors Without of Calgary): Fossil Fuels Leaking Partial Information, The 2005-06 seminars Without Emissions: Feb. 21, 2006 included: Managing the Risks of • Shakhar Smorodinsky Underground C02 Storage, • Gabor Tardos (SFU): Toward (Courant Institute of Nov. 10, 2005 an Extremal Theory of Mathematical Sciences): On Ordered Graphs, Sept. 13, • Ian Gates (University of K-Sets in Dimensions 2, 3, 2005 Calgary): On the Operating and 4, Feb. 28, 2006 Strategy in Solvent-Aided • Chris Ryan (UBC): • Richard Ehrenborg Steam-Assisted Gravity Coincidences Amongst (University of Kentucky): Drainage, Dec. 6, 2005 Products of Schur Functions, The Mobius Function of Sept. 20, 2005 • Larry Bates (University of Partitions with Restricted Calgary): Spinning Tops, • Laura Dunwoody (UBC): Block Sizes, March 21, 2006 Dec. 20, 2005 Problems of Forbidden • Kee Lam (UBC): The Configurations, Oct. 4, 2005 • Gerald Lachapelle Combinatorics of Sums (University of Calgary): • Kristin Patron (UBC): of Squares as Studied Via GPS-Concepts and Bounds on the Achromatic Topology, March 28, 2006 Computational Challenges, Number of Triple Systems, Jan. 11, 2006 Oct. 18, 2005 PIMS/Shell Lunchbox Lecture • Richard Guy (University of • David Kirkpatrick (UBC): Series, Shell Centre, Calgary Calgary): Everyone Does Minimizing Precision/ PIMS is presenting a series Combinatorics (But Few Input in the Evaluation of of lectures at the Shell Centre People Know They Do), Feb. Geometric Primitives, Oct. in downtown Calgary. These 14, 2006 25, 2005 lectures, given by experts from • Ross Mitchell (University • Jason Bell (SFU): New the PIMS Universities, focus on of Calgary): Applications of Methods in the Theory of mathematical techniques and Time/Frequency Analysis in Quasi-Invariants, Nov. 1, applications relevant to the oil Medicine and Geophysics, 2005 and gas industry and demonstrate March 28, 2006 the utility and beauty of applied • Luis Goddyn (SFU): An mathematics. The talks are Optimization Problem aimed at a general audience. IAM-PIMS-MITACS Joint Arising from Video-On- Attendance may qualify Distinguished Colloquium Demand Broadcasting, Nov. for APEGGA Professional Series, UBC 8, 2005 Development Hours. This series of seminars is • John Bueti (University of The 2005-06 seminars co-hosted by the Institute for California, Los Angeles): A included: Applied Mathematics at UBC Combinatorial Result for the and PIMS. (N,K,) Problem, Nov. 15, • Gemai Chen (University 2005 of Calgary): The Past, The 2005-06 seminars Present and Future of Prairie included: • Ryan O’Donnell (Microsoft Droughts: How Bad is Bad? • Eli Tziperman (Harvard): Research): An Invariance April 20, 2005 Rapid Past Climate Change: Theorem for Functions with It is the Sea Ice, Sept. 26, Small Influences, Jan. 17, • Mark Bauer (University of 2005 2006 Calgary): Elliptic Curve
2005 | 06 • t h e pacific i n s t i t u t e f o r t h e mathematical s c i e n c e s a n n u a l r e p o r t 71 The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences
• Tadmor Eitan (University of Markets, Sept. 22, 2005 (McMaster University): Maryland): Edge Detection, Explicit Formulas for Laplace • Robert Elliot (University Hierarchical Decompositions Transforms of Stochastic of Calgary): Indifference and Velocity Averaging, Oct. Integrals, March 9, 2006 Pricing and Real Options, 17, 2005 Sept. 29, 2005 • Patrick Cheridito (Princeton • Greg Kriegsmann University): Time- • Traian Pirvu (UBC): (New Jersey Institute of Consistency of Indifference Satisfying Convex Risk Technology): Microwave Prices and Monetary, March Limits by Trading, Oct. 13, Heating of Materials: A 16, 2006 2005 Mathematical and Physical • Ivar Ekeland (PIMS): Overview, Nov. 7, 2005 • Art Shneyerov (UBC): Rational Behaviour with Dynamic Matching, • Lakshminarayanan Non-Exponential Discount, Two-Sided Incomplete Mahadevan (Harvard): and What Happens to Information, and Geometry and Elasticity in Hamilton-Jacobi Part I, Participation Costs: Existence Physical Packing Problems, March 23, 2006 and Convergence to Perfect Jan. 16, 2006 Competition, Oct. 20, 2005 • Ivar Ekeland (PIMS): • Philip Holmes (Princeton Rational Behaviour with • Biao Wu (Carleton University): Optimal Non-Exponential Discount, University): Interacting Decisions in the Brain: and What Happens to Systems in Time-Varying and From Neural Oscillators Hamilton-Jacobi Part II, Random Environments, Nov. to Stochastic Differential March 30, 2006 17, 2005 Equations, March 20, 2006 • Tahir Choulli (University of PIMS/MITACS Mathematical Alberta): Minimal Hellinger PIMS-MITACS Finance Biology Seminars, UBC Seminar Series, UBC Martingale Measures of Order Q, Nov. 24, 2005 The 2005-06 seminars In conjunction with research included: activities of MITACS, PIMS • Traian Pirvu (UBC): hosts a series of talk on recent • Adriana Dawes (UBC): Maximizing Portfolio Growth work in financial mathematics. Modelling the Spatial Profile Rate Under Risk Constraints, The 2005-06 seminars of Barbed Ends and Filament Jan. 12, 2006 included: Density Behind the Leading • Traian Pirvu (UBC): Edge of a Motile Cell, April • Matthias Mueller (UBC): Portfolio Optimization Under 6, 2005 Pricing and Hedging Market Value-at-Risk Constraint, Jan. External Risks: Weather and • Christopher Kribs Zaleta 26, 2006 Climate, Sept. 8, 2005 (University of Texas • Ulrich Haussmann (UBC): at Arlington): Vector • Matthias Mueller (UBC): Economic Equilibrium with Consumption and Contact Pricing and Hedging Market Multivariable Utility, Feb. 9, Process Saturation in Sylvatic External Risks: Weather and 2006 Transmission of T. Cruzi, Climate—Open Problems, April 13, 2005 Sept. 15, 2005 • Matthias Mueller (UBC): Robust Utility Maximization • Don Ludwig (UBC): • Dmitry Kramkov (Carnegie and BSDE, Feb. 23, 2006 Uncertainty in Discount Mellon University): On the Models and Mitigation of Two-Times Differentiability • David Lando (University of Environmental Change, April of the Value Functions in Copenhagen): Decomposing 20, 2005 the Problem of Optimal Swap Spreads, March 2, 2006 Investment in Incomplete • Alexey Kuznetsov • Amil Shah (Vancouver
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Cancer Centre): In Search of Modelling of Ca2+ Transport Dimensional Model of the Achilles Heel of Cancer, in Smooth Muscle Cells, Oct. Cellular Electrical Activity, April 27, 2005 12, 2005 Jan. 4, 2006 • Toby Elmhirst (University of • Byron Goldstein (Los Alamos • Sasha Jilkine (UBC): Houston): Adaptive Radiation National Laboratory): Cytoskeletal Dynamics as Pattern Formation in Immunoadhesins and During Cleavage of the C. Phenotype Space, June 8, Monoclonal Antibodies in elegans Embryo, Jan. 11, 2006 the Treatment of Disease: 2006 Modelling How They Couple • Carol Shaoshan Huang • Dejan Milutinovic Target Cells to Natural Killer (UBC): Modelling the Effect (University of Utrecht): Cells, Oct. 19, 2005 of Metal Ions in Alzheimer’s Stochastic Model of a Micro- Disease, Aug. 10, 2005 • Nima Geffen (Tel Aviv Agent Population, Jan. 18, University): A Mirco Helical 2006 • Ying-Hen Hsieh (National Organism Revisited, Oct. 26, Chung Hsing University): • Joseph Mahaffy (San Diego 2005 Candidate Genes Associated State University): Modelling with Susceptibility to SARS- • Nicholas Swindale (UBC): Marine Phage Ecology, Jan. CoV, Aug. 15, 2005 Coverage, Polymaps and the 25, 2006 Visual Cortex, Nov. 2, 2005 • Stan Maree (Utrecht • Yangjin Kim (University of University): Modelling Cell • Lin Wang (University of Minnesota): Mathematical Movement Patterns During Victoria): Competition in the Modelling of Tumor Spheroid Chick Gastrulation, Aug. 17, Chemostat, Nov. 9, 2005 Growth, Jan. 27, 2006 2005 • Neil Balmforth (UBC): • Eldon Emberly (SFU): • Veronica Albers Grieneisen Locomotion of Gastropods: Synchronizing Mechanisms (Utrecht University): Lubrication Theory Plus in Circadian Oscillators, Feb. Modelling Tumour Growth RoboSnail, Nov. 16, 2005 1, 2006 Dynamics, Aug. 17, 2005 • Fred Brauer (UBC): Simple • Rafael Meza Rodriguez • Lindi Wahl (University of Pandemic Models, Nov. 23, (University of Washington): Western Ontario): Modelling 2005 Gestational Mutations and Experimental Evolution, Carcinogenesis, Feb. 7, 2006 • Muhammad Aslam Sept. 7, 2005 Chaudhry (King Fahd • Meredith Greer (Bates • Steven Plotkin (UBC): How University of Petroleum College): Modelling Protein Does a Protein Fold? The and Minerals): Influence of Population Interactions in Effects of Structure, and Culture pH and Osmolality Prion Diseases, Feb. 8, 2006 a Segue into Differential on the Maintenance of • Leah Keshet (UBC): Geometry, Sept. 21, 2005 Pluripotentiality of Murine Biopolymers: Kinetics and Embryonic Stem Cells, Nov. • Rodrigo A. Restrepo (UBC): Behaviour, Feb. 22, 2006 30, 2005 A Plausible Ancestry for the • Jim Faeder (Los Alamos tRNAS, Sept. 28, 2005 • Anmar Khadra (Institute National Lab): Rule-Based of Applied Mathematics): • Eric Cytrynbaum (UBC): Modelling of Biochemical Modelling the Pulsatile and Finding the Centre-How Networks, March 1, 2006 Synchronized Behaviour of to Solve Simple Geometry GnRH Neurons, Dec. 7, 2005 • Samuel Isaacson (University Problems at the Cellular of Utah): Stochastic Scale, Oct. 5, 2005 • Yoichiro Mori (New York Reaction-Diffusion Methods University): A Three • Nicola Fameli (UBC): for Modelling Gene
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Expression and Regulation in • Andrej Zlatos (University Medical Devices, May 4, Complex Geometries, March of Wisconsin, Madison): 2005 8, 2006 Reaction and Diffusion in the • Don Wilson (BC Cancer Presence of Fluid Flow, Jan. • Eirikur Palsson (SFU): How Agency): Molecular Imaging 5, 2006 do Changes in the Properties in Oncology-the Evolving of the cAMP Signaling • Ching-Li Chai (University of Role of PET, May 6, 2005 System in Dictyostelium Pennsylvania): Hecke Orbits, • Adam Oberman (SFU): Affect the Patterns Observed? March 10, 2006 Numerical Approximation of March 15, 2006 Nonlinear Elliptic PDEs, Oct. • Fiona Brinkman (SFU): PIMS/SFU Computing Science 28, 2005 Distinguished Lecture Series Trends in Microbial at SFU • Youngsuk Lee (SFU): Protein Networks and their The 2005-06 speakers were: Resonant Instability of Evolution, March 22, 2006 • Sebastian Thrun (Stanford Steady Mountain Waves, • Peter Sozou (London School University): Winning the Nov. 4, 2005 of Economics): Costly but DARPA Grand Challenge, • Korikalapudi Sriram Worthless Gifts as Signals in Dec. 8, 2005 (National Institute of Courtship, March 23, 2006 • Pavel Pevzner (University Standards and Technology): • Dmitry Kondrashov of California, San Diego): Internet Routing Security: (University of Wisconsin- Fragile Versus Random BGP Behaviour Under Madison): Coarse-Grained Models of Chromosome Peering Session Attacks, Nov. Models of Residue Evolution, Jan. 12, 2006 9, 2005 Interactions Within and • Prabhakar Raghavan (Yahoo! • Richard Tsai (University of Between Protein Structures, Research): The Changing Texas at Austin): Visibility March 29, 2006 Face of Web Search, Feb. 16, Optimization Using 2006 Variational Approaches, Nov. UBC Mathematics Department 18, 2005 Colloquium Hosted by PIMS- • Andries van Dam (Brown • Faramarz Samavati UBC University): Immersive Virtual Reality for Scientific (University of Calgary): The 2005-06 seminars Sketch Based Modelling included: Visualization, March 3, 2006 Using Few Strokes, Nov. 25, • Benjamin Sudakov 2005 Centre for Scientific (Princeton University): Computing - a PIMS/MITACS • Ozgur Yilmaz (UBC): The Probabilistic Reasoning and Event at SFU Role of Sparsity in Blind Ramsey Theory, April 29, Source Separation, Nov. 25, 2005 The 2005-06 speakers were: 2005 • R. Sujatha (Tata Institute): • Robert Beardmore (Imperial • Wayne Hayes (University Birational Geometry and College of Mathematics of California, Irvine): From Localisation, April 18, 2005 London): Invariant Manifolds in Difference-Algebraic Butterflies to Galaxies: • Boris Kunyavskii (Bar-Ilan Equations-the Discrete Reliable Simulation of University): Characterization DAEs, April 8, 2005 Chaotic Systems, Dec. 7, of Radicals in Finite 2005 Dimensional Lie Algebras • Mohamad Sawan (Ecole • David L. George (University and Finite Groups, April 15, Polytechnique de Montreal): of Washington): Finite 2005 Advanced Techniques to Build Smart Implantable Volume Methods and
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Adaptive Refinement for Oct. 6, 2005 Wavelets, July 18, 2006 SFU Tsunami Propagation, Jan. 13, • Paul Gustafson (UBC): The • Robert Calderbank (Princeton 2006 Application of Bayesian University): Heisenberg-Weyl • Traian Pirvu (UBC): Methods to the Problem Groups and their Applications Maximizing Portfolio Growth of Analyzing Data Where to Sequence Design, July 18, Rate under Risk Constraints, the Data Quality or the 2006 SFU Jan. 20, 200 Assumptions About the Study Design are Questionable, Oct. • Michael Ward (UBC): The AMI-PIMS Joint Distinguished 6, 2005 Stability of Localized Stripes Lecture on Scientific Computing for Some Reaction-Diffusion • A. John Petkau (UBC): Case 2006 Alberta Systems, Jan. 27, 2006 Studies in Statistical Science: • Jinchao Xu (Pennsylvania Neutralizing Antibodies and • Xiao-Wen Chang (McGill State University): An the Effiacy of Interferon University): Solving Integer Integrated Study of Beta-1b in Multiple Sclerosis Least Squares Problems, Feb. Discretization, Adaptivity and Clinical Trials, Jan. 16, 2006 3, 2006 Iterative Methods for Solving • Carl James Schwarz (SFU): Partial Differential Equations, • Robert S. Laramee (VRVis Case Studies in Statistical March 24, 2006 Research Centre GmbH, Science: One fish, two fish, Austria): Interactive Flow red fish, blue fish: How can Visualization Based on Representation Theory Seminar we count animals? Jan. 16, Textures and Geometric • Jose Antonio de la Pena 2006 Primitives, Feb. 6, 2006 (National University Syncrude/PIMS/AMI Lecture • Boyce Griffith (Courant of Mexico): Stable Series at the University of Institute of Mathematical Representations of Quivers, Alberta Sciences): Adaptive Immersed Oct. 18, 2005 This lecture series is sponsored Boundary Methods for • Arturo Pianzola: Infinite by Syncrude, organized by PIMS Simulating Cardiac Mechanics Dimensional Lie Theory: in consultation with Syncrude, and Electrophysiology, Feb. A Galois Cohomology and hosted by the Applied 23, 2006 Perspective, July 22, 2005 Mathematics Institute (AMI) at • Ivar Ekeland (PIMS): the University of Alberta. Problems with Global PIMS-MITACS Medical The 2005-06 speakers were: Convexity Constraints, Feb. Imaging Seminar 24, 2006 • Barbara Lee Keyfitz (Fields • Urs Hafeli (UBC): Magnetic Institute and University • Philip Holmes (Princeton Drug Targeting, Nov. 29, 2005 of Houston): Hyperbolic University): Piecewise- Conservation Laws: Do We • Don Lyster (Vancouver Holonomic Mechanics, Need Proofs? Sept. 23, 2005 Hospital and Health Sciences Hybrid Dynamical Systems, Centre, UBC): Imaging and Escaping Cockroaches, • Bruno Eckhardt (Philipps- in Nuclear Medicine—Is March 17, 2006 Universitat Marburg): Chemistry Important? Nov. Transition to Turbulence in 15, 2005 UBC/SFU Joint Seminars in Shear Flows, Jan. 21, 2005 • Eduard Groeller (Vienna Statistics in Vancouver University of Technology, PIMS Distinguished Lecture The 2005-06 speakers were: Institute of Computer Series • Tim Swartz (SFU): Skew- Graphics and Algorithms): • Ingrid Daubechies (Princeton Normal Importance Samplers, Smart Visibility in Illustrative University): Introduction to Visualization, Oct. 21, 2005
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• Chris McIntosh (Simon Fraser University): Artifical-Life Models for Medical Image Analysis, Oct. 18, 2005 • Cara Fisher (UBC): Molecular Imaging with Glucose Derivatives, Oct. 4, 2005 • Steven Bergner (SFU): A Framework for SPECT Image Reconstruction Using Graphics Hardware and Software, Sept. 20, 2005 • Donald Yapp (UBC): Non- invasive Evaluation of Tumour Microenvironment Using PET and MRI in Animal Models of Cancer, March 14, 2006 • Kees van den Doel (UBC): Level Set Regulation for Highly Ill-Posed Distributed Parameter Estimation Problems, Feb. 28, 2006 • Piotr Kozlowski (UBC): Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Spectroscopy in Animal Models of Human, Jan. 17, 2006
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Industrial Activities
2005 | 06 • t h e pacific i n s t i t u t e f o r t h e mathematical s c i e n c e s a n n u a l r e p o r t 77 The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences
PIMS Industrial Activities
IMS views mathematics as a chain, connecting to the GIMMC and IPSW. PIMS Collaborative Pcore mathematics to applied and industrial Research Groups also have important industrial mathematics. PIMS works to ensure that the chain components. For example, the CRG on Inverse is strengthened through continued collaboration Problems, led by Gunther Uhlmann (U. Washington) and research between mathematicians and and Gary Margrave (U. Calgary), is organizing industry. Since 1997, PIMS has organized annual a major international summer school on Seismic Graduate Industrial Mathematics Modelling Camps Imaging and a workshop on Geophysical Inversion (GIMMC), followed by Industrial Problem Solving in the summer of 2006. Such conferences are Workshops (IPSW). These programmes provides fundamentally connected to problems in oil the necessary opportunities and infrastructure for exploration. intensive study periods in which graduate students Since 2005, PIMS has systematically built contacts are exposed to challenging industrial problems with the mining industry in B.C. and the oil industry with mathematical content. Research workers with in Alberta. PIMS has also expanded its scientific industrial and commercial concerns are invited to activities to include focused research projects in present one of their current technical problems. industrial mathematics, which combine cutting-edge Students who have gone through the GIMMC study mathematics with strategic industrial problems. In these problems in teams during the IPSW. They are particular, PIMS developing an exciting project mentored by faculty throughout, and present the on the Mathematics of Mining in collaboration results of their study to the industrial participants with its partners at CMM in Chile. PIMS will be at the end of the week. Problems come from a co-organizing an important international meeting wide variety of subject areas related to applied on this topic in Santiago in February, 2007. An and industrial mathematics, with an emphasis on international project on the mathematics of oil mathematical modelling and analysis. exploration is being developed, connecting scientists PIMS industrial activities are by no means limited in Alberta with PIMS’ partners in Mexico. i n d u s t r i a l p r o g r a m m e c o m p o n e n t s
Industrial Problem Solving Workshops are PIMS Graduate Industrial Mathematics based on the Oxford Study Group Model, in Modeling Camps have graduate students from which problems of relevant and current interest Canadian universities attend to learn various aspects to participating industrial companies are posed to of high-level techniques for solving industrial the workshop participants, by experts from those mathematics problems. The camp prepares them various industrial companies. Participating graduate for the PIMS Industrial Problem Solving Workshop students and faculty spend five days working on (IPSW), which follows the GIMMC. the problems, and the results are published. The advantages for participating students and academics Industrial workshops, mini-courses and are: summer schools are organized by PIMS • The challenge of applying one’s skills to new and researchers, with topics of interest to both industry relevant problems directly applicable to industry. and academia serve to disseminate newly developed • The opportunity for continued collaboration mathematical tools that can be of use in industry. with the workshop’s academic and industrial participants. • Helping PIMS and mathematics by demonstrating to businesses and governments the tangible benefits of supporting the mathematical sciences.
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Industrial Problem Solving Workshop
9t h p i m s i n d u s t r i a l p r o b l e m s o l v i n g w o r k s h o p (i p s w ) University of Calgary May 15-19, 2005 The 9th Annual PIMS Industrial Problem Solving Workshop (IPSW) was sponsored by PIMS, Alberta Innovation and Science, iCORE and the University of Calgary. Participants from all across Canada and the United States arrived to take part in the workshop. The event was preceded by the 8th PIMS GIMMC, where the graduate student IPSW participants had already mastered some mathematical modelling techniques under the guidance of experts. 8t h a n n u a l p i m s g r a d u a t e i n d u s t r i a l Industrial problems were presented on the morning mathematics m o d e l l i n g c a m p (g i m m c ) of May 15. During the four subsequent days, 40 University of Lethbridge students, 12 professional academics, and four May 7-11, 2005 industry representatives worked in collaboration The 8th Annual Graduate Industrial Mathematics to resolve these problems. Final presentations on Modelling Camp presents graduate students in May 19 outlined the progress achieved in all five the mathematical sciences an opportunity to learn problems. techniques of mathematical modelling under the The five problems and presenters were: supervision and guidance of experts in the field. The GIMMC was the first leg of the PIMS Industrial Donald M. Henderson (Vertebrate Morphology Mathematics Forum 2005, which also included the and Palaeontology Research Group, U. Calgary, PIMS Industrial Problem Solving Workshop (IPSW in collaboration with Royal Tyrrell Museum of 9), held at the University of Calgary on May 15-19, Palaeontology, Drumheller): Models of the mechanics 2005. and dynamics of dinosaur tails. Students worked together in teams under the The group investigated the motion and oscillations supervision of invited mentors. Each mentor posed of the tails of dinosaurs. Unlike mammals, dinosaurs a problem arising from an industrial or engineering had tails which represented a substantial fraction of application and guided his or her team of graduate their body lengths and masses. It is expected that students through a modelling phase to a resolution. At the movement of the body led to tail oscillations; the end of the workshop, reports were presented and a tail movements could be also essential for balance written summary of conclusions was made available purposes. The extreme sizes of some dinosaurs (up for distribution. to 30 tonnes in some cases) and the great range of body sizes (from a few hundred grams to many The camp was available to outstanding graduate tonnes) makes them insightful models for the study students at both the Masters and Ph.D. levels in the of locomotory dynamics in terrestrial animals. The fields of mathematics, applied mathematics, statistics, results may also differ between four-legged and two- and computer science, or related disciplines. legged dinosaurs. Organizers: Elena Braverman (University of The group developed four approaches to the Calgary), Hadi Kharaghani (University of Lethbridge) problem: the dimensional analysis of the problem, www.pims.math.ca/industrial/2005/05gimmc/ the discrete approach (representing a dinosaur’s
2005 | 06 • t h e pacific i n s t i t u t e f o r t h e mathematical s c i e n c e s a n n u a l r e p o r t 79 The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences body as a collection of “moving connected subtracted the highest peak, then proceeded to the cylindrical slices”), considered a tail as an elastic next one, etc. beam and the equal arc-length approach (which, Brad Bondy (Genus Capital Management, unlike a stiff beam, imposed only the condition that Vancouver): Adaptive statistical evaluation tools for the length of the tail be preserved). equity ranking models. Gerald K. Cole (Human Performance Laboratory A major challenge in investment management is to Faculty of Kinesiology, U. Calgary, in collaboration identify stocks that are likely to outperform in the with Biomechanigg Research Inc. which worked future. To this end, the factors which are associated with Adidas): Designing running shoes. with future out-performance (like earnings-to-price A robotic system was developed to replicate the ratio, dividend yield, etc.) are chosen; the “best” mechanics of the contact between the shoe and the factors are incorporated into a model which we use ground during human locomotion. The system has to rank our universe of stocks. These models need six degrees of freedom; the input to the system is to be adaptive, in order to avoid the risk of delaying the movement of the platform, the outputs are the introduction of a new factor until the market has force and the momentum acting on the foot over already cleaned it out. The problem for IPSW time. The purpose was to develop a method which was to recommend adaptive statistical evaluation can identify the 3-D movement path of the platform tools to dynamically update the models. Using the that is required to produce a specified time profile of genetic optimization (where the performance of force and moment acting on the foot. the portfolio is to be optimized), the constrained regression approach and an artificial Neural Using local linearization and PDE approaches, Network, the group obtained promising results considering path optimization, the problem outperforming the benchmark (especially with the solution was advanced. The group also noted that first and the second methods). irreversibility and robustness of the system should be analyzed. Brian Russell (Hampson-Russell Software, a Veritas Company, Alberta): Pierre Lemire and Rob Pinnegar (Calgary Seismic prediction of reservoir parameters. Scientific):Identification of seismic layers using classification of pixels’ local spectra. Assuming there is a set of multivariate observations (which is a set of seismic attribute values), it is The global objective of the project was to identify necessary to find an approximating function which layers in seismic pseudo-sections which is is the closest to the data in the sense of the least- crucial in oil field analysis. Under the approach squares criterion. The analysis is done for various which is currently being developed by Calgary types of data corresponding to different wells. Scientific, pixels are classified based on their local characteristics. The local spectrum of each point of Several parametric and non-parametric approaches a 2-D image is obtained by S-transform. However were suggested, among which the spline method the classification technique involved finding a outperformed the others. dominant peak in each local spectrum. This method Organizers: Elena Braverman (University of was not satisfactory, because the feature of interest Calgary), Gary Margrave (University of Calgary) does not necessarily dominate at every pixel. Thus second-largest and third-largest peaks may also be www.pims.math.ca/industrial/2005/05ipsw/ significant. The problem stated for the workshop was to find ways of identifying these secondary peaks. The development was in three directions: application of slicing methods (which works well when the local spectra is smooth), cluster analysis and a subtraction technique which identified and
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4t h a n n u a l p i m s -m i t a c s mathematical This workshop allowed industrial, academic and b i o l o g y s u m m e r w o r k s h o p governmental organizations to discuss and identify University of Alberta keys research areas in the field of (but not limited May 2-12, 2005 to) monitoring heavy oil and bitumen recovery processes, and MMV (monitoring, measurement The workshop was an activity of the PIMS and verification) in geological storage of CO . Collaborative Research Group on Mathematical 2 Ecology and Evolution. Through lectures and Organizers: Gary Margrave (University of exercises, students were introduced to various Calgary) Steve Larter, (University of Calgary) techniques of mathematical modelling of biological Phil Murray, (ARC) Ron Sawatzky, (ARC) Brent systems. Students formed project teams to Lakeman, (ARC) Jim Brookes, (MITACS) Jeff experience the modelling process. Projects were Lucas, (MITACS) chosen from a wide variety of topics, including www.mitacs.ca/main.php?mid=10000162&pid=102&eve epidemiology, population biology, cell biology and ntid=224 physiology. 35t h international s y m p o s i u m o n Organizers: PIMS Collaborative Research Group m u l t i p l e -v a l u e d l o g i c on Mathematical Ecology and Evolution. University of Calgary www.math.ualberta.ca/~mathbio/summerworkshop/2005/ May 19-21, 2005 The 35th International Symposium on Multiple- m i t a c s /p i m s n a t u r a l r e s o u r c e s Valued Logic was held at the University of Calgary w o r k s h o p on May 19-21, 2005. The keynote speakers were University of Calgary Barry Sanders (University of Calgary), “Quantum May 11-12, 2005 Fingerprinting”; Michael Frank (FAMU-FSU College of Engineering) “Approaching the Physical The MITACS/PIMS Natural Resources Workshop Limits of Computing”; and Marek Perkowski served to network individuals from industry, (Portland State University) “Hahoe KAIST government and academia who were interested in Robot Theatre: learning rules of interactive robot natural resource research; share experiences from behaviour as a multiple-valued logic synthesis industry and government participants on key issues problem.” relating to monitoring heavy oil, bitumen recovery processes and monitoring, measurement and The Symposium was preceded by the 14th verification in geological storage of CO2; establish International Workshop on Post-Binary ULSI future natural resources research priorities, and Systems. create new opportunities for research collaborations Organizers: Svetlana Yanushkevich (University between industry, government and academia. of Calgary), Claudio Moraga (University of Dortmund), Vlad Shmerko (University of Calgary), Jackie Rice (University of Lethbridge), Denis Popel (Baker University) //www.enel.ucalgary.ca/ISMVL2005/
p i m s -m i t a c s s u m m e r s c h o o l i n probability June 6-30, 2005 University of British Columbia As part of the PIMS Collaborative Research Group in Probability and Statistical Physics, organizers ran two advanced graduate courses at UBC in the summer of 2005. The lectures were given by Yuval
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Peres (University of California, Berkeley), titled Canada), Witold Kinsner (University of Manitoba), “Mixing for Markov Chains and Spin Systems,” and Kirill Kopotun (University of Manitoba), Alex Gordon Slade (UBC), titled “The Lace Expansion Leblanc (University of Manitoba) and Its Applications.” The courses were official www.umanitoba.ca/institutes/iims/caims2005.shtml courses at UBC and graduate students at universities in Western Canada received credit through the m i n i -c o u r s e i n f i n a n c i a l e c o n o m i c s : Western Deans Agreement. There were a total of 30 equilibrium m o d e l s w i t h b e l i e f s hours of lectures in each course. heterogeneity University of British Columbia Organizers: David Brydges (UBC), Ed Perkins (UBC) July 4-5, 2005 www.pims.math.ca/science/2005/ssprob/ Professor Elyes Jouini (U. Paris Dauphine) has made recent and striking progress on the problem of aggregating individual beliefs into collective c a n a d i a n a p p l i e d & i n d u s t r i a l m a t h - e m a t i c s s o c i e t y (c a i m s ) m e e t i n g 2005 expectations. This issue is in general sidestepped University of Manitoba by defining a “representative consumer.” Professor Jouini showed that going back to individual beliefs June 16-18, 2005 makes many apparent paradoxes, such as the equity th The 26 annual meeting of the Canadian Applied premium puzzle, disappear. and Industrial Mathematics Society (CAIMS) was held at the Fort Garry campus of the University There was a regular audience of 15 at the of Manitoba, Winnipeg, June 16-18, 2005. minicourse, five of whom were graduate students The meeting featured six themes: Dynamical from other PIMS sites. Systems and Mathematical Biology, Signal Organizer: Ivar Ekeland (UBC) Processing, Bioinformatics, Mathematics in www.pims.math.ca/industrial/2005/05ssfin/ Industry, Computational Mathematics, and Pattern Recognition. These themes were chosen not only to p i m s -m i t a c s -v i g r e s u m m e r g r a d u a t e reflect some of the main current research interests s c h o o l o n i n v e r s e p r o b l e m s of CAIMS•SCMAI members and the wider global University of Washington applied and industrial mathematics community, but Aug. 1-5, 2005 also to reflect and highlight the research expertise and interests of mathematical scientists within In conjunction with the PIMS Distinguished the University of Manitoba and the local research Lectures by William Symes (Rice University), the community and industry. PIMS Collaborative Research Group on Inverse Problems organized a graduate summer school There were approximately 60 speakers and 130 on inverse problems. The summer school was participants at CAIMS•SCMAI 2005. Furthermore, targeted to graduate students, postdoctoral fellows 20 graduate students and post-doctoral fellows and scientists interested in learning the subject. presented posters during the Poster Session held Six distinguished researchers each presented a concurrently with the opening night stand-up minicourse consisting of three one-hour lectures. reception. The presenters were Guillaume Bal (Columbia Organizers: Abba Gumel (University of University), Joyce McLaughlin (Rensselaer Manitoba), Rob McLeod (University of Manitoba), Polytechnic Institute), Gary Margrave (University Richard Baumgartner (Institute for Biodiagnostics, of Calgary), Plamen Stefanov (Purdue University), National Research Council Canada), Chris Bowman William Symes (Rice University), Gunther (Institute for Biodiagnostics, National Research Uhlmann (University of Washington). Council Canada), John Brewster (University Organizer: Gunther Uhlmann (University of of Manitoba), Virginie Charette (University of Washington) Manitoba), Darryl Dormuth (Atomic Energy of www.pims.math.ca/science/2005/05inverse/
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4t h international c o n f e r e n c e o n a l b e r t a c o n f e r e n c e o n i n d u s t r i a l a r t i f i c i a l i m m u n e s y s t e m s organization Banff Centre University of Calgary Aug. 14-17, 2005 October 7-8, 2005 The field of Artificial Immune Systems (AIS) is one This two-day conference on industrial organization of the more recent biologically inspired approaches featured lectures by Asdemir Kursad (University to emerge from computer science. The natural of Alberta), Curtis Eaton (University of Calgary), immune system is an adaptive learning system David Krause (Competition Bureau), John Boyce that employs many parallel and complementary (University of Calgary) and Lucia Vojtassak mechanisms for defense against foreign (University of Calgary), Pat Coe (Carleton pathogens. It is a distributed system, capable of University), and Moin Yahya (University of learning to identify previously unseen invaders Alberta). and remembering what it has learnt. Numerous The keynote lecture was delivered by Ralph Winter immune algorithms now exist, based on processes (UBC), on “Vertical Control of Inventory and identified within human immune systems. These Pricing Decisions.” computational techniques have many potential applications, such as in machine learning, pattern Organizer: Aidan Hollis (University of Calgary) recognition, fault detection, computer security, www.pims.math.ca/industrial/2005/05acio/ optimization, and distributed system design. The aims of the 4th International Conference on o p e r a t i o n s r e s e a r c h : r e a l w o r l d c h a l l e n g e s , f i r s t international s y m - Artificial Immune Systems are to strengthen AIS p o s i u m o n algorithmic o p e r a t i o n s research by exploring different immunological r e s e a r c h mechanisms, and their relation to information Simon Fraser University processing and problem solving. The conference Jan. 27, 2006 provided the leading forum for presenting and disseminating the latest work in the field of AIS, The Symposium brought together researchers, and is the only conference dedicated entirely to the practitioners, and graduate students interested in field of AIS. operations research and its applications. The day hosted an excellent list of speakers on various The main themes of the conference included applied and theoretical topics in operations research. self-nonself models, or danger theory; network models (e.g., of B-cells); clonal selection and The conference was the site of the announcement hypermutation; danger theory models; abstractions of the publication of a new scholarly journal of other immunological processes; comparisons “Algorithmic Operations Research”. The inaugural between AIS and other naturally-inspired issue of the journal was edited by John Birge and paradigms; applications of AIS; and theory of AIS. is dedicated to the memory of George B. Dantzig. Professor Birge also presented a public lecture Stephanie Forrest (University of New Mexico), a associated with the conference, “Operations pioneer in immune system computing, presented the Research: The legacy of George B. Dantzig for ICARIS 2005 Keynote Lecture. today and tomorrow”. Organizers: Jonathan Timmis (University of Speakers at the symposium included John Birge Kent), Peter Bentley (University College, London), (University of Chicago), Harvey J. Greenberg Christian Jacob (University of Calgary), Marcin (University of Colorado), Santosh Kabadi Pilat (University of Calgary), Simon Garrett (University of New Brunswick), Gilbert Laporte (University of Wales, Aberystwyth), Namrata (HEC Montreal), Katta G. Murty (University of Khemka (University of Calgary) Michigan), Maurice Queyranne (University of oak.cpsc.ucalgary.ca/ICARIS-2005/ British Columbia)
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Organizers: Binay Bhattacharya (Simon Fraser University), Lou Hafer (Simon Fraser University), Luis Goddyn (Simon Fraser University), Vadym P Kyrylov (Simon Fraser University), Snezana Mitrovic-Minic (Simon Fraser University), Abraham P. Punnen (Simon Fraser University), Kristina Rothley (Simon Fraser University) math-optima1.surrey.sfu.ca/orc/orc.htm a p p l i e d mathematics g r a d u a t e s t u d e n t c o n f e r e n c e 2006 Simon Fraser University January 28, 2006 PIMS and Simon Fraser University jointly hosted the second annual Applied Mathematics Graduate Student Colloquium. The event brought together students in Applied Mathematics from several universities and gave them the opportunity to present their research or a course project. The one-day conference was organized and run entirely by graduate students, and was well-attended by around 30 participants. The attendees were graduate and senior undergraduate students from SFU, UBC and UVic. Throughout the day, 12 interdisciplinary talks were presented by students in a variety of areas. JF Williams (SFU) presented opportunities for students at the 2006 IPSW and GIMMC, and John Stockie (SFU) discussed MITACS internships for students. Organizers: Enkeleida Lushi (SFU), and Colin Macdonald (SFU) www.math.sfu.ca/~amgsc/
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Educational Activities
2005 | 06 • t h e pacific i n s t i t u t e f o r t h e mathematical s c i e n c e s a n n u a l r e p o r t 85 The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences
Education IMS sponsors and coordinates a wide to far more than just careers in science. Many Passortment of educational activities targeting different and exciting fields in industry are K-12 students and teachers, as well as undergraduate eager to recruit people who are well prepared in and graduate students, women, and minorities. Many mathematics. of PIMS’ best research scientists are involved in • Narrowing of the historical gap that exists these activities. between men, women and minorities, and their interest in mathematics. We believe that this g o a l s o f o u r e d u c a t i o n p r o g r a m m e : historic lack of interest is because some of these • Promotion of public awareness of the groups have never had access to mathematics in importance of mathematics in the world challenging and appropriate ways most likely around us. PIMS wants young people to see make a difference. that mathematics is a subject that opens doors
Educational Outreach
ince its inception, PIMS has actively been involved in promoting mathematical outreach in the schools Sof Alberta and British Columbia. They involve students, teachers and parents, and seek to convey the excitement of discovery learning that underlies mathematics and its applications. The following is a list of some of the major outreach activities that are currently organized by PIMS.
K-12 Education Activities m a t h m a n i a ath Mania is a popular alternative math Meducation event that has been presented in elementary schools across British Columbia, with its origins in Victoria in 1997. Three to four Math Mania events are held every year. The event is particularly suited to students in grades 2-5. Math Mania is free and open to the public. All students, parents and teachers in the host school are encouraged to attend. Parents involved in home schooling are also encouraged to come along with their children. Each event usually attracts over 200 participants. and their parents fun ways of learning both math Math Mania presents a variety of interactive and computer science concepts. demonstrations, puzzles, games and art such as Math Mania is run by volunteers, ranging from soap bubbles, ‘get your goat’ (Monty Hall game), undergraduate and graduate students to faculty the penny game, the Set Game, the ‘Game of 24’, and staff. Volunteering in Math Mania is a good kaleidoscopes and hexaflexagons, Nim, Tower of exercise in peer instruction and also can serve as a Hanoi, the amazing sorting network and a number recruiting tool to bring good students into the PIMS of other mathematical puzzles and paradoxes. These Universities, and hopefully, some of them into activities are designed to demonstrate to children mathematics.
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The Math Mania events in 2005-06 were: place on Saturdays over 17 weeks, for 90 minutes • October 07, 2005 - Sk’elep School of of instruction. The programme, based on the Excellence, Kamloops Singapore Grade 6 mathematics programme with modifications, is intended for all students in grades • November 03, 2005 - Willows Elementary, 5-8. The goal is to ensure that the students develop Victoria mathematical competence by learning new math • January 26, 2006 - Cedar Hill Middle School, skills and practicing the math skills that the students Victoria have learned. • March 21, 2006 - Rogers Elementary, Victoria
• March 28, 2006 - Gifted Children Association c o n t e s t f o r e p s i l o n s of BC, Victoria University of Victoria www.pims.math.ca/mathmania/ April 29, 2005 m a t h p r o b l e m -s o l v i n g w o r k s h o p s The third annual Contest for Epsilons was held on In 2005, PIMS began a collaborative effort with April 29, 2005. The half-day competition, with 200 the UBC Mathematics Department and their students in grades 6-8, was organized and run by the Math Workshops Course (Math 414), in finding UVic Math and Stats Course Union (MASCU). and coordinating volunteers for math problem- solving workshops at schools throughout the The event consists of written tests and also several Lower Mainland. The workshops aim to excite mini-lectures given by MASCU students and students about mathematics by exposing them to departmental members. PIMS helped coordinate challenging math problems taught by interesting the event by giving logistical support. Prizes were mathematicians. About 70 workshops are held each awarded to the top three competitors in each grade. year. www.math.uvic.ca/~mascu/Events/Epsilon/epsilon.html m a t h c l i c k w o r k s h o p s b c s c i e n c e f a i r August 24, 2005 University of British Columbia MathClick workshops are full-day mathematics April 7-9, 2005 immersions experiential events for students in grades 5-7. They are not only for mathematically c a n a d a w i d e s c i e n c e f a i r talented children; the main intention is to awaken University of British Columbia all children’s latent talent and interest by showing May 15–22, 2005. them that mathematics can be also playful and intriguing. Students in these workshops become PIMS held two presentation workshops for grades engaged in genuine mathematical inquiry in a very 7-9 students attending the BC Science Fair and encouraging environment that promotes ample the Canada Wise Science Fair. The workshops opportunity for success. Klaus Hoechsmann (PIMS took place on April 8 and May 16. Mark Maclean Education Facilitator) and one of the workshop (Science One, UBC) ran Bubbles and Topology instructors coauthored the mathematical content for sessions. Maple: Where Mathematics Meets the workshop programme. Technology sessions were presented by Veselin Jungic and Mohammad Ali Ebrahimi. At the The workshops are taught by Edel Vo and Natasa regional science fair, PIMS presented awards in the Sirotic from Collingwood School, and assisted by mathematical sciences division. For the Best Pure Wendy Dorn from the Burnable School District. Math project, Elizabeth Du (Churchill) received a Students received certificates of participation. cash prize of $100. In the Applied Math section, Jennifer Loong (York House) and Gary Hou (Robert m a t h c i r c l e s A. McMath) received prizes of $200 and $100, The Math Circles Coaching Programme is a follow- respectively. up to the MathClick workshops. MathCircles takes
2005 | 06 • t h e pacific i n s t i t u t e f o r t h e mathematical s c i e n c e s a n n u a l r e p o r t 87 The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences fo r e v e r a n n u a l m a t h e x h i b i t i o n f a m e nine contestants ahead of him or her. The dueling 2005 consists of answering math questions against the Victoria clock and sounding a buzzer. May 17, 2005 www.pims.math.ca/The_news/Latest_News/ ELMACON_2005 FAME 2005 was held at S.J. Willis Auditorium. There were 10 senior entries, five middle school entries, and 22 elementary, from a total of 69 2005 mathematical o l y m p i a d students. The six schools involved were: Lambrick Mérida, Mexico Park (10 entries), Arbutus (three entries), Hillcrest July 8-19, 2005 (10 entries), Frank Hobbs (12 entries), Campus Canadian high school students won one gold medal, View (one entry) and Craigflower (one entry). There two silver medals, and two bronze medals at the 46th were 12 distinction awards, given out to projects International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO), held with a score greater than 90 percent. in Mérida, Mexico. The team attended a special • Elementary: Hillcrest (2), Campus View (1), IMO Training Camp at the University of Calgary Frank Hobbs (3). from June 25–28, 2005, before moving to BIRS • Middle School: Arbutus (2), Hillcrest (1). to train until July 9, 2005. The six members of the 2005 Canadian IMO team were selected from • Senior: Lambrick Park (3). among more than 200,000 students who participated The winning schools were Frank Hobbs in local, provincial and national mathematics (elementary), Arbutus (middle) and Lambrick Park contests. The gold medal was awarded to Yufei (senior). Zhao, silver medals to Yang (Richard) Peng and Peng Shi, and bronze medals to Elyot Grant and ELMACON 2005 Donk Uk (David) Rhee. University of British Columbia The Canadian team placed 19th out of 91 competing April 30, 2005 countries, with a score of 132. Since 1981, The 7th Annual PIMS Elementary Grades Math Canadian students have received a total of 16 gold, Contest (ELMACON) was the most successful 29 silver, and 57 bronze medals. to date, with a record-breaking 300 students www.cms.math.ca/Olympiads/ participating.
ELMACON 2005 was combined with a Math 2005 e s s o -c m s -p i m s m a t h c a m p Mania event, involving methods of teaching Simon Fraser University mathematics and computer science concepts to June 27-30, 2005 children and their parents through games and The ESSO–CMS–PIMS Math Camps are hands-on activities. ELMACON is open to Lower designed to provide high-school students, who Mainland students in grades 5-7, giving them a have demonstrated a talent for mathematics, with chance to experience mathematics as an exciting a variety of enrichment activities in a fun and sport. rewarding environment. ELMACON consists of three rounds starting In 2005, 35 participants were selected out of a with the written component, the Sprint and Target record 90 applications. The students attended rounds. The top 10 students in each grade go on exciting talks and problem solving sessions. For to the Countdown round where contestants ‘duel’ the first time, their teachers were also invited to a against each other. It starts with the 9th and 10th special talk and an afternoon reception. ranking contestants, and the winner of that contest goes on to ‘duel’ the 8th place holder. The contestant Organizer: Malgorzata Dubiel (SFU) th who is ranked 10 after the first two rounds has www.cecm.sfu.ca/~lisonek/MathCamp.htm the potential of winning the contest by beating the
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First Nations Outreach
PIMS Collaborations w i t h Fi r s t Na- Me n t o r s h i p p r o g r a m m e s t i o n s Co m m u n i t i e s i n Br i t i s h Co l u m b i a PIMS has developed mentorship programmes, where PIMS has formed a partnership with the First faculty and students from local universities can be Nations Education Steering Committee (FNESC) in paired with school teachers to assist in the teachers’ British Columbia. On May 26–27, 2005, FNESC and First Nations Outreach mathematical training and PIMS held a Vancouver workshop for teachers and to provide a support network. Richard Brewster at principals of First Nations elementary and secondary the Thompson Rivers University Department of schools. Mathematics and Statistics developed the initiative in Kamloops with PIMS’ support. PIMS feels that Te a c h e r -t r a i n i n g s e s s i o n s these mentorship programmes are an excellent idea, As part of its commitment to improve mathematics and have great potential to be expanded to other education in First Nations communities, PIMS regions. organized teacher-training sessions for teachers The pilot teacher training and mentorship at First Nations schools, with the participation of programmes are possible due to donations by Haig mathematicians and other highly qualified lecturers Farris (Fractal Capital Corp), Andrew and Helen with an interest in both math content and pedagogy. Wright (Willow Grove Foundation), and Ken PIMS plans to open these sessions to teachers from Spencer (co-founder & ex-CEO, CREO). several other elementary schools. As a pilot program, PIMS organized a one-week teacher-training session Mathematical Ou t r e a c h at the Sk’elep School of Excellence in Kamloops, PIMS has organized several mathematical outreach Aug. 22-26, 2005, to assist in the implementation of events at First Nations schools. We have run the math curriculum. Qualified personnel at PIMS, successful Math Mania events at several schools, and headed by Melania Alvarez-Adem, PIMS B.C. plan to expand and develop these outreach activities, Education Coordinator, provided support throughout which have the benefit of bringing together students, the school year in all matters related to mathematics. teachers and parents with mathematical scientists. PIMS has organized meetings of mathematicians and educators from Western Canada with First Nations representatives. The first meeting is planned at BIRS in June, 2006.
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Undergraduate and Graduate Educational Activities a l b e r t a c o n f e r e n c e f o r y o u n g c a n a d i a n undergraduate mathematics researchers i n mathematics c o n f e r e n c e University of Calgary Queen’s University April 9-10, 2005 July 13-17, 2005 The annual Alberta Conference for Young The 2005 Canadian Undergraduate Mathematics Researchers in Mathematics, for graduate students Conference was the largest event to date. In its 12th at Albertan universities, promoted academic year, the event was marked by 143 participants and collaboration among young researchers. By giving 85 student talks of exceptional quality. Nearly every graduate students a forum to discuss their work with province was represented, with students coming other researchers, the conference promotes progress from as far west as Victoria, B.C., and as far east as through discourse. St. John’s, Newfoundland. Many took advantage of the ample opportunities to explore different areas of Graduate students were given the opportunity to mathematics and to network with potential future present their own research, learn about the research colleagues from across the nation. being conducted by other graduate students and discuss research issues. Highlights of the conference included the four keynote speakers (and two special guests) who Thirty-three talks were presented at the conference. gave memorable talks on a vast array of subjects. Organizer: Peter David Papez (University of Students, however, were the chief focus of the Calgary) conference, and rightly so. Over 80 students gave www.pims.math.ca/science/2005/05gradcon/ talks ranging greatly in style and content; aside from pure and applied mathematics, there were m a t h i n b u d a p e s t w i t h a r t h i s t o r y : a talks in financial mathematics, physics, philosophy u n i v e r s i t y o f c a l g a r y c r e d i t t r a v e l and computer science. Both faculty and students s t u d y p r o g r a m m e commented that the quality of talks far exceeded Budapest, Hungary that of previous years, a trend that will only May 29 - July 1, 2005 continue in future years. A group of students from the University of Calgary, Organizer: Erica Blom (Queen’s University at either from the Department of Mathematics and Kingston) Statistics or from the Engineering Faculty, traveled www.pims.math.ca/science/2005/05cumc/ to Budapest, Hungary as part of a Credit Travel Study Program. The group leader was Marguerite Fenyvesi, and the instructors were Yousry Elsabrouty for AMAT 307/311 – Differential Equations, Karoly Boroczky Jr. from Hungary for MATH 311 – Linear Methods II, and Janos Szirmai with Gabriella Szigethy for ARTH 205 – Art History. Marton Naszodi was the mathematics tutorial instructor. The students all took two of the three courses offered. Organizer: Marguerite Fenyvesi (University of Calgary) www.pims.math.ca/education/2005/05budapest/ Budapest_Report.pdf
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Mathematics Educator Activities c h a n g i n g t h e c u l t u r e 2005: In the afternoon, a panel discussion on “Making mathematics f o r a l l ? the Grade: How Reliable Are Our Assessment Simon Fraser University at Harbour Centre Standards” was hosted by Melania Alvarez-Adem April 22, 2005 (PIMS), Kerry Bidder (North Island Distance Education School) and Jim Gaskill (BC Ministry of The Eighth Annual Changing the Culture Education). conference, sponsored and supported by PIMS, was held at the SFU Harbour Centre. Over the last eight The conference ended with a public lecture by Keith years, the conference has become a forum gathering Devlin (Stanford University), “The Math Instinct: schoolteachers from all levels, and faculty and The amazing mathematical abilities of animals, graduate students from colleges and universities. birds, insects, and babies, and what we can learn Participants discuss issues relating to education in from them.” Dr. Devlin discussed how most people mathematics, and work together towards improving mistakenly believe that they do not have much the teaching and image of mathematics. Over mathematical ability. Numerous studies have shown 100 participants took part in talks, workshops that practically everyone has considerable facility and discussions focusing on school mathematics with basic math, but they do not recognize that curriculums, and students’ preparation for ability. If the average person was given a math test, University Initiatives with Mathematics Educators they score poorly. But present them with the very courses, including Calculus and Mathematics for same problems in the form of a real-life activity, Elementary School Teachers. which is not viewed as “math,” and they will score The conference featured two plenary talks in the in the 95-per-cent to 100-per-cent range. Dr. Devlin morning. Secondary teachers who conducted also spoke about some of the more remarkable their graduate work at SFU, Rina Zazkis, Tanya examples of natural mathematical ability in animals, Berezovski, Calin Lucus and Natasha Sirotich, and ended by asking what, if anything, our fellow presented “Understanding Mathematical creatures have to offer that we can take into the Concepts,” and their recently conducted research math classroom. on understanding several mathematical concepts by Organizer: Malgorzata Dubiel (SFU) high school students and pre-service teachers. They www.pims.math.ca/education/2005/05ctc/ discussed their insights on students’ understanding of composition of functions, logarithms and irrational numbers, and presented pedagogical a l b e r t a c o l l e g e s mathematics ideas that may assist in shaping a more profound c o n f e r e n c e a n d t h e 5t h a n n u a l n o r t h / understanding of these mathematical concepts in s o u t h d i a l o g u e i n mathematics students. Grant MacEwan College, Edmonton The first talk was followed by a short lecture by April 29 – May 1, 2005 Philip Loewen (UBC), on “Inspiring Students in the The 2005 Alberta College Mathematics Conference Mathematics Classroom.” took place on April 29 at Grant MacEwan College Participants then took part in one of two workshops in downtown Edmonton. It was a very informative for the duration of the conference. The workshops conference about the teaching issues specific to the focused on the preparation of high school students colleges and their math course offerings. for calculus in university, especially in light of The 5th Annual North/South Dialogue was recent changes to the Math 12 and Calculus 12 sponsored by PIMS and was held on April 30 and curriculum; and on new curriculum requirements at May 1 at Grant MacEwan. The morning sessions SFU and other universities that require students to included curriculum reports while the afternoon have more mathematics courses for graduation. sessions were devoted to research talks. The
2005 | 06 • t h e pacific i n s t i t u t e f o r t h e mathematical s c i e n c e s a n n u a l r e p o r t 91 The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences keynote address was given by Leo Neufeld (U. • Representatives of the provincial ministries for Victoria) and was on “BC Common Curriculum education; and Eliminates Transfer Evaluations.” • Representatives of other groups having The joint meetings gave educators a chance a particular interest for the teaching of to meet with colleagues from Alberta’s post- mathematics: industry representatives, parents, secondary institutions to discuss research, administrators, editors, textbook writers, etc. teaching, funding, technology and other ideas of It was the intent that groups working together in common interest. The development of the dialogue the Forum would develop projects, initiatives, allowed individuals who may not normally have a and statements that will outline ways in which chance to meet, to share perspectives on research, Canadians may address these issues and concerns. curriculum, experiences and common interests of The projects, initiatives, and statements developed mathematics in Alberta. during this forum were shared widely with policy Organizers: Tiina Hohn (Grant MacEwan makers, school divisions, universities, colleges, College), David McLaughlin (Grant MacEwan parents, students, and the general public. College), Thomas Hillen (University of Alberta), The public lecture was given by Stephen Lewis Michael Lamoureux (University of Calgary) (UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for HIV/ www.artsci.macewan.ca/NorthSouthMath2005/ AIDS in Africa) on May 6, entitled “Deciphering Our World.”
2005 c a n a d i a n mathematics e d u c a t i o n Organizers: Florence Glanfield (University of f o r u m Saskatchewan), Frédéric Gourdeau (Université University of Toronto Laval), Bradd Hart (McMaster University). May 6-8, 2005 www.math.ca/Events/CMEF2005/ The 2005 Canadian Mathematics Education Forum
(CMEF2005) was organized by the Canadian p i m s e d u c a t i o n d a y 2005 Mathematics Society (CMS). The purpose of University of Victoria the invitational forum was to develop a ongoing June 1, 2005 national conversation among educators at all levels of schooling about important issues and concerns in the development and future of mathematics education in Canada. The overall theme of the 2005 Forum is “Why Teach Mathematics?” The Forum was design as a working meeting and included plenary panel sessions and talks, as well as 11 working groups. The Forum brought together 200 participants from all sectors connected to education in mathematics and from all the provinces and territories of Canada, from such groups as: • Teachers and instructors of mathematics at all levels; • Researchers in mathematics and mathematics education; Approximately 40 academics and educators, along with university and government administrators, • Consultants and education advisors; met at the University of Victoria for the first • Representatives of associations of teaching and annual PIMS Education Day on June 1, 2005. teachers of mathematics;
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• Representatives of the provincial ministries for Two keynote speakers addressed the group during Professor Morrow’s accomplishments have won education; and the morning session. George Bluman (UBC) is well him numerous accolades from colleagues and in • Representatives of other groups having known throughout North America for his passionate the media. Highlights include MATHDAY at the a particular interest for the teaching of views on mathematics and education. Professor University of Washington, coaching UW’s winning mathematics: industry representatives, parents, Bluman gave the audience a broad view of BC and math modelling teams, and the Summer Math administrators, editors, textbook writers, etc. Canadian mathematics education, both past and Institute for high-school students. Professor Morrow present, as well as numerous reasons to have hope was also a key figure in the highly regarded, NSF- It was the intent that groups working together in for the future. funded Research Experience for Undergraduates the Forum would develop projects, initiatives, initiated at UW. and statements that will outline ways in which The second keynote speaker was Hon. Ida Chong, www.pims.math.ca/education/2005/05eduprize/ Canadians may address these issues and concerns. Minister of Advanced Education for BC. Minister The projects, initiatives, and statements developed Chong recognized the importance of numeracy during this forum were shared widely with policy and mathematical literacy, and left no doubt about renaissance b a n f f : mathematics , makers, school divisions, universities, colleges, the BC government’s commitment to continue m u s i c , a r t , c u l t u r e parents, students, and the general public. improving science and technology training over the Banff International Research Station next few years. July 31 - Aug. 3, 2005 The public lecture was given by Stephen Lewis (UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for HIV/ The event included the presentation of the 2005 Renaissance Banff was the first event of this AIDS in Africa) on May 6, entitled “Deciphering PIMS Education Prizes, generously funded in 2005 size or scope in Canada devoted to mathematics Our World.” by Hugh Morris of Padre Resource Management. and the arts. It successfully brought together The awards were presented by Richard Keeler artists, mathematicians, writers and computer Organizers: Florence Glanfield (University of (Associate Vice-President Research, UVic), who scientists from Canada and internationally in a Saskatchewan), Frédéric Gourdeau (Université also spoke about each of the awardees and their highly enjoyable, stimulating and encouraging Laval), Bradd Hart (McMaster University). accomplishments. The prize winners were David atmosphere of mutual exchange and appreciation. www.math.ca/Events/CMEF2005/ Leeming (University of Victoria) and Jim Morrow The conference’s public component (the art (University of Washington). gallery and the public lecture on Coxeter) drew a capacity crowd to the Max Bell auditorium at p i m s e d u c a t i o n d a y 2005 Professor Leeming’s award recognized his decades the Banff Centre. An innovative new play was University of Victoria of service to university and high school education. sponsored that went on successfully to run as an Highlights include Math Mania, First Nations June 1, 2005 off-Broadway production in January-February of 2006. The conference brought a new appreciation to Canadian mathematicians and artists, as well as ordinary citizens of this country, just how much these disciplines have to offer each other and just how approachable and fascinating mathematical ideas can be when they are put in settings which emphasize visual and auditory appreciation. The public lecture, titled “The Man Who Saved Geometry,” was delivered by Toronto-based journalist and science writer Siobhan Roberts. The lecture was a delightful look at the life and impact of Coxeter. Ms. Roberts spent a lot of time with Coxeter during the last few years of his life and accompanied him to several conferences. The talk draws heavily from her biography The King Approximately 40 academics and educators, along Educational Initiatives and editorship of Pi in the of Infinite Space: Donald Coxeter, The Man Who with university and government administrators, Sky, the popular PIMS magazine aimed at high Saved Geometry. This public lecture was well met at the University of Victoria for the first school students. advertised around Banff and the Banff Centre. Over annual PIMS Education Day on June 1, 2005. 250 people were on hand to listen to this engaging
2005 | 06 • t h e pacific i n s t i t u t e f o r t h e mathematical s c i e n c e s a n n u a l r e p o r t 93 The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences
talk and to participate in a reception afterwards. A j u m p : s u m m e r t r a i n i n g s e s s i o n a t p i m s very important component of the conference was University of British Columbia the presentation of a lecture for the general public Aug. 31, 2005 of Banff and the fellow artists and residents of the The JUMP Summer Training Session was led by Banff Centre. This was an opportunity for a wider Laura Miggiani Hannah (National Programme audience to come and see mathematics from a Director, JUMP). Over 50 enthusiastic people cultural perspective and to visit the conference art attended the session. It was geared towards teachers exhibition. wanting to use JUMP in their classrooms during the Another important aspect of the Bridge conference 2005-06 school year. Teachers, administrators and was Bridges for Teachers; Teachers for Bridges: community members who wanted to refresh their a workshop series for teachers of all levels, from skills were also welcome to attend. elementary to college. The workshop series Junior Undiscovered Math Prodigies (JUMP) is provided many opportunities for dramatically a volunteer based charitable organization that illustrating mathematical ideas and bringing their was founded by John Mighton in 1998. Since its intuitive content to life. The math-education inception, the JUMP programme has expanded workshop at Renaissance Banff was organized by nationally. Mara Alagic (Wichita State University). Organizer: Melania Alvarez-Adem (PIMS) The conference was accompanied by a refereed and edited proceedings book that contains all the talks www.pims.math.ca/education/2005/05jump2/ (over 80) that were presented during the conference. Organizers: Ivar Ekeland (UBC), Nassif Ghoussoub (UBC), Robert Moody (University of Alberta), Christiane Rousseau (University of Montreal), Reza Sarhangi (Towson University) www.bridgesmathart.org
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Banff International Research Station (BIRS)
2005 | 06 • t h e pacific i n s t i t u t e f o r t h e mathematical s c i e n c e s a n n u a l r e p o r t 95 The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences
Banff International Research Station (BIRS)
he Banff International Research Station is BIRS is located in Corbett Ta collaborative effort between the Pacific Hall and the Max Bell Institute for the Mathematical Sciences (PIMS) Building of The Banff and the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute Centre in Banff, Alberta. (MSRI). Funding comes from the Canadian Researchers attend five- government through NSERC (grant to PIMS), the day workshops, two-day Alberta government through AIS (grant to PIMS), workshops, research in the U.S. government through NSF (grant to MSRI), teams, focused research and from MITACS. The administration of BIRS is groups and summer schools Nassif Ghoussoub, BIRS performed by PIMS. over 40 weeks of operation Scientific Director in 2005 and 44 weeks of operation in 2006.
t h e l o c a t i o n o f b i r s r e s e a r c h i n t e a m s BIRS is located in two adjacent buildings at the In addition to its ongoing workshops, the station may Banff Centre: the Max Bell building, which has host teams of two to four researchers for periods two lecture rooms and several smaller meeting and of two to four weeks. This programme will offer discussion rooms, and Corbett Hall, which will collaborating researchers from different institutions be entirely taken over by BIRS, houses the living the location and freedom from distraction to quarters for all BIRS visitors. concentrate on their research or to finish major projects. m o d e s o f o p e r a t i o n f i v e -d a y w o r k s h o p s The fundamental mode of BIRS is the five-day f o c u s e d r e s e a r c h g r o u p s workshop, which runs from Sunday morning through There will be possibilities to have research to Thursday afternoon. Each workshop is devoted collaborative groups in residence together for longer to one specific area of high research interest. Expert stays (Aspen mode) and some with other formats. A participants from around the world are invited to typical configuration has up to eight mathematicians attend, with about 40 invited to every five-day staying in residence at BIRS for two to four weeks. workshop. The objective is to exchange the latest This provides a good venue for collaborative work advances in the field and to provide an environment for teams of mathematical researchers, such as those that fosters new collaborations and new ideas, and identified and supported by NSF’s Focused Research which provides a forum for lively and vigorous Groups programme and NSERC’s Collaborative discussion for the latest theories and proposals. Research Opportunities programme. t w o -d a y w o r k s h o p s s u m m e r s c h o o l s The normal scheduling of the five-day workshops BIRS hosts some longer events (10–12 days) in leaves open two days every week (Friday and the form of research schools directed principally Saturday) that may be used for a variety of shorter towards graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. meetings such as Pacific Northwest Seminars and special events.
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The BIRS Scientific Advisory Board
• Nassif Ghoussoub (Chair) geometry, Topology, Several Differential Equations (Banff International Research Complex Variables • Alexander Razborov Station): Non-linear Analysis, • Lawrence C. Evans (Institute for Advanced Partial Differential Equations. (University of California, Study): Combinatorics, • Alejandro Adem (University Berkeley): Nonlinear PDE & Theoretical Computer of British Columbia): Calculus of Variations Science Algebraic Topology, Group • Daniel Freed (University of • Gadiel Seroussi (MSRI): Cohomology Texas at Austin): Geometry, Information Theory • Raymundo Bautista Math Physics • Gordon Slade (University (Universidad Nacional • John Friedlander (University of British Columbia): Autonoma de Mexico): of Toronto): Number Theory Probability, Statistical Representation Theory, Lie • Eyal Goren (McGill Mechanics Theory University): Arithmetic • Karen Smith (University of • Jean Bellissard (Georgia Geometry Michigan): Commutative Institute of Technology): • Arvind Gupta (MITACS): Algebras Mathematical Physics Combinatorics, Optimization • Panagiotis Souganidis • Karoly Bezdek (University and Complexity Theory (University of Texas, Austin): of Calgary): Combinatorial, • Helmut Hofer (New York Nonlinear Partial Differential Convex and Discrete University): Symplectic Equations Geometry Geometry • Douglas Stinson (University • David Brydges (University of • Gerhard Huisken (Max- of Waterloo): Computer British Columbia): Statistical Planck-Institute for Science, Cryptography Mechanics Gravitational Physics): • Elizabeth Thompson • Vladimir Chernousov Analysis and Differential (University of Washington): (University of Alberta): Geometry, Geometric Statistics Algebraic Groups Evolution Equations • Nicole Tomczak-Jaegermann • Octav Cornea (Universite • Lisa Jeffrey (University (University of Alberta): de Montreal): Algebraic/ of Toronto): Symplectic Asymptotic Geometric Symplectic Topology Geometry Analysis • Jaksa Cvitanic (California • Carlos Kenig (University of • Michael Waterman Institute of Technology): Chicago): Analysis (University of Southern Mathematical Finance • Leah Keshet (University California): Mathematical • Darrell Duffie (Stanford of British Columbia): and Computational Biology University): Mathematical Mathematical Biology • Peter Winkler (Dartmouth Economics • Thomas G. Kurtz (University College): Discrete • David Eisenbud (University of Wisconsin, Madison): Mathematics and the Theory of California, Berkeley): Statistics of Computing Commutative Algebra, • Rachel Kuske (University of • Jianhong Wu (York Algebraic Geometry, British Columbia): Applied University): Applied Computation Partial Differential Equations Mathematics, Mathematical • Ivar Ekeland (University Biology • Robert Lazarsfeld (University of British Columbia): of Michigan): Algebraic • Efim Zelmanov (University Mathematical Economics Geometry of California, San Diego): • Yakov Eliashberg (Stanford Algebra, Group Theory, Non- • Mary Pugh (University of University): Symplectic Toronto): Applied Partial associative Algebras
2005 | 06 • t h e pacific i n s t i t u t e f o r t h e mathematical s c i e n c e s a n n u a l r e p o r t 97 The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences
BIRS Calendar for 2005 – 2006
2005 Pr o g r a m m e f o r 5-Da y April 30-May 05: Micro- July 2-7: New Directions in Wo r k s h o p s and Nano-fluidic Systems PDE Descriptions Organizer: Stephen Gustafson March 12-17: Dynamics, Organizers: J. Harrison (Alberta), (UBC) Probability, and Conformal J. Santiago (Stanford), K. Jensen Invariance (MIT) July 9-14: Rigidity, Dynamics, Organizers: P. Jones (Yale), and Group Actions M. Yampolsky (Toronto), I. May 7-12: Aggregation Organizers: D. Fisher (Lehman, Binder (Toronto), S. Rohde and Disaggregation CUNY), R. Spatzier (Michigan), (Washington) Characterization and D. Witte Morris (Lethbridge) Identification of Collective March 19-24: Computational Demand July 16-21: Mathematical Fuel Cell Dynamics-III Organizers: P.A. Chiappori Biology of the Cell: Organizers: B. Wetton (UBC), K. (Chicago), I. Ekeland (UBC) Cytoskeleton and Motility Promislow (Michigan State), J. Organizers: L. Keshet (UBC), A St. Pierre (Ballard) May 14-19: Densest Packings of Mogilner (UC Davis), P. Janmey Spheres (U Penn), E. Cytrynbaum (UBC) March 26-31: Representations Organizers: K Bezdek (Calgary), of Kac-Moody Algebras and H. Cohn (Microsoft Research), July 23-28: Multimedia and Combinatorics C. Radin (Texas, Austin) Mathematics Organizers: V. Chari (UC Organizers: Robert Gray Riverside), G. Cliff (Alberta), May 21-26: Moment Maps in (Stanford), Rabab Ward (UBC) P. Littelmann (Wuppertal), N. Various Geometries Reshetikhin (UC Berkeley) Organizers: E. Lerman (Illinois July 30-Aug. 4: Renaissance UC), L. Jeffrey (Toronto), Banff: Mathematics, Music, April 2-7: Workshop in E. Meinrenken (Toronto), Y. Art, Culture Homotopical Localization and Karshon (Toronto), T. Holm (UC Organizers: R. Moody (Alberta), the Calculus of Functors Berkeley) N. Ghoussoub (UBC), C. Organizers: G. Peschke Rousseau (Montreal), R. (Alberta), K. Bauer (Calgary), R. May 28-June 2: Critical Scaling Sarhangi (Towson), J. Morrow Cohen (Stanford), H. Sadofsky for Polymers and Percolation (Banff Centre) (Oregon) Organizers: D. Brydges (UBC), J. Chayes (Microsoft Research), Aug. 20-25: Mathematical April 9-14: Complex Data G. Slade (UBC) Epidemiology Structures Organizers: P. van den Driessche Organizers: J. Stafford (Toronto), June 4-9: Mathematical Issues (Victoria), H. Hethcote (Iowa), S. J. Berger (SAMSI), M. in Molecular Dynamics Levin (Princeton) Thompson (Waterloo), N. Reid Organizers: P. Tupper (McGill), (Toronto) R. Skeel (Illinois UC) Aug. 27-Sept. 1: Topology Organizers: R. Stern (UC Irvine), April 16-21: Numerical June 11-16: Geometric and I. Hambleton (McMaster), Relativity Asymptotic Methods in Group M. Hopkins (MIT), M. Kreck Organizers: R. LeVeque Theory (Heidelberg) (Washington), M. Choptuik Organizers: A. Rhemtulla (UBC), L. Lehner (Louisiana (Alberta), M. Sapir (Vanderbilt), Sept. 3-8: Workshop on State), D. Arnold (Minnesota), E. R. Grigorchuk (Texas A&M), A. Analytic and Algebraic Tadmor (Maryland) Olshanskiy (Vanderbilt), D. Wise Methods in Complex and CR (McGill) Geometry April 23-28: Applications of Organizers: J. Bland (Toronto), Torsors to Galois Cohomology June 18-23: Combinatorial Y.T. Siu (Harvard), J. Kohn and Lie Theory Game Theory Workshop (Princeton), L. Lempert Organizers: A. Pianzola Organizers: R. Nowakowski (Purdue), J. D’Angelo (Illinois (Alberta), V. Chernousov (Dalhousie), E. Berlekamp (UC UC) (Alberta), S. KuMarch (North Berkeley), M. Muller (Alberta), Carolina), D. Harari (ENS Paris) D. Wolf (Gustavus Adolphus)
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Sept. 10-15: Interactions (Montreal), Renée Bergeron Dec. 10-15: Regulators II Between Noncommutative (Laval), Jérôme del Castillo Organizers: J. Lewis (Alberta), Algebra and Agebraic (Montreal), Jun Li (Montreal), V. Snaith (Southampton) Geometry Jeff Lucas (MITACS), Fahima Organizers: C. Ingalls (New Nekka (Montreal), Don 2005 Pr o g r a m m e f o r Brunswick), M. Artin (MIT), Schaffner (Rutgers) Fo c u s e d Re s e a r c h Gr o u p s Z. Reichstein (UBC), L. Small (FRG), Re s e a r c h i n Te a m s (UC, San Diego), J. Zhang Oct. 22-27: Visco-plastic Fluids: (RIT), Su m m e r Sc h o o l s (SS) (Washington) from Theory to Application a n d 2-Da y Wo r k s h o p s Organizers: I. Frigaard (UBC), Sept. 17-22: Order, Disorder, N. Balmforth (UC, Santa Cruz) March 12-26: Analysis, and Transport: Recent Computations and Advances in Schrodinger Oct. 29-Nov. 3: Probabilistic Experiments on Pinch-Off in Operator Theory Combinatorics: Recent Liquid Jets (FRG) Organizers: P. Hislop Progress and New Frontiers Organizers: Huaxiong Huang (Kentucky), R. Froese (UBC), V. Organizers: B. Sudakov (York), Robert Muira (New Jaksic (McGill), A. Klein (UC, (Princeton), N. Alon (Tel Aviv), Jersey Institute of Technology), Irvine) B. Redd (McGill), V. Vu (UC, Demetrius Papageorgiou (New San Diego) Jersey Institute of Technology), Sept. 24-29: Time-frequency Michael Siegel (New Jersey Analysis and Nonstationary Nov. 5-10: Number Theory Institute of Technology) Filtering Inspired by Cryptography Organizers: G. Margrave Organizers: D. Boyd (UBC), March 17-19: Second (Calgary), H. Feichtinger C. Pomerance (Dartmouth), I. Northwest Functional Analysis (Vienna), K. Groechenig Shparlinski (Macquarie), H. Symposium (2-Day Workshop) (Connecticut), M. Lamoureux Williams (Calgary) Organizers: Doug Farenick (Calgary) (Regina), Marcelo Laca Nov. 12-17: Homotopy Theory (Victoria), Michael Lamoureux Oct. 1-6: Challenges in Linear and Group Actions (Calgary), Volker Runde and Polynomial Algebra Organizers: Alejandro Adem (Alberta) in Symbolic Computation (UBC), William Dwyer (Notre Software Dame), Richard Kane (Western April 16-30: The Local Index Organizers: E. Kaltofen (North Ontario), Clarence Wilkerson Theorem in Noncommutative Carolina State), W. Decker (Purdue) Geometry (FRG) (Saarlandes), K. Geddes Organizers: Nigel Higson (Waterloo), S. Watt (Western Nov. 17-22: Flavors of Groups (Pennsylvania State), John Ontario) Organizers: Mladen Bestvina Phillips (University of Victoria) (Utah), Jeffrey Brock (Brown), Oct. 8-13: Progress in Algebraic Jon Carlson (Georgia), Persi April 21-23: Math Fair Geometry Inspired by Physics Diaconis (Stanford), Hugo Rossi Workshops (2-Day Workshop) Organizers: M. Thaddeus (MSRI) Organizers: Ted Lewis (Columbia), J. Bryan (UBC), R (University of Alberta), Lee Vakil (Stanford) Nov. 26-Dec. 1: Canada-Chile Grimard (Alberta) Meeting on the Mathematics Oct. 16-19: Growth and of Economic Geography and April 30 - May 14: Speciality of Control of Tumours Natural Resource Management Malcev Algebras (RIT) Organizers: Jeff Lucas Organizers: Ivar Ekeland (UBC), Organizers: Murray Bremnar (MITACS), Michael Mackey Alejandro Jofré (CMM) (Saskatchewan), Irvin Hentzel (McGill), Chris Sander (Sloan (Iowa State) Kettering), Siv Sivaloganathan Dec. 3-8: Recent Advances (Waterloo), Kristin Swanson in Symplectic Geometry - April 30 - May 14: Random (Washington), Jack Tuszynski Celebrating Dusa McDuff’s Matrices, Multi-Orthogonal (Alberta) 60th Birthday Polynomials and Riemann- Organizers: Yakov Eliashberg Hiebert Problems (RIT) Oct. 19-22: Therapeutic (Stanford), Helmut Hofer Organizer: John Harnard Efficacy in Population (NYU), John Milnor (SUNY at (Concordia) Veterinary Medicine Stony Brook), Dietmar Salamon Organizers: Jacques Belair (ETH Zurich)
2005 | 06 • t h e pacific i n s t i t u t e f o r t h e mathematical s c i e n c e s a n n u a l r e p o r t 99 The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences
May 12-14: The Dark Side July 14-16: Cascade Topology Aug. 25-Sept. 3: Symmetries of of Extra Dimensions (2-Day Seminar Melling Spring 2005 External Conformal Mappings Workshop) (2-Day Workshop) (RIT) Organizers: Valeri Frolov Organizers: George Peschke Organizers: Oliver Roth (Alberta), Lee Grimard (Alberta), Laura Scull (UBC) (University of Wuerzburg), Eric (University of Alberta) Schippers (Manitoba) July 16-30: Topological May 19-21: Convex and Methods of Aperiodic Tilings Sept. 15-17: West Coast Abstract Polytopes (2-Day (FRG) Operator Algebras Seminar Workshop) Organizers: Johannes Kellendonk 2005 (2-Day Workshop) Organizers: Ted Bisztriczky (Universite Claude Bernard Organizers: Anthony To-Ming (Calgary), Egon Schulte Lyon I), Ian Putnam (Victoria), Lau (Alberta), Volker Runde (Northeastern University), Asis Lorenzo Sadun (Texas) (Alberta) Weiss (York) July 21-23: Connecting Women Sept. 29-Oct. 1: Alberta May 21-June 4: Affinizations of in Mathematics Across Canada Postsecondary Curriculum Extended Affine Lie Algebras II (2-Day Workshop) Conference II (2-Day (RIT) Organizers: Gerda de Vries Workshop) Organizers: Bruce Allison (Alberta), Malgorzata Dubiel Organizer: Jack Macki (Alberta) (Alberta), Stephan Berman (SFU), Rachel Kuske (UBC), (Saskatchewan), Artus Pianzola Judith McDonald (Washington Oct. 1-15: Arthmetic (Alberta) State) Applications of Theta Functions (RIT) May 28-June 11: Influenza Aug. 6-13: Hyperbolic Organizers: Christopher Skinner Dynamics Models and Data Geometry and Quasiconformal (Michigan), Vinayak Vatsal (FRG) Mappings (FRG) (UBC) Organizers: Jonathan Dushoff Organizers: Petra Bonfert-Taylor (Princeton), David Eain (Wesleyan), Martin Bridgeman Oct. 13-16: Pacific Rim (McMaster), Joshua Plotkin (Boston College), Richard Mathematical Forum (2-Day (Harvard) Canary (Michigan), Garan Workshop) Martin (University of Auckland), Organizers: Alejandro Adem June 9-11: Meeting of Canadian Richard Schwartz (Maryland), (UBC), David Eisenbud (UC CS Chairs-CACS/AIC (2-Day Edward Taylor (Wesleyan) Berkeley), Ivar Ekeland (UBC) Workshop) Organizers: Ken Barker Aug. 6-20: Computing the Nov. 3-5: The Kneser-Poulsen (Calgary), Gord McCalla Continuous Discretely: Conjecture (2-Day Workshop) (Saskatchewan) Integer Point Enumeration Organizers: Karoly Bezack in Polyhedra S2 Convex and (Calgary), Robert Connelly June 11-18: Hyperplane Discrete Geometry (SS) (Cornell) Arrangements: Cohomology Organizers: Matthias Beck (San and Rational Homotopy (FRG) Franscio State University), 2006 Pr o g r a m m e f o r 5-Da y Organizers: Graham Denham Sinai Robins (Temple), Hugo Wo r k s h o p s (Western Ontario), Alexandru Rossi (Mathematical Sciences Suar (Northeastern) Research Insitute) Feb. 11-16: Frontiers in String Theory June 25-July 1: PIMS Summer Aug. 20-27: Hamiltonian Organizers: Brian Greene School: BREAD Summer Systems with Symmetry (RIT) (Columbia), Hirosi Ooguri School in Development Organizer: George Patrick (California Institute of Economics (SS) (Saskatchewan) Technology), Amanda Peet Organizers: Siwan Anderson (Toronto), Gordon Semenoff (UBC), Esther Dufes Aug. 21-Sept. 3: (UBC) (Massachusetts Institute Cohomogeneity Three Actions of Technology), Sendhil on Spheres (RIT) Feb. 18-23: Advances in Mullainathan (Harvard) Organizers: Jill McGowan Computational Scattering (Howard), Catherine Searle Organizers: David Nicholls June 28- July 9: 2005 Summer (IMATE-UNAM Unidad (University of Illinois at IMO Training Group (SS) Cuernavaca) Chicago), Nilima Nigam Organizer: Bill Sands (Calgary) (McGill), Fernado Reitich (Minnesota)
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March 4-9: Convex Sets and George Elliot (Toronto), Masoud May 20-25: Optimization their Applications Khalkhali (University of Problems in Financial Organizers: Ted Bioztriczky Western Ontario), Boris Tsygan Economics (Calgary), Paul Goodey (Northwestern University) Organizers: Jaksa Cvitanic (Oklahoma), Peter Gritzmann (California Institute of (Technische Universitat April 15-20: Nonlinear Technology), Ali Laziak (UBC), Munchen), Martin Henk Diffusions: Entropies, Nizau Touzi (ENSAE Paris) (University of Magdeburg), Asymptotic Behavior and David Laiman (University Applications May 27-June 1: Interfacial College London) Organizers: Eric Carlen (Georgia Dynamics in Complex Fluids Institute of Technology), Jose Organizers: James J. Feng March 11-16: Coarsely Antonio Carrillo (ICREA), Jean (UBC), Chun Lew (Penn State) Quantized Redundant Dolbeault (University of Paris Representations of Signals Dauphine), Peter A. Markowich June 3-8: Modular Forms and Organizers: Sinan Gunturk (University of Vienna), Robert J. String Duality (Courant Institute of McCann (University of Toronto) Organizers: Charles Doran Mathematical Sciences), Thao (Washington), Helena Verrill Nguyen (City College, CUNY), April 22-27: Schrodinger (Louisiana State), Noriko Yui Alex Powell (Vanderbilt), Ozgur Evolution Equations (Queen’s University) Yulmaz (UBC) Organizers: James Colliander (Toronto), Jared Wunsch June 10-15: Evolutionary Game March 18-23: Reaction- (Northwestern University) Dynamics Diffusion and Free Boundary Organizers: Ross Cressman Problems April 29-May 4: Analytic (Wilfrid Laurier), Karl Sigmund Organizers: Peter Constantin and Geometric Theories (University of Vienna), Christine (Chicago), Francois Hamel of Holomorphic and CR Taylor (Harvard) (Universite Paul Sabatier Mappings Toulouse III), Lenya Ryzhik Organizers: Herve Gaussier June 17-22: First Nations: (Chicago), (University of Provence), Kang- Mathematics and Science Tae Kim (Pohang Institute of Organizers: Melania Alvarez March 25-30: Exploring the Science and Technology, Korea), (PIMS), Kelly Kitchen (FNESC) Frontiers of Dynamic Nuclear Steven G. Krantz (Washington Medicine Imaging for Medical University in St. Louis), Finnur June 17-22: Creative Writing and Molecular Applications Lauisson (University of Western in Mathematics and Science Organizers: Anna Celler (UBC, Ontario), Junjus Noguchi Education Vancouver Coastal Health (University of Toyko) Organizers: Chandler Davis Research Institute), Grant (Toronto), The Writing and Gullberg (E.O. Lawrence May 6-11: Forests, Fires and Publishing Department (The Berkeley National Laboratory), Stochastic Modelling Banff Centre), Marjorie Senechal Michael King (University of Organizers: W. John Braun (Smith College), Jan Zwicky Massachusetts Medical School), (University of Western Ontario), (Victoria) Manfred Trummer (SFU) Charmaine Dean (SFU), Fangliang He (Alberta), David June 24-29: Statistics at the April 1-6: Recent Trends in Martell (Toronto), Haiganoush Frontiers of Science Higher Dimensional Geometry Preisler (USDA Forest Service) Organizers: David Brillinger Organizers: Xi Chen (Alberta), (UC Berkeley), Gemai Chen Alessio Corti (University of May 13-18: Analytic Methods (Calgary), Jianqung Fan Cambridge), Colin Ingalls for Diophantine Equations (Princeton University), June Liu (University of New Brunswick), Organizers: Michael Bennett (Harvard), Jim Ramsay (McGill), Sandor Kovacs (University of (UBC), Chantal David Keith Worsely (McGill) Washington), James McKernan (Concordia), William Duke (UC (UC Santa Barbara), Miles Reid Los Angeles), Andrew Granville July 8-13: Computational and (University of Warwick) (Universite de Montreal), Yuri Statistical Geomics Tschinkel (Courant Institute Organizers: Jennifer Bryan April 8-13: Noncommutative NYU and University of (UBC), Sandrine Dudoit (UC Geometry Goettingen) Berkeley), Sunduz Keles Organizers: Alain Connes (Wisconsin-Madison), Katherine (College de France), Joachim S. Pollard (UC Davis), Mark Van Cuntz (University of Muenster), Der Laan (UC Berkeley)
2005 | 06 • t h e pacific i n s t i t u t e f o r t h e mathematical s c i e n c e s a n n u a l r e p o r t 101 The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences
July 15-20: Statistical Inference Sept. 2-7: Algebraic Groups, Oct. 14-19: Syzygies and Problems in High Energy Quadratic Forms, and Related Hilbert Functions Physics and Astronomy Topics Organizers: Irena Peera Organizers: James Linnemann Organizers: Vladimer (Cornell), Michael Stillman (Michigan State), Louis Lyons Chernousov (Alberta), Richard (Cornell) (Oxford), Nancy Reid (Toronto) Elman (UC Los Angeles), Alexander Merkurjev (UC Los Oct. 21-26: Topological Graph July 22-27: Moduli Spaces and Angeles), Jan Minac (Western Theory and Crossing Numbers Combinatorics Ontario), Zinovy Revchstein Organizers: Bojan Mohar (SFU), Organizers: Jim Bryan (UBC), (UBC) Janos Pach (Courant Institute Richard Kenyon (UBC), Andrei and City College), Bruce Richter Okounkov (UC, Berkeley), Sept. 9-14: Evolution of (Waterloo), Robin Thomas Rahul Dandharipande (Princeton Microscopic and Macroscopic (Georgia Institute of Technology) University) Fields Carsten Thomassen (Technical Organizers: Juerg Froehlich University of Denmark) July 29-Aug. 3: Spin, Charge, (Swiss Institute of Technology and Topology in Low Zurich ETH), Israel Michael Oct. 28-Nov. 2: Hyperbolic Dimensions Signal (Toronto), Avy Soffer Systems of Conservation Laws Organizers: Valeri Frolov (Rutgers), Michael Weinstein and Related Problems (Alberta), George Sawatzky (Columbia) Organizers: Gui-Qiang Chen (UBC), Boris Spivak (Northwestern), Walter Craig (Washington), Philip Stamp Sept. 16-21: Topics on von (McMaster), Constantine (UBC), William Unruh (UBC), Neumann Algebras Dafermos (Brown), Konstantina Shoucheng Zhang (Stanford) Organizers: Juliana Erlyiman Trivisa (Maryland) (Regina), Hans Wenzel (UC San Aug. 5-10: Measurable Diego) Nov. 4-9: Random Media Dynamics, Theory and Organizers: Martin Burlow Applications Sept. 23-28: Women in (UBC), Erivin Bolthausen Organizers: Chris Bose Mathematics (Univerisitat Zurich), Alain-Sol (Victoria), Parvel Gora Organizers: Gerda de Vries Sznitman (ETH-Zurich) (Concordia), Brian Hunt (Alberta), Malgorzata Dubiel (Maryland), Anthony Quas (SFU), Clara Garza-Hume Nov. 11-16: Optimization and (Victoria) (UNAM), Barbara Lee Keyfitz Engineering Applications (Fields Institute and University Organizers: Jiming Peng Aug. 12-17: Geometric and of Houston), Rachel Kuske (McMaster), Tamas Terlaky Nonlinear Analysis (UBC), Marni Mishna (SFU), (McMaster), Robert Vanderbei Organizers: Matthew Gursky Helen Moore (Stanford) (Princeton), Henry Wolkowioz (University of Notre Dame), (Waterloo), Yunyu Ye (Stanford) Emmanuel Debey (Universite de Sept. 30-Oct. 5: Mathematical Cergy-Pontoise), Frederic Robert Methods in Computer Vision Nov. 18-23: Polynomials over (Universite de Nice-Sophia Organizers: Dana Cobzas Finite Fields and Applications Antipolis) (INRIA Rhone-Alpes), Anders Organizers: Ian Blake (Toronto), Heyden (Malmo University, Stephen Cohen (Glasgow), Gary Aug. 19-24: Inverse Problems Sweden), Martin Jagersand Mullen (Pennsylvania State), and Applications (Alberta), Jim Little (UBC), Daniel Panario (Carleton) Organizers: Gary Margrave Peter Strum (INRIA Rhone- (Calgary), Gunther Uhlmann Alpes), Bill Triggs (GRAVIR- Nov. 25-29: Modelling (Washington) CNRS-INRIA), Steve Zucker and Mining of Networked (Yale) Information Spaces – MITACS Aug. 26-Aug. 31: Recent Organizers: William Aiello Advances in Computational Oct. 7-12: Positive Polynomials (UBC), Andrei Broder (Yahoo Complexity and Optimization Inc), Jeannette Janssen Organizers: Stephen Cook Organizers: Salma Kuhlmann (Dalhousie), Evangelos Milios (Toronto), Arvind Gupta (SFU), (Saskatchewan), Sanjay Lure (Dalhousie) Russell Impagliazzo (UC San (Stanford), Victoria Powers Diego), Valentine Kalanets (Emory), Frank Sottile (Texas Dec. 2-7: Operator Methods in (SFU), Madhu Sudan (MIT), Avi A&M) Fractal Analysis, Wavelets and Wigderson (Princeton) Dynamical Systems Organizers: Ola Bratteli
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(University of Oslo), Palle April 22-May 6: Random July 29-Aug. 5: Threshold Jorgensen (University of Iowa), Sorting Processes (FRG) Dynamics, with Applications David Kribs (University of Organizers: Omer Angel (UBC), to Image Processing and Guelph), Gestur Olafsson Alexander Holroyd (UBC), Dan Computer Vision (RIT) (Louisiana State University), Romik (UC Berkeley), Balint Organizer: Steven Ruuth (SFU) Sergei Silvestrov (Lund Virag (Toronto) University) Aug. 5-12: The Path Partition May 6-20: Infinited Dimensional Conjecture for Orientated Dec. 9-14: Numerical Methods Lie Algebras and Local Von Graphs (RIT) for Degenerate Elliptic Neumann Algebras in CFT Organizers: Jean Dunbar Equations and Applications (FRG) (Converse College), Marietjie Organizers: Doron Levy (Stanford Organizers: Victor Kac (MIT), Frick (University of South University), Ian Mitchell Roberto Longo (University of Africa), Ortrud Oellermarn (University of British Columbia), Rome Tor Veigata) (Winnipeg), Susan van Aardt Adam Oberman (Simon (University of South Africa) Fraser University), Panagiotis May 20-27: Curvature and Souganidis (University of Texas, Instability of Flows of Ideal Aug. 12-19: Statistical Models Austin) Incompressible Fluid (RIT) for the Study of Science Teacher Organizer: Alexander Shnirelman OTL in Canada (FRG) 2006 Pr o g r a m m e f o r (Concordia) Organizers: Richard Houang Fo c u s e d Re s e a r c h Gr o u p s (Michigan State), Hsing Chi A. (FRG), Re s e a r c h i n Te a m s May 27-June 3: Mathematical Wang (Calgary), Richard Wolfe (RIT), Su m m e r Sc h o o l s (SS) and Computational Approaches (OISE, Toronto) a n d 2-Da y Wo r k s h o p s to Linguistic Phylogeny (FRG) Organizer: Steve Evans (UC Aug. 19-26: The Topology of Feb. 11-25: Saari’s Conjectures Berkeley) Hyperkahler Quotients (RIT) (RIT) Organizers: Megumi Haiada Organizers: Florin Diacu June 10-17: Complex (Toronto), Greg Landweber (Victoria), Ernesto Perez (UAM-I, Arrangements: Algebra, (Oregon), Graeme Wilkin Mexico), Manuela Santoprete Geometry, Topology (FRG) (Brown) (UC Irvine) Organizers: Hal Schenk (Texas A&M), Sergery Yuzvinsky Aug. 19-26: Exact Primal- March 4-18: Partial (Oregon) Dual Regularization of Linear Unconditionality in Banach Programs (RIT) Spaces (RIT) June 24-July 1: A Dynamical Organizers: Michael Friedlander Organizer: Thomas Schlumprecht Approach to Rigidity of (UBC), Dominique Oilan (Ecole (Texas A&M) Automorphism (RIT) Polytechnique Montreal) Organizers: Alex Fruman March 18-25: Multi-Parameter (University of Illinois, Chicago), Aug. 26-Sept. 4: Generalized Nehari Theorems (RIT) Barak Weiss (Ben Gurion Harish-Chandra Modules of Organizers: Michael Lacey University) gl(∞) (RIT) (Georgia Institute of Technology), Organizers: Ivan Dimitrov Stefanie Petermiche (University July 1-6: PIMS/UNAM Algebra (Queen’s), Ivan Penkov (UC of Texas at Austin), Brett Wick Summer School (SS) Riverside), Gregg Zuckerman (Vanderbilt) Organizers: Alejandro Adem (Yale) (UBC), James Carrell (UBC), April 8-22: Homology Stability Jose Antonio de la Pena (UNAM) Sept. 5-9: Inverse Protein of Moduli of Vector Bundles Folding (FRG) Over a Curve (RIT) July 8-22: Inflation from String Organizers: Ken Dill (UC San Organizers: Donu Avapura Theory (RIT) Francisco), Arvind Gupta (SFU), (Purdue University), Ajneet Organizer: James Cline (McGill) Ladislav Stacho (SFU) Dhillon (Western Ontario), Pramathanath Sasty (Toronto) July 22-29: Off-Shell Sept. 9-16: Second Duals of Supersymmetry via Graph Measure Algebras (RIT) April 20-22: Math Fair Theory and Superspace (FRG) Organizers: Anthony To-Ming Workshop (2-Day workshop) Organizers: Charles Doran Lau (Alberta) Organizers: Tiina Hohn (Grant (Washington), Gregory MacEwan College), Ted Lewis Landweber (Oregon) Sept. 14-16: CanQueue 2006: (Alberta) 8th Annual Conference for
2005 | 06 • t h e pacific i n s t i t u t e f o r t h e mathematical s c i e n c e s a n n u a l r e p o r t 103 The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences
Canadian Queueing Theorists and Practitioners (2-Day workshop) Organizers: Diane Biochak (Calgary), Armann Ingolfsson (Alberta), Van Enns (Calgary)
Sept. 16-23: Quantum Algorithms for Algebraic Problems (FRG) Organizers: Ashwin Nayak (Waterloo), Leonard Schulmann (Caltech), John Watrous (Calgary)
Oct. 7-21: Classification of Smooth 4-Manifolds (RIT) Organizers: Ronald Fintushee (Michigan State), Ronald Stein (UC Irvine)
Nov. 29-Dec. 2: Models and Algorithms for the Web Graph (MITACS) (FRG) Organizers: William Aiello (UBC), Andrei Broder (Yahoo Inc.), Jeanette Janssen (Dalhousie), Evangelos Milios (Dalhousie)
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Publications
2005 | 06 • t h e pacific i n s t i t u t e f o r t h e mathematical s c i e n c e s a n n u a l r e p o r t 105 The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences
Publications p i i n t h e s k y
i in the Sky is primarily aimed at high-school P students and teachers, with the main goal of providing a cultural context/landscape for mathematics. It has a natural extension to junior high school students and undergraduates, and articles may also put curriculum topics in a different perspective. Pi in the Sky accepts materials on any subject related to mathematics or its applications. Submissions are subject to editorial review and revision. Pi in the Sky is mailed to schools in Alberta, B.C., and Washington State. Individuals may request a copy of Pi in the Sky magazine by sending their mailing address to [email protected]. Significant funding forPi in the Sky is provided by
Alberta Innovation and Science. Co v e r i m a g e The Silent Echo. One in a series of Hubble images of “light echo” images of the star V838 Monocerotis and its environs. In 2002, the red supergiant star at the middle of the image gave off a flashbulb-like pulse of The editorial board is: light. As the halo of light expands, different parts of the surrounding dust are gradually illuminated unveiling • Editor in Chief: Ivar Ekeland (UBC) never-before-seen patterns. Nature’s own piece of per- • Managing Editor: David Leeming (UVic) formance art, this structure will continue to change its appearance for many years to come. The image is asso- • Editorial Board: Len Berggren (SFU), ciated with the article The Art of Physics: Visualizing the John Bowman (UA), John Campbell (Archbishop Universe, Seeing the Unseen, by Anna Czolpinski and Arif Babul. Photo kindly provided by NASA, the Hubble MacDonald Academic High School, Edmonton), Heritage Team (AURA/STScI) and ESA Florin Diacu (UVic), Sharon Friesen (Galileo Educational Network, Calgary), Dragos Hrimiuc (UA), Klaus Hoechsmann (UBC), Wieslaw Krawcewicz (UA), Michael Lamoureux (UC), Mark MacLean (UBC), Alexander Melnikov (UA), Volker Runde (UA), and Wendy Swonnell (Lambrick Park Secondary School, Victoria). • Editorial Coordinator: Heather Jenkins (PIMS). Pi in the Sky can be downloaded for free. www.pims.math.ca/pi
p i m s m a g a z i n e 9.1
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Financial Reports
2005 | 06 • t h e pacific i n s t i t u t e f o r t h e mathematical s c i e n c e s a n n u a l r e p o r t 107 The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences
Financial Reports
The information in this appendix outlines the income and expenses of PIMS for the fiscal year April 1, 2005, to March 31, 2006. PIMS activities are supported by ongoing base funding from the following partners: • The member institutions (Simon Fraser University, University of Alberta, University of British Columbia, University of Calgary, University of Victoria and University of Washington) and affiliated institutions (University of Lethbridge and University of Regina). • The Government of Canada through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council. • The Government of Alberta through the Alberta Ministry of Innovation and Science (Alberta Science and Research Authority). • The Government of British Columbia through the Ministry of Competition, Science and Enterprise (Science and Information Technology Agency).
Income for 2005–06
The total income received by PIMS in the 2005–06 fiscal year is listed in Table 1. Each member university makes an annual cash contribution. The universities also make considerable in-kind contributions of office space, computer labs, and infrastructure, in addition to releasing personnel from teaching duties in order to provide scientific leadership to the institute. Simon Fraser University made a cash contribution of $75,000 to the PIMS operating budget.
The University of Alberta made a cash The University of Washington made a cash contribution of $70,000 to the PIMS operating contribution of $12,150 to the PIMS operating budget. budget.
The University of British Columbia made The University of Lethbridge, an affiliated a cash contribution of $190,915 to the PIMS institution of PIMS, made a cash contribution of operating budget. $5,000.
The University of Calgary made a cash The University of Regina, an affiliated contribution of $61,000 to the PIMS operating institution of PIMS, made a cash contribution of budget. $5,625.
The University of Victoria made a cash contribution of $60,000 to the PIMS operating budget.
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PIMS Total Income April 1, 2005, to March 31, 2006
Table 1 Source Estimated Income Operating Funds Carryforward 2005-06 2005-06
NSERC $796,013 $1,023,100 $1,819,113 BC Government (CSE, formerly $193,739 $127,805 $321,544 ISTA) Alberta Government (Grant at UA) $0 $100,000 $100,000 Alberta Government (Grant at UC) $118,500 $100,000 $218,500 PIMS Partner Universities* $266,419 - $266,419 Simon Fraser University - $75,000 $75,000 University of Alberta - $70,000 $70,000 University of British Columbia - $190,915 $190,915 University of Calgary - $61,000 $61,000 University of Victoria - $60,000 $60,000 University of Washington - $12,150 $12,150 University of Lethbridge - $5,000 $5,000 University of Regina - $5,625 $5,625 MITACS NCE $34,051 $82,500 $116,551 BC-NCE Infrastructure $89,951 $51,934 $141,885 Other Funding** $83,241 $34,692 $117,933 TOTAL $1,581,914 $1,999,721 $3,581,635
* Income for 2005-06 for PIMS Partner Universities is broken down between universities, while the Estimated Carryfoward is the total amount from all PIMS Partner Universities. ** Includes donations.
2005 | 06 • t h e pacific i n s t i t u t e f o r t h e mathematical s c i e n c e s a n n u a l r e p o r t 109 The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences
Other Contributions April 1, 2005, to March 31, 2006
Tables 2.1 and 2.2 outline the cash operating Corporate Support: Industrial partners or budget of PIMS for funds flowing through corporations may contribute to scientific, industrial PIMS accounts at the various sites. Additional and educational activities. contributions in support of PIMS researchers and events are estimated below. Industrial Support: Many industrial outreach events, in particular, the Graduate Industrial Math University Infrastructure: PIMS has offices Modelling Camp and Industrial Problem Solving at all five Canadian member institutions. Workshop (among others) are partially supported Computational facilities, infrastructure and by direct and indirect contributions from the administrative support are provided. industrial participants.
BC-NCE Infrastructure Support: Only the Education Support: Most education activities BC-NCE infrastructure award held at the PIMS of PIMS are co-sponsored by schools, university central office at UBC is listed in Tables 1 and 2.2. departments, provincial ministries of education, These funds are made available through the UBC professional societies and private donations. Vice-President Research Office to support federal NCE activities.
Additional Support for Scientific Postdoctoral Fellows: The PIMS contributions to scientific postdoctoral fellowships ($20,000 each) have been at least matched (minimum $20,000 contribution) by individual research grants and by teaching stipends from the postdoctoral fellow’s department. These funds are usually paid as salary directly to the postdoctoral fellow and are not reported here.
Conference Support: Most PIMS conferences receive additional financial support in the form of registration fees, contributions from the research grants of organizing committee members, and/or co-sponsorship with other organizations.
110 t h e pacific i n s t i t u t e f o r t h e mathematical s c i e n c e s • a n n u a l r e p o r t 2005 | 06
The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences
PIMS Summary of Expenditures April 1, 2005, to March 31, 2006
Table 2.1 Expense Category Budgeted Actual Variance Site Offices $191,500 $226,607 ($35,107) Scientific Personnel $100,000 $61,785 $38,215 Central Office $411,500 $422,000 ($10,500) Special Events $51,000 $9,896 $41,104 Industrial Outreach* $154,000 $177,517 ($23,517) Education Programmes $116,635 $70,508 $46,127 Scientific Activities $821,260 $649,641 $171,619 PIMS Postdoctoral Fellows** $380,000 $393,152 ($13,152)
TOTAL Expenses $2,225,895 $2,011,106 $214,789
* Figures include neither industrial funds nor MITACS projects ** Figures do not include matching funds
Table 2.2 Expense by Funding Source Source Budgeted Actual Variance NSERC $1,149,550 $948,486 $201,064 BC Government (CSE, formerly $85,500 $73,739 $11,761 ISTA) Alberta Government (ASRA) $193,333 $96,246 $97,087 PIMS Partner Universities $626,667 $683,861 ($57,194) MITACS NCE $82,500 $97,742 ($15,242) BC-NCE Infrastructure $12,000 $68,576 ($56,576) Other Funding $76,345 $42,456 $33,889
TOTAL Expenses $2,225,895 $2,011,106 $214,789
2005 | 06 • t h e pacific i n s t i t u t e f o r t h e mathematical s c i e n c e s a n n u a l r e p o r t 111