ITIHAS (IT Is Happening at SASTRA)
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ITIHAS (IT Is Happening At SASTRA) Newsletter from SASTRA University v Vol. 15 IV Quarter 2015 Message from the SASTRA-RAMANUJAN AWARD 2015 VICE-CHANCELLOR The SASTRA-Ramanujan Award 2015 was presented to The SASTRA-Ramanujan Award Dr. Jacob Tsimerman of University of Toronto, Canada, on instituted by SASTRA University in the December 21, 2015 at the International Conference on year 2005, to recognize the path- breaking work on Ramanujan “Number Theory and Algebraic Geometry,” held at Srinivasa M a t h e m a t i c s b y a y o u n g Ramanujan Centre, SASTRA University, Kumbakonam. The mathematician, is keeping its rich SASTRA-Ramanujan Prize was established in 2005 and is tradition. In the eleventh year of awarded annually for outstanding contributions by young inception, this year, the award was presented to Dr. Jacob mathematicians to areas influenced by Srinivasa Ramanujan. Tsimerman of University of Toronto, Canada on December 21, The age limit for the prize has been set at 32 because 2015, for his unique contribution to Number Theory. Ramanujan had achieved so much in his brief life of 32 years. SASTRA volunteered to provide basic support to the people affected by the recent floods in Chennai and Cuddalore areas of The prestigious SASTRA-Ramanujan Award carries a cash Tamil Nadu. A relief package to the tune of Rs 50 lakh was prize of USD 10,000 and a citation. The award of the 2015 provided to 2000 families of Cuddalore and Chennai region on Ramanujan Prize to Jacob Tsimerman is a fitting recognition December 20, 2015. The entire SASTRA family prays for early in the eleventh year of its inception and in keeping with the normalcy to the affected families. tradition of recognizing path-breaking work by young The Founder S. Ramachandra Iyer Centenary Celebration to be mathematicians. launched on February 17, 2016 begins with a noble effort to undertake free surgery to 100 children from Thanjavur district. Dr. G. Rangarajan, Chairman, Division of Interdisciplinary SASTRA, in association with TCS, has built 56 e-toilets at 20 Research, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore presented the Govt. Schools in Thanjavur District, under the Swachh Bharath award to Dr. Tsimerman. Presenting the award, Dr. Rangarajan Mission of Govt. of India. said, “The last two decades has witnessed an unprecedented An ex gratia payment, to the tune of Rs 12.70 lakh, was given to growth in the number of institutions as well as students, 411 Non-Teaching Staff, Daily Labourers and Security Staff of offering Mathematics and Science Courses and opting for the SASTRA University on November 5, 2015. same when compared to 60s, 70s and 80s.” He further added Dr. A. Sivathanu Pillai launched the Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam- that the unprecedented growth is mainly due to admission of City Union Bank Chair for Rural Development and Swami bright students based on competitive examination and that the Dayananda Saraswati Chair for Indian Values, established by students from rural areas do better in science subjects and are SASTRA, on October 15, 2015. likely to contribute towards research in the next two decades. At the annual panel discussion, 'Lawgical Connect' organized by SASTRA in association with The Times of India, on October The scholarships provided by the Government of India under 24, 2015 in Chennai, six eminent personalities deliberated on INSPIRE Scheme, which offer a monthly stipend of the topic, 'Black Money-Singular Agenda, Multiple Dimensions.' SASTRA joins prestigious US Universities like Harvard, Columbia and University of California Irvine for collaborative research in the Hartfort Engineering A Limb Project (HEAL) run by the University of Connecticut's Health Institute of Regenerative Engineering. The project aims at regenerating a human knee within seven years, and an entire limb within 15 years. The present issue of ITIHAS comes to you carrying news of programmes organized by different Schools, achievements by Students and Faculty members and many more. Wish you all a Happy New Year 2016! Dr.G. Rangarajan presenting the SASTRA-Ramanujan Award to Dr. Jacob Tsimerman Prof. R. Sethuraman Prof. Krishnaswamy Alladi and Prof. R. Sethuraman also in the picture Vice-Chancellor SASTRA UNIVERSITY ITIHAS VOL.15, IV QUARTER - 2015 R s . 5 , 0 0 0 / - a n d a ceremony is conducted at Kumbakonam, the holy town which contingency grant of produced good academicians in all fields including Rs.20,000/- per annum, Mathematics, English, Engineering, etc. He also recalled the totaling Rs.80,000/- per advice of our Former President of India Dr. A. P. J. Abdul annum, to the 1% of each Board +2 Examinations, Kalam, who was instrumental in establishing this Centre in also attract the bright the name of Srinivasa Ramanujan and conducting the students to pursue International Conference on Number Theory. M a t h e m a t i c s a n d INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON Science subjects. There Dr.G. Rangarajan NUMBER THEORY AND ALGEBRAIC GEOMETRY addressing the audience is a lot of teaching vacancy in the education The 13th International sector for Mathematics Conference on “Number and it is likely to rise further with good job potential for the Theory and Algebraic graduates and postgraduates with Mathematics and Science Geometry" was held at degrees. The scholarship provided by the Government is also Srinivasa Ramanujan continued upto the Post-doctoral level based on performance, C e n t r e , S A S T R A Prof. G. Rangarajan added. U n i v e r s i t y , Prof. Krishnaswami Alladi, Chairman, SASTRA- K u m b a k o n a m o n Ramanujan Award Committee, University of Florida, USA, Dr.G. Rangarajan December 21 & 22, 2015. read out the citation and elaborated the unique contributions inaugurating the conference Dr. G. Rangarajan, of Dr. Jacob Tsimerman to the Number Theory within the age Chairman, Division of of 27. Dr. Tsimerman has several first rate contributions in Interdisciplinary Research, IISc, Bangalore inaugurated the algebraic geometry, number theory, mathematical logic and conference. analysis. The following mathematicians from USA, Canada, Turkey and India deliberated on the legacy of Srinivasa Ramanujan He was born in Kazan, Russia, in 1988 and his family moved and his work on number theory during the conference: to Israel and then to Canada in 1996, where he participated in 1. Prof. Hamza Yesilyurt, Bilkent University, Turkey various mathematical competitions from the age of nine. In 2. Ms. Sarah Trebat-Leder, Emory University, Atlanta, USA 2003 and 2004, he represented Canada in the International 3. Ms. Olivia Beckwith, Emory University, USA Mathematical Olympiad and won gold medals both years, 4. Mr. Robert Schneider, Emory University, USA with a perfect score in 2004. 5. Prof. Ken Ono, Emory University, USA Accepting the award, Dr. Tsimerman said there is no easy way 6. Prof. S. Viswanath, Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Chennai to succeed in mathematics and students must work with 7. Prof. Rekha Biswal, Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Chennai patience and perseverance to solve problems. 8. Dr. Sachin Sharma, Chennai Mathematical Institute, Chennai 9. Prof. R. Srikanth, SASTRA University, Thanjavur Prof. R.Sethuraman, Vice-Chancellor said that the annual international conference on Number Theory and the award 10. Mr. P.N. Seetharaman, Chennai 2 ITIHAS VOL.15, IV QUARTER - 2015 SRINIVASA RAMANUJAN Previous winners of COMMEMORATIVE LECTURE SASTRA-Ramanujan Prize Dr. Jacob Tsimerman 1. M a n j u l B h a r g a v a ( P r i n c e t o n ) & Kannan Soundararajan (Michigan) in 2005 (two full prizes) 2. Terence Tao (UCLA) 2006 3. Ben Green (Cambridge) 2007 4. Akshay Venkatesh (Stanford) 2008 5. Kathrin Bringmann (Cologne) 2009 Dr. Jacob Tsimerman, University of Toronto, after receiving the award, delivered the Srinivasa Ramanujan 6. Wei Zhang (Harvard) 2010 Birthday Commemorative Lecture on “Unlikely algebraic relations and transcendental functions,” on December 22, 7. Roman Holowinsky (Ohio) 2011 2015. He explained the old theorem of Lang (now a theorem of Raynaud) which states that a non-constant two- 8. Zhiwei Yun (Stanford) 2012. variable irreducible polynomial has finitely many solutions 9. Peter Scholze (University of Bonn) 2013 in roots of unity. Since then, this result has been greatly generalized to many dimensions. It turns out that there are 10. James Maynard (Oxford University) 2014 strong relations between finiteness results of this type and transcendence results for the exponential function. He The SASTRA-Ramanajan Prize continues its great explained these relations and described a beautiful tradition of recognising the most exceptional work by generalization to other 'modular' transcendental functions, young mathematicians. such as the j-function. Dr. Jacob Tsimerman, Our Vice Chancellor, Dr. G. Rangarajan, Prof. Krishnaswamy Alladi and the foreign delegates of the Conference at the bust of Srinivasa Ramanujan 3 ITIHAS VOL.15, IV QUARTER - 2015 CHENNAI FLOOD RELIEF BY SASTRA SASTRA SPONSORS RS 19 LAKHS FOR HIGHWAYS SURVEILLANCE CAMERA PROJECT The Management of SASTRA University distributed flood relief materials worth Rs 50 lakh to 2000 families in SASTRA University sponsored Rs 19 lakhs for the Highways Cuddalore District and Chennai on December 20, 2015. Surveillance Camera Project of the Tamil Nadu Police Dept. 34 surveillance cameras of the project were strategically placed in 12 locations between SASTRA University in Thirumalaisamudrum and Mariamman Koil Road in Thanjavur. Probably for the first time in the state, a 35-km stretch of National Highways has been covered by surveillance cameras using wireless technology for crime prevention and traffic regulation. Our VC Prof. R. Sethuraman distributing the relief packets in Cuddalore A relief packet consisted of a woolen blanket, 5kg of rice, dal, pasteurized milk, milk powder, biscuits, mosquito coil, sanitary napkin and cash assistance of Rs 1,000 for a family.