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 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 i THE PACIFIC INSTITUTE FOR THE MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES 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. ii 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 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 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 iii THE PACIFIC INSTITUTE FOR THE MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES iv 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 (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. NATIONAL 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 2 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 PIMS Management 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 3 THE PACIFIC INSTITUTE FOR THE MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES 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.