Research in Mathematics at Norwegian Universities An evaluation Evaluation Division for Science Research in Mathematics at Norwegian Universities An evaluation © The Research Council of Norway 2012 The Research Council of Norway P.O.Box 2700 St. Hanshaugen N–0131 OSLO Telephone: +47 22 03 70 00 Telefax: +47 22 03 70 01 [email protected] www.rcn.no/english The report can be ordered at: www.forskningsradet.no/publikasjoner or green number telefax: +47 800 83 001 Design cover: Design et cetera Printing: 07 Gruppen/The Research Council of Norway Number of copies: 200 Oslo, March 2012 ISBN 978-82-12-03057-2 (print) ISBN 978-82-12-03058-9 (pdf) To the Research Council of Norway The members of the Evaluation Committee for Research in Mathematics in Norwegian Universities hereby submit the following report. The views presented in this report are the consensus among the members of the Evaluation Committee. The report represents an agreed account of the assessments and recommendations. 2 Contents 1 Findings and Recommendations ...........................................................................................................5 2 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................6 2.1 Mandate and the Review Process ..................................................................................................6 2.2 Participants of the Evaluation .........................................................................................................7 2.3 Key Figures .....................................................................................................................................7 2.4 Previous Evaluation ........................................................................................................................7 2.5 Grading ...........................................................................................................................................7 2.6 The Evaluation Committee .............................................................................................................9 3 Evaluation at the National Level ......................................................................................................... 10 3.1 Assessment of Research ............................................................................................................. 10 3.1.1 Quality of research ......................................................................................................... 10 3.1.2 Capacity and Age Structure ........................................................................................... 10 3.1.3 Subfields ......................................................................................................................... 11 3.2 Research Environment and General Recommendations ............................................................ 15 3.2.1 Importance of Mathematics for Industry and Mobility .................................................... 15 3.2.2 The Nature of Mathematical Research .......................................................................... 16 3.2.3 Funding .......................................................................................................................... 16 3.2.4 Mathematics Education .................................................................................................. 17 3.2.5 Career Structure ............................................................................................................. 18 3.2.6 Statistical Sciences ........................................................................................................ 19 3.2.7 Gender Imbalance. ......................................................................................................... 19 4 Evaluation of Departments and Institutes ........................................................................................... 21 4.1 University of Stavanger - Department of Mathematics and Natural Sciences ............................ 21 4.1.1 Analysis .......................................................................................................................... 21 4.1.2 Applied Mathematics ...................................................................................................... 21 4.1.3 Statistics ......................................................................................................................... 22 4.1.4 Overall Assessments and Recommendations ............................................................... 22 4.2 University of Agder - Department of Mathematical Sciences ...................................................... 23 4.2.1 Mathematics ................................................................................................................... 23 4.2.2 Overall Assessments and Recommendations ............................................................... 23 4.3 University of Oslo - Department of Mathematics ......................................................................... 24 4.3.1 Algebra and Algebraic Geometry ................................................................................... 24 4.3.2 Several Complex Variables ............................................................................................ 24 4.3.3 Geometry and Topology ................................................................................................. 25 4.3.4 Logic ............................................................................................................................... 25 4.3.5 Operator Algebras .......................................................................................................... 25 4.3.6 Partial Differential Equations .......................................................................................... 26 4.3.7 Stochastic Analysis, Finance, Insurance and Risk ........................................................ 26 3 4.3.8 Fluid Mechanics ............................................................................................................. 27 4.3.9 Solid Mechanics ............................................................................................................. 28 4.3.10 Statistics and Biostatics.............................................................................................. 28 4.3.11 Computational Mathematics ....................................................................................... 28 4.3.12 Overall Assessments and Recommendations ........................................................... 29 4.4 University of Bergen - Department of Mathematics ..................................................................... 31 4.4.1 Analysis .......................................................................................................................... 31 4.4.2 Topology ......................................................................................................................... 31 4.4.3 Algebra/ Algebraic Geometry ......................................................................................... 32 4.4.4 Number Theory .............................................................................................................. 32 4.4.5 Applied and Computational Mathematics (AC) .............................................................. 32 4.4.6 Reservoir Mechanics (RM) ............................................................................................. 33 4.4.7 Statistics ......................................................................................................................... 33 4.4.8 Overall Assessments and Recommendations ............................................................... 34 4.5 Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) – Department of Mathematical Sciences. ................................................................................................................................................ 35 4.5.1 Algebra ........................................................................................................................... 35 4.5.2 Analysis .......................................................................................................................... 36 4.5.3 Differential Equations and Numerical Analysis .............................................................. 36 4.5.4 Geometry and Topology ................................................................................................. 37 4.5.5 Statistics ......................................................................................................................... 37 4.5.6 Overall Assessments and Recommendations ............................................................... 38 4.6 University of Tromsø – Department of Mathematics and Statistics ............................................ 39 4.6.1 Pure Mathematics .......................................................................................................... 39 4.6.2 Applied Mathematics ...................................................................................................... 39 4.6.3 Statistics ......................................................................................................................... 40 4.6.4 Overall Assessments and Recommendations ............................................................... 40 4.7 Norwegian University of Life Sciences .......................................................................................