Annual Report 2017-18 Mission Statements Director’s Foreword 1 It has been another busy year for the female participants has risen sharply other committees, including those of Newton Institute, with some 2,500 across all our activities, and we have the Turing Gateway, to make them participants passing through our put in place new funding and more reflective and strategic. The Isaac Newton Institute is an international hub for supporting mathematical doors to take part in a wide variety of enabling mechanisms to remove sciences research of the highest quality and impact. It aims to attract the activities, ranging from four- or six- barriers for those with child, health Finally, I must remark that the world’s leading researchers, in all areas of mathematics and its applications, month research stays on our longer or other care needs to take part in our continuing success of the Institute is who interact through a variety of long and short thematic programmes as well programmes, through attendance at programmes and workshops. We down to the commitment of so many as associated workshops. Based in Cambridge, and bene!ting from a bespoke over 20 week-long workshops to a have also instigated a new fund to people. First are the dedicated and plethora of one or multi-day encourage participation from hard-working members staff; it is building and other world leading facilities of this great University, INI is meetings. A highlight in 2017 was the excellent researchers from pleasing to report that we have had nevertheless an independent forum serving the whole of UK mathematical unusual and noteworthy workshop developing countries. By leading on few changes to personnel over the sciences. INI’s environment, and supporting mechanisms, enable its on ‘Form in Art, Toys and Games‘, equality and widening participation, last year, and so we can continue to Programmes to have a translational e"ect on their respective research areas. whose theme encompassed both the improve our services and refine the emergence of form in art, including processes towards an ever-improving All INI scienti!c programmes are carefully designed to allow for novel ideas to the mathematical and physical aspects participant experience. Second, I be created, nurtured and exchanged. Programme topics cover all areas of of artistic processes and techniques, personally express my deep gratitude mathematics, with increasing focus on emerging intra and interdisciplinary and the properties and role of form in to those who offer benefaction to the !elds, where engagement is with other scientists, social scientists, economists, finished artworks. A number of Institute, without whom the work policy makers etc. The Institute also helps to develop the next generation of renowned artists lectured and exhibited undertaken here would not be mathematical scientists by encouraging participation of young researchers, by their works during the week. possible. Third are the research programme organisers, who we rely widening access, and by addressing the gender gap in mathematics. One of the first activities I attended The number of female on in so many ways, especially the to as Director was the preparation of setting of the scientific agenda of The INI has broadened its role in the community in recent years, and informs participants has risen the case for renewal of our core grant sharply across all our their respective programmes, policy makers and funders about the relevance, value and timeliness of from the UK research councils. I am activities ensuring the attendance of the emerging mathematics. Through the Turing Gateway to Mathematics it carries delighted that, as a consequence of appropriate international and home out stand-alone knowledge exchange events, and activities within Programmes, the EPSRC Review of UK the Institute can not only improve participants, and acting as social aimed at end users of mathematical ideas in commerce, industry, government, Mathematical Sciences Infrastructure the quality and outcomes of our secretaries! Fourth are the organisers and other sciences. Further, it assists universities in achieving their own goals; published in 2015 and as evinced by research events but, through the of all other events such as showcases UK research in the mathematical sciences; and engages with non- our successful grant submission in sheer number of our attendees, also workshops, meetings, lectures, mathematicians through public lectures, exhibitions, and other activities for 2017, the Institute is seen in a help change the culture both Turing Gateway workshops, and last schools and the general public. favourable light by EPSRC and the nationally and internationally. are our committee members, referees other research Councils. Hence, from and all others we call upon to the 1st March 2018 we commenced a Our governance structure also needs scrutinise specific activities and six-year grant which provides a to be brought up to date; we need to advise us on our portfolio. Thanks go significant enhancement to our core increase the number of representatives out to all who have offered their funding. This gives far greater from outside Cambridge on the generous support over the past year. The Turing Gateway to Mathematics (TGM) acts as a vehicle for knowledge financial stability and allows for both Institute’s Management Committee the necessary forward planning and and ensure that, in general, we are exchange between the mathematical sciences and potential users of mathematics, consideration of new initiatives/ more open to feedback and steer from including industry, government, business and other academic disciplines, both responses to changing demands. the community. In the latter regard in the UK and internationally. It does this by facilitating interactions and we are strengthening our Network of activities such as programmes of work, research and training events, as well as There are a number of matters that Correspondents, which now also acts bespoke projects. The TGM aims to widen access to mathematics generally, to we will need to address in coming for our sister institute, the shorten pathways to impacts for academic research, and to support education years. The first is the continuation of International Centre for and training in areas where mathematical skills are needed. our activities on equality, diversity Mathematical Sciences, in Edinburgh. David Abrahams, and inclusivity. The number of We have also made changes to our Director, Isaac Newton Institute 2 Programme Schematic 3 J J UN L U L U N U J J M M G AY AY U A A A P P R SEP R VSO M T M AR AR H OC H Q RGM H A N MQI H K U A R G FEB OV FEB S N T S S R Q JAN DEC JAN 2017 2018 2019 2020 DEC JAN DEC S F G A S IP C S S NO C T NO V FEB M G V V A E D C M S N NWW V M O O SYG CT C AR T SIN M WHT S S E R FHT E P EBD P BPR AP A A U Y U G A G M J J U U N L L U JUN J BPR Big proof SIP Mathematics of sea ice phenomena RGM Random geometry: follow-on workshop DNM The mathematical design of new materials GCS Geometry, compatibility and structure KAH K-theory, algebraic cycles and preservation in computational differential motivic homotopy theory SIN Scalable inference; statistical, algorithmic, GFS Growth, form and self organisation MQI Mathematical challenges in quantum ASC Approximation, sampling and compression computational aspects VMV Variational methods and effective algorithms information: Beyond I.I.D. in information in data science equations GRA Groups, representations and applications: theory: follow-on workshop EBD Mathematical and statistical challenges in new perspectives NWW Nonlinear water waves for imaging and vision MES The mathematics of energy systems HHH Homotopy harnessing landscape decision making VSO Verified software SYG Symplectic geometry: celebrating the UNQ Uncertainty quantification for complex FHT The fickle heart work of Simon Donaldson: systems: theory and methodologies higher structures WHT Bringing pure & applied analysis together follow-on workshop STS Statistical scalability SRQ Scaling limits, rough paths, via the Wiener-Hopf technique, its quantum field theory generalisations and applications CAT Complex analysis: techniques, applications and computations 4 PROGRAMME HIGHLIGHTS | JULY # AUGUST 2017 5 Nonlinear Water Waves The theory of water waves dates back to the nineteenth century, and ORGANISERS Adrian Constantin has deep and fascinating connections to many scienti!c research areas. (KCL, Vienna), Moreover, the complexity and variety of water-wave phenomena Joachim Escher PROGRAMME (Hannover), require innovative tools ranging from physical approaches to abstract Hisashi Okamoto mathematical considerations. (Gakushuin) GENDER BALANCE HIGHLIGHTS (F : M, %) The theory of water waves has a long history •the study of the pressure field beneath a 10 90 dating back to the nineteenth century and has surface wave; numerous real world applications including • the long-time existence of solutions of GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION (UK : NON-UK, %) ship hydrodynamics, weather predictions, small amplitude for surface waves in deep climate change and resilience of oil-platforms water; 19 81 at sea. For waves of large amplitude •the Stokes drift phenomenon; AGE DISTRIBUTION nonlinearity is an •the propagation of (≤29 : 30-49 : ≥50, %) essential feature and one …applications of the irrotational water 4 48 48 cannot rely on traditional research include ship waves over variable linear approaches. hydrodynamics, weather bottom topography; •the Coriolis effect due The purpose of this predictions, climate change to the Earth’s rotation programme was to bring and platforms at sea on tsunami waves; together mathematical •nonlinear studies of analysts, applied mathematicians and geophysical flows (waves and currents); engineers to focus on recent developments • computations of solitary hydroelastic in this multidisciplinary field and to waves; anticipate and nurture breakthroughs in •the statistical description of random promising new research directions.