Mathematics of Planet Earth 2013” (MPE2013), the year-long program created to encourage research on a range of topics related to Planet Earth---was active for the year 2013 and transitioned into “Mathematics of Planet Earth” (MPE) at the beginning of 2014. What was accomplished and what are the plans for MPE?

MPE2013 was conceived to stimulate the mathematics research community to identify fundamental research questions about Planet Earth and to reach out to the general public to highlight the role of mathematics in global studies of the Earth. It has grown into an international effort, received the patronage of UNESCO, and involved more than 140 partners, including professional societies, academic institutions, research institutes, and teacher organisations. The distinctive MPE2013 logo has been featured at many conferences, workshops, and lectures, and MPE2013 has found its way among the public, the media, and schools worldwide.

2014 sees the program continuing as “Mathematics of Planet Earth” (MPE), with the same objectives, namely identify fundamental research questions about Planet Earth and reach out to the general public. As Christiane Rousseau, principal coordinator of MPE2013, observed, “MPE2013 has been a great start. But identifying the research problems is not enough. Mathematics moves slowly, the planetary problems are very challenging, and we start realizing how much remains to be done.”

MPE2013 activities have included more than 15 long-term programs at mathematical research institutes all over the world, 60 workshops, dozens of special sessions at society meetings, two major public lecture series, summer and winter schools for graduate students, research experiences for undergraduates, an international competition, and an Open Source MPE Exhibition. In addition, MPE2013 has supported the development of high-quality curriculum materials for all ages and grades available on the MPE2013 Web site.

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See the full press release.

Past MPE2013 Events at ICERM
September 24, 2013
MPE2013 Simons Public Lecture by L. Mahadevan - On Growth and Form: Mathematics, Physics and Biology
July 15-July 19, 2013
IdeaLab Topic: "Tipping Points in Climate Systems"
January 5, 2013
ICERM hosted the jury meeting for the MPE 2013 Competition to design virtual or physical museum-quality exhibits.