Programs & Events
Nonlinear Algebra in Applications
Nov 12 - 16, 2018
Applications often pose many algorithmic, computational, and theoretical challenges, and overcoming these challenges has been a driving force behind many recent innovations in nonlinear algebra. This workshop will bring together mathematicians and practitioners with a focus on recently developed methods that have been motivated by solving problems arising in applications. Three key hallmarks of the methods presented are efficient computation of solutions, exploitation of structure, and reformulation of numerically unstable systems. Some of the topics planned for discussion include algebraic cryptanalysis and coding theory, chemical reaction networks, computational biology, computer-aided geometric design, applications of enumerative and tropical geometry, gauge and string theory in physics, and applications to statistics such as probabilistic graphical models and singular learning theory.
Organizing Committee
- Alicia Dickenstein
- Elisa Gorla
- Jonathan Hauenstein
- Yang-Hui He
- Caroline Uhler
![Image for "Nonlinear Algebra in Applications"](https://app.icerm.brown.edu/img/sp-f18-w3_image.png)
Blackwell-Tapia Conference 2018
Nov 9 - 10, 2018
The NSF Mathematical Sciences Institutes Diversity Committee hosts the 2018 Blackwell-Tapia Conference and Awards Ceremony. This is the ninth conference since 2000, held every other year, with the location rotating among NSF Mathematics Institutes. The conference and prize honors David Blackwell, the first African-American member of the National Academy of Science, and Richard Tapia, winner of the National Medal of Science in 2010, two seminal figures who inspired a generation of African-American, Native American and Latino/Latina students to pursue careers in mathematics.
The Blackwell-Tapia Prize recognizes a mathematician who has contributed significantly to research in his or her area of expertise, and who has served as a role model for mathematical scientists and students from underrepresented minority groups, or has contributed in other significant ways to addressing the problem of underrepresentation of minorities in math.
The
Organizing Committee
- Carlos Castillo-Chavez
- David Eisenbud
- Brendan Hassett
- Jacqueline Hughes-Oliver
- Robert Megginson
- Mariel Vazquez
- Ulrica Wilson
- Robin Wilson
![Image for "Blackwell-Tapia Conference 2018"](https://app.icerm.brown.edu/img/btc2018_image.png)
An ICERM Public Lecture: Mathematics: Rhyme and Reason
Nov 8, 2018
A little more than three years ago, while attending the Conference for African American Researchers in the Mathematical Sciences at ICERM, I spontaneously announced to ICERM Associate Director Ulrica Wilson that I thought I would write a book about the heart of mathematics. Then I went ahead and did it. What was I thinking?! Publishing Mathematics: Rhyme and Reason is akin to undressing publicly. So, what ends up being exposed? Well, among other things, I place in plain view relationships with people in my mathematical upbringing, some of whom popped into my life for better and, at least once, for worse. One will also see my life-long attachment to the simple truths of mathematics. The book is a message to the kid I was, with the assumption that such kids still exist. I present a large collection of theorems and call them nursery rhymes in the book, though I didnât stumble across a few of them until I was well beyond nursery-rhyme age. I also write about whether or not I have ever... (more)
![Image for "An ICERM Public Lecture: Mathematics: Rhyme and Reason"](https://app.icerm.brown.edu/img/266_image.jpg)
Celebrating 75 Years of Mathematics of Computation
Nov 1 - 3, 2018
This symposium will highlight the progress in the mathematics of computation over the last few decades. The invited lectures will present historical surveys of important areas or overviews of topics of high current interest. Together they will provide a panoramic view of the most significant achievements in the past quarter century in computational mathematics and also the most important current trends.
The year 2018 marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of Mathematics of Computation, one of the four primary research journals of the American Mathematical Society and the oldest research journal devoted to computational mathematics. This symposium will commemorate the event with invited lectures and poster presentations that reflect the spectrum of research covered by Mathematics of Computation at this juncture of its illustrious history.
The first day of the symposium (November 1) is devoted to the discrete topics and the other two days (November 2-3) are devoted to continuous... (more)
Organizing Committee
- Susanne Brenner
- Igor Shparlinski
- Chi-Wang Shu
- Daniel Szyld
![Image for "Celebrating 75 Years of Mathematics of Computation"](https://app.icerm.brown.edu/img/245_image.png)
Real Algebraic Geometry and Optimization
Oct 15 - 19, 2018
This workshop will focus on techniques and structures in real algebraic geometry and optimization, including computational tools for semi-algebraic sets, semidefinite programming techniques for polynomial optimization, and applications of these tools to problems in computer vision. Real algebraic geometry provides powerful tools to analyze the behavior of optimization problems, the geometry of feasible sets, and to develop new relaxations for hard non-convex problems. On the other hand, numerical solvers for semidefinite programs have led to new fast algorithms in real algebraic geometry. Algebraic methods over the real numbers are essential for many real-world applications. This workshop aims to explore the cutting edge of techniques in real algebraic geometry and convex optimization as well as applications of these tools to problems in computer vision and other information sciences.
Organizing Committee
- Greg Blekherman
- Didier Henrion
- Pablo Parrilo
- Rekha Thomas
- Cynthia Vinzant
![Image for "Real Algebraic Geometry and Optimization"](https://app.icerm.brown.edu/img/sp-f18-w2_image.png)
An ICERM Public Lecture: How to be Human in the Age of Algorithms
Sep 27, 2018
For decades, human activities and decisions have been supported by algorithms. They are the hidden rules and instructions that help our computers to process data and run complex calculations. But in recent years, algorithms have moved from a supporting to a starring role. As our machines have become more powerful, the algorithms have become more sophisticated - so much so that they are now in control of potentially life-changing decisions. In the courts, algorithms decide if jail time is warranted. In hospitals, they match organ donors to waiting patients. And on the streets, they steer driverless cars. In each of these scenarios, wrong decisions can lead to tragic outcomes.
In this talk, I'll explore our relationships with algorithms, the responsibilities we give them, and the impact they are having on our societies - including the good, the bad, and the downright ugly.
![Image for "An ICERM Public Lecture: How to be Human in the Age of Algorithms"](https://app.icerm.brown.edu/img/265_image.jpg)
Core Computational Methods
Sep 17 - 21, 2018
This workshop will focus on core algorithms in the three crucial areas in nonlinear algebra: numerical algebraic geometry, symbolic computation, and combinatorial methods. There have been tremendous advances in algorithms in these areas. As applications become more sophisticated, and require more computing resources, the basic algorithms and implementations need to step up to match the demand from applications. This workshop will bring together experts to exchange ideas on new algorithms that are needed and on improvement of existing ones. It will incite collaboration on hybrid algorithms involving computational methods from the three areas. Examples of open problems to be addressed include: certification of numerical methods, and combining numerical, symbolic and combinatorial methods to allow a much larger reach for decomposition algorithms.
Organizing Committee
- Jesús De Loera
- Wolfram Decker
- Andrew Sommese
- Mike Stillman
![Image for "Core Computational Methods"](https://app.icerm.brown.edu/img/sp-f18-w1_image.png)
Nonlinear Algebra
Sep 5 - Dec 7, 2018
The theory, algorithms, and software of linear algebra are familiar tools across mathematics, the applied sciences, and engineering. This ubiquity of linear algebra masks a fairly recent growth of nonlinear algebra in mathematics and its applications to other disciplines. The proliferation of nonlinear algebra has been fueled by recent theoretical advances, efficient implementations of core algorithms, and an increased awareness of these tools.
The benefits of this nonlinear theory and its tools are manifold. Pushing computational boundaries has led to the development of new mathematical theories, such as homotopy methods for numerical algebraic geometry, tropical geometry and toric deformations, and sums of squares methods for polynomial optimization. This uncovered many concrete nonlinear mathematical objects and questions, many of which are ripe for computer experimentation. In turn, resulting mathematical breakthroughs often lead to more powerful and efficient algorithms... (more)
Organizing Committee
- Dan Bates
- Sandra Di Rocco
- Jonathan Hauenstein
- Anton Leykin
- Frank Sottile
- Mike Stillman
- Cynthia Vinzant
![Image for "Nonlinear Algebra"](https://app.icerm.brown.edu/img/sp-f18_image.jpg)
Nonlinear Algebra Bootcamp
Sep 5 - 12, 2018
The primary goal of this opening workshop is to expose program participants to many of the methods and software packages relevant to this program. There will be introductory lectures and ample time for experimentation with methods and software under the tutelage of area experts and software developers.
Organizing Committee
- Dan Bates
- Jonathan Hauenstein
- Anton Leykin
- Frank Sottile
- Mike Stillman
- Cynthia Vinzant
![Image for "Nonlinear Algebra Bootcamp"](https://app.icerm.brown.edu/img/sp-f18-w4_image.png)
Advances in PDEs: Theory, Computation and Application to CFD
Aug 20 - 24, 2018
Partial differential equations (PDEs) have long played crucial roles in the field of fluid dynamics. These PDE models, including Euler and Navier-Stokes equations for incompressible and compressible flows, kinetic equations for rarefied flows, and equations for more complex flows such as magneto-hydrodynamics flows, have motivated numerous studies from the theory of PDEs to the design and analysis of computational algorithms, and their implementation and application in computational fluid dynamics (CFD). This discipline is continually and dynamically evolving, constantly bringing forward new results in PDE theory, computation, and application to CFD, and also setting up the ground for generalizations to other related applications including electro-magnetics, fluid-structure interactions, cosmology, and computational electronics.
The aim of this workshop is to review the recent progress in the type of PDEs arising from fluid dynamics and other related physical areas, in terms of their... (more)
Organizing Committee
- Alina Chertock
- Adi Ditkowski
- Anne Gelb
- Johnny Guzman
- Jan Hesthaven
- Yvon Maday
- Jennifer Ryan
- Chi-Wang Shu
- Eitan Tadmor
![Image for "Advances in PDEs: Theory, Computation and Application to CFD "](https://app.icerm.brown.edu/img/tw18-6-apde_image.jpg)
Building Community in the Foundations of Data Science
Aug 13 - 14, 2018
Building Community in the Foundations of Data Science
Brown's NSF TRIPODS grant is sponsoring a two-day informal networking workshop for the greater New England Foundations of Data Science community. In a series of informal discussions and short talks, we would like to draw attention to the opportunities to collaborate in foundational questions that lie at the focus of our TRIPODS program:
- structure of large and complex networks
- causal inference
- geometry and topology of data
Organizing Committee
- Jeffrey Brock
- Bjorn Sandstede
![Image for "Building Community in the Foundations of Data Science"](https://app.icerm.brown.edu/img/247_image.png)
GirlsGetMath@ICERM: Summer Math Camp for High School Girls
Aug 6 - 10, 2018
GirlsGetMath is a weeklong mathematics summer day-program for 9th and 10th grade high school girls in the Providence, RI area.
GirlsGetMath occurs in an encouraging environment that builds young women's confidence in math and science.
GirlsGetMath expands participants' understanding and knowledge of mathematics through computations and experimentations.
GirlsGetMath provides expert mathematical training and mentoring.
GirlsGetMath will become a replicable national model of mathematical outreach for high school girls, with an emphasis on mathematical experimentation.
This five-day non-residential mathematics program is open to high school girls who live in greater Rhode Island and who will be entering the 10th or 11th grade in the fall of 2018.
GirlsGetMath@ICERM encourages 20-25 young women to explore,... (more)
Organizing Committee
- Amalia Culiuc
- Katharine Ott
- Ulrica Wilson
![Image for "GirlsGetMath@ICERM: Summer Math Camp for High School Girls"](https://app.icerm.brown.edu/img/ggm2018_image.png)