Eleventh International Conference on Approximation Theory; May 18-22, 2004; Gatlinburg, TN

Vanderbilt University, Nashville TN

Investigators

Abstract

It is proposed to hold an international conference on Approximation Theory and Related Topics in Gatlinburg, TN on May 18-22, 2004. Approximately 200 mathematical scientists from academia, industry, and government laboratories from around the world are expected to participate. The conference would continue the tradition of holding a triennial meeting for workers in the field, and will be the eleventh in a series of similar conferences. These meetings have traditionally been the main general international conferences on this topic for more than 30 years. The meeting will feature 7 one-hour survey lectures on topics of current interest (including classical approximation, wavelets, multivariate splines, nonlinear approximation, neural networks, surface approximation, and the mathematics of imaging). In addition, it would provide a forum for the awarding of the Fourth Vasil A. Popov Prize in Approximation Theory. The winner will also present a one-hour survey lecture. The conference is planned for five days, and would result in a carefully reviewed and edited conference proceedings. The conference will bring together researchers and graduate students for in-depth discussions on all aspects of Approximation Theory, which is a subject with a long and rich history. Its current vitality is attested to by the large number of specialized conferences, new and well-established journals, and recently-founded research centers devoted to the subject. In addition to providing a forum for the exchange of ideas, the meeting will also help identify trends and areas for future research. The conference will help educate graduate students by exposing them to the latest research and helping them identify problems in approximation theory and related areas. Students, young researchers, minorities, and women will have the opportunity to meet leaders in the field, as well as to present their own research. Two-thirds of the requested funding will be devoted to supporting these groups, and senior researchers will be asked to help identify candidates to participate. In recent years approximation theory has found more and more applications in such diverse areas as computer-aided geometric design, image and signal processing, geophysical and medical modeling, PDE, robotics, and elsewhere. These applications have resulted in the development of several new subject areas of approximation theory, including neural networks, radial basis functions, and wavelets, and the subject has become more and more interdisciplinary. This research will have a major impact on medicine, science, engineering and information technology for years to come.