International Conference on Interdisciplinary Applied and Computational Mathematics

Michigan State University, East Lansing MI

Investigators

Abstract

The proposed International Conference on Interdisciplinary Applied and Computational Mathematics is a five-day conference to be held June 17-21, 2011 at Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China. This conference will bring together leading researchers in the world to discuss recent advances on Multiscale, Multiphysics, and Stochastic Modeling, Analysis and Computation of Direct, Inverse, and Imaging Problems and Applications. The conference focuses on three related topics. The first is the development of multi-scale, multiphysics modeling, analysis, and computation techniques that are critically important for the simulation and design of nano materials and fabrications. The second is the integration of inverse problem techniques with imaging analysis methods for important physical processes that arise in nondestructive testing, optical imaging, near-field microscopy, and nano/bio imaging. The third is the uncertainty quantification of the large scale problems focusing on imaging and inverse problems in random media as well as numerical solutions of stochastic partial differential equations. There will be about three plenary speakers each day, giving 1-hour talks. While the plenary speakers are predominantly from a mathematical background, many of the local speakers will be form an experimental background. Also there will be three introductory talks which lay out the nature of the challenges in each area, and a forward looking session at the end of the conference. A poster session will be available to graduate students and postdocs for advertising their research results. The NSF fund will be used to support US-based scientists (mostly junior researchers) for attending the conference and exchanging new ideas in various application areas. Recent innovative developments of the multi-scale, multi-physics modeling and computational methods, inverse problem methods, and imaging techniques are applicable to describe many other physical processes and will have impact on the modeling and computation of the models in computational biology, multi-scale modeling of materials science, nano technology, and imaging science. Advances in these fields will greatly contribute to the development nano technologies for solar energy harvesting, medical imaging and therapeutics. Many physical systems, devices and processes of importance to science and engineering are not very well understood and controlled due to uncertainty in physical models and their parameters, multi-scale material properties, the operating environment, or measurement. While numerical simulations offer a viable alternative for critical decision making, simulation uncertainties from physical, analytical, or numerical errors must be characterized and managed. General and efficient mathematical models and novel computational algorithms must be developed for modeling multi-scale, multi-physics processes with appropriate control of uncertainty. The understanding of the role of stochastic effects on the direct, inverse, and imaging problems will have broad impact on the advancement of these key areas of scientific study. By combining these areas into a focused conference, and interspersing theoretical, applied, and computational talks, we hope to promote a cross-fertilization between scientists with various disciplinary backgrounds. By outlining the potential impact that theoretical tools can have on the most salient issues of our day, the workshop will influence and invigorate the educational efforts at the institutions of the speakers and workshop participants.