KUMUNU 2012

University Of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia MO

Investigators

Abstract

The conference KUMUNU 2012 will be held at the University of Missouri-Columbia on September 22 and 23, 2012. KUMUNU is the annual weekend conference anchored by the University of Kansas (KU), University of Missouri (MU) and University of Nebraska (NU), which focuses on current research in commutative algebra, algebraic geometry and related areas of mathematics. The KUMUNU conference has a strong tradition of playing an important mentoring role for graduate students, recent PhD's and early career faculty in four year colleges in the extended midwest/great plains region. KUMUNU provides an annual venue for these groups to come together with senior researchers at KU, MU and NU along with two or three senior researchers from some institutions which are not so near. KUMUNU stimulates interactions by having a series of 6 talks on current research by established researchers and three talks by students expecting their doctorates this year, with ample time and opportunity for interaction outside of talks in an informal and friendly setting. In addition to faculty and students from KU, MU and NU, and other institutions from Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska, KUMUNU draws participants from neighboring states such as Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Oklahoma and North Dakota. Travel and lodging support, especially for graduate students and recent PhD's, is a key element for the success of KUMUNU in achieving one of its main goals of showcasing research of young faculty, helping enrich the research programs of recent PhD's and graduate students in commutative algebra and related fields by both formal and informal mentoring from experienced researchers. In addition, KUMUNU serves to enhance the existing strengths at these three institutions. The conference website is http://kumunu.missouri.edu For further information, one can also contact kumunu@missouri.edu The KUMUNU conference will provide an opportunity for mathematicians to interact and establish research connections with each other; in particular, the participants will benefit from the interaction and from seeing recent developments in the field and its relationships with other areas. The primary impacts of the conference will be its dissemination of recent ideas on an important topic: commutative algebra and algebraic geometry and the stimulation and enrichment of the research careers of the students and early career participants. Participants will take ideas from the conference back to their colleagues and students, stimulating further research and mathematical enrichment at their home institutions. The relatively small size of the meeting and its geographic and disciplinary focus will be particularly effective at enabling participants to establish productive collaborative relationships. Encouragement and mentoring that begins at the conference will significantly contribute to the success and professional development of early career mathematicians whether in research institutions or primarily teaching institutions.