American Institute of Mathematics Research Conference Center: A Model for Collaboration

American Institute Of Mathematics, Pasadena CA

Investigators

Abstract

The American Institute of Mathematics (AIM) advances the frontiers of mathematical knowledge by fostering collaborations among diverse groups of researchers. AIM has been supported as an NSF Mathematical Sciences Research Institute since 2002, and hosts short, mathematically focused programs that complement the semester- and year-long programs of other NSF institutes. AIM's primary scientific programs are week-long focused workshops and small research groups called Structured Quartet Research Ensembles (SQuaREs). Approximately 750 mathematicians per year visit AIM for either a workshop or a SQuaRE. Since 2002, AIM has hosted more than 250 week-long focused workshops in all areas of the mathematical sciences. Three distinctive features of these week-long workshops are their focused topics, small size (25 to 30 researchers), and structured afternoon work time, including time for research in small groups. The SQuaREs program, introduced in 2007, supports collaborations of 4 to 6 researchers who meet multiple times for week-long intervals in order to make progress on an ambitious research agenda. The program encourages the development of new and lasting collaborations, particularly between junior and senior researchers, that produce exceptional mathematics. To further support the goals of the scientific programs, AIM has developed a set of web-based tools that enhance collaboration before, during, and after participants' time at AIM. These tools also contribute more broadly to mathematics research through helping disseminate progress to a larger community of interest, and have long-term potential for wider use by the mathematics community. Throughout its history, AIM has also supported a variety of Special Projects, including Research Experiences for Undergraduate Faculty (REUF), a program for undergraduate faculty who want to mentor undergraduate students in research; and the Math Teachers' Circle (MTC) Network, a national outreach program connecting K-12 mathematics teachers with research mathematicians. These projects contribute to the broader impacts of AIM's work as an institute and provide opportunities to form partnerships both within and beyond the mathematics community. During the project period, AIM will host approximately 2,500 mathematical scientists in 60 workshops and 90 SQuaREs that will advance knowledge in a broad spectrum of mathematical areas. Topics of past and upcoming workshops and SQuaREs include the fields and subfields of algebra, number theory, geometry, algebraic geometry, topology, analysis, combinatorics and probability, and applications to mathematical physics, mathematical biology, and to sustainability problems concerned with food, water, and transportation. It is anticipated that these programs will continue their established record of productivity, which during the current grant period has been an average of 2.9 publications resulting from each workshop and 3.7 from each SQuaRE. Broader scientific outcomes of AIM's programs include paving the way for new connections between fields of mathematics and new applications of the mathematical sciences to other areas. AIM's three overarching goals of broadening participation, increasing collaboration, and advancing mathematics produce broad impacts. Participant diversity is an important consideration at every stage of program selection and planning, and extensive effort is dedicated to creating a culture of full inclusion for all participants in each program's research activities. AIM also works to broaden participation in and raise public awareness about the mathematical sciences through Special Projects such as REUF, the MTC Network, and local outreach efforts. Finally, research collaboration tools disseminate the results of AIM programs and also have significant potential to contribute to the infrastructure supporting scientific collaboration more generally.