Date: Saturday 15 May 2010
Location: Northumbria University
The next Early Career Mathematicians Conference (previously the Younger Mathematicians Conference) of the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications will be held on Saturday 15th May 2010 at the Ellison Building, Northumbria University , Newcastle.
Early Career Mathematicians (ECMs) are defined as:
- Mathematicians within 15 years of graduating from a university mathematics degree
- Members of the IMA who do not have a degree and are within the first 15 years of the first time they joined the IMA.
The ECM group has been set up to promote mathematics to ECMs, and students of mathematics at university and provide an opportunity for them to network. Whilst it is expected that those defined as ECM and those who are students of mathematics at university will get the most out of this group’s events anyone can attend events run by the group.
The Conferences attract Mathematicians from around the UK, studying and working in Universities, Schools and in many sectors of Industry. The conferences are held twice a year giving delegates the opportunity to hear talks and participate in workshops on all aspects of Mathematics as well as networking with other mathematicians.
In between the talks will be plenty of time for eating and socialising with other like-minded Early Career Mathematicians as well as quizzing the speakers in more depth on their topics.
Come along for a great day of Mathematics!
Invited Speakers
Invited speakers include:
Lindsay-Marie Armstrong & Sharon Evans
Doctorate or professional mathematician: both paths considered
Abstract: The different career paths taken from the same masters course of two female mathematicians.
A glimpse of the early careers of two mathematicians who followed different routes after completing the same masters course. Lindsay Marie Armstrong is now in the final stages of her PhD in Energy Technology and Sharon Evans works as a CFD Engineer for Rolls-Royce. A review of the advantages and disadvantages of the different routes are considered whilst recapping the work required to reach these positions.
Gary Broughton
Introduction to Pseudo-Derivatives – A Computer Algebra Setting
Abstract: Loosly speaking, a derivative is an indication of how a function changes as its input changes. A pseudo-derivative is defined by considering an arbitrary automorphism of a function’s input and can be seen to be a generalisation of the derivative. This concept is an important one in a Computer Algebra setting as it can be seen to unify certain common properties of differential, difference and q-difference operators. Algorithms can be designed based on these general properties and specialised to specific operators. In this presentation, I shall outline the basic properties of pseudo-derivatives and show how to specialise to common linear operators. I shall then introduce and demonstrate an algorithm to compute certain types of solution of specific linear functional systems.
Nira Chamberlain
Dynamical Evolving Networks
Networks are all around us, but surprisingly natural and man-made networks share some common mathematical properties. How networks evolve has been an interest to researchers around the world, especially when linked to an evolutionary game. This talk is an exploration of this research field, its results and implications, hence the title, Dynamical Evolving Networks.
Robin Johnson
The most powerful tool available to the (applied) mathematician?
Most problems of any complexity, or importance, in applied mathematics (and physics and engineering), generated from fundamental principles, typically involve differential equations that cannot be solved in any general or complete sense. However, such problems often contain small parameters – the ratio of masses in planetary systems or the inverse Reynolds number in fluid mechanics, for example – and we can take advantage of this.
Any mathematician (or physicist or engineer), wishing to tackle such problems, will certainly need some familiar skills: algebraic manipulation, experience of working with functions, knowledge of ordinary and partial differential equations (and, in some cases, perhaps something more specific and special). But these are of little significance if the problem is simply too difficult to handle (and even a numerical approach usually requires some basic understanding of the underlying mathematical problem). A mathematical technique that was introduced around the beginning of the 20th Century, and which blossomed during the Second World War, enables considerable headway to be made in difficult problems containing small parameters.
This talk will introduce the ideas of singular perturbation theory by first considering very simple problems (e.g. elementary algebraic equations), and then developing the ideas through simple differential equations. We shall finish by outlining how these methods can be employed in the solution of more difficult and more important practical problems that arise in the physical systems that we encounter nowadays.
Ron Knott
Mathematical Experiments with the Fibonacci Numbers
Abstract: The Fibonacci Numbers and the Golden Ratio are rich in mathematical properties. We will see how they are used in nature but mainly we will perform our own experiments with number series to find Fibonacci properties.
Biography: Dr Ron Knott was a lecturer in Mathematics and Computing Science for many years at the University of Surrey. He set up an early website on the Fibonacci Numbers and the Golden Section to see how the web could be used to communicate mathematics . He continues to develop the site website which is now internationally acclaimed as well as talking on radio and at science festivals on mathematical topics usually related to Fibonacci and the golden ratio. He now lives near Manchester.
James McLaughlin
Magnetism made visible: Magnetohydrodynamics and the Solar Corona
Abstract: I am an applied mathematician, primarily interested in problems in the area of magnetohydrodynamics (MHD). My research involves solving nonlinear, three-dimensional, coupled systems of partial differential equations, under various physical assumptions. I approach these problems using both analytical techniques and a variety of numerical methods (including parallel computing).
The Sun acts as a unique laboratory, illustrating astrophysical MHD, and I am interested in applying the MHD equations to various problems in solar and astrophysical plasmas. I have a particular interest in MHD wave behaviour in inhomogeneous media. My current research involves numerical modelling of MHD wave activity in solar active regions and solar plumes, along with their comparison to satellite data.
This talk will cover the basic equations of magnetohydrodynamics, illustrate their surprisingly rich structure and demonstrate mathematical modelling of solar phenomenon, specifically MHD wave propagation in inhomogeneous media.
Biography: Dr James McLaughlin graduated from Durham University in 2002 with a M.Sci. Mathematics and Physics (joint honours) degree. He then moved to the University of St Andrews for his Ph.D. studies in Applied Mathematics (Solar Theory). After successfully defending his thesis entitled “MHD wave propagation in the neighbourhood of magnetic null points”, James accepted a postdoctoral position working as a research scientist at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, USA. Later, James returned to the University of St Andrews as a research fellow funded by a Leverhulme Trust Grant. In late 2009, he was appointed lecturer of applied mathematics at Northumbria University.
Robin Wilson
Euler — 300 years on
Programme
| 9.30 – 10.30 | Registration/Coffee |
| 10.00 – 10.05 | Introduction – Stephen Lee |
| 10.05 – 11.40 | Mathematical Experiments with the Fibonacci Numbers Ron Knott |
| 11.40 – 12.00 | Coffee |
| 12.00 – 12.40 | Introduction to Pseudo-Derivatives – A Computer Algebra Setting Gary Broughton (Kingston University, London) |
| 12.30 – 13.00 | Doctorate or professional mathematician: both paths considered Lindsay-Marie Armstrong (PhD student, University of Southampton) and Sharon Evans (Rolls-Royce Plc) |
| 13.00 – 14.00 | Lunch |
| 14.00 – 15.00 | The most powerful tool available to the (applied) mathematician? Robin Johnson (University of Newcastle Upon Tyne) |
| 15.00 – 15.45 | Dynamical Evolving Networks Nira Chamberlain (LSC Group) |
| 15.45 – 16.05 | Tea |
| 16.05 – 17.00 | Euler — 300 years on Robin Wilson (The Open University) |
| 17.00 – 17.45 | Magnetism made visible: Magnetohydrodynamics and the Solar Corona Dr James McLaughlin (Northumbria University) |
| 17.45 – 18.00 | Ben Dias, update on ECM group and Close |
Conference Fees
| IMA Member: | £20.00 |
| Non IMA Member: | £30.00 |
| Student: | £10.00 |
