42nd Annual WKU Mathematics Symposium
42nd Annual Mathematics Symposium
Western Kentucky University
November 18 - 19, 2022
Location: Ogden College Hall and Snell Hall
Time: 3:00-8:05pm on Friday & 8:00am-12:00pm on Saturday
Click here for the complete schedule, abstracts, and photos.
Plenaries
Dr. Ann Almgren
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Day/Time: Friday, November 18, 4:00-4:50pm
Title: From Soap Bubbles to Supernovae: Harnessing the Power of Mathematics for High Performance Computing
Abstract: Mathematics has always played a critical role in scientific discovery through computing. The increasing power and heterogeneity of modern computer architectures provide the opportunity to understand physical systems with higher and higher fidelity. But as the range of length and time scales we want to probe becomes ever greater and the number of different types of physical processes we need to model becomes larger and more varied, the challenge grows along with the opportunity. Mathematics provides the key to meeting this challenge; it allows us to decompose complex problems into their core elements and express how these elements are coupled, and to abstract physical processes into equations and design algorithms to solve them. In addition, casting problems in the language of mathematics exposes the commonality between diverse applications; we can exploit this commonality to capture complex algorithms in efficient high-performance software that can be used to solve a wide variety of problems.
Biography: Dr. Ann Almgren is a Senior Scientist in CCSE and the Department Head of the Applied Mathematics Department in the Applied Mathematics and Computational Research Division. Her primary research interest is in computational algorithms for solving PDEs in a variety of application areas. Her current projects include the development and implementation of new multiphysics algorithms in high-resolution adaptive mesh codes that are designed for the latest multicore architectures. She is a SIAM Fellow, the Deputy Director of the ECP AMReX Co-Design Center, and serves on the editorial boards of CAMCoS and IJHPCA. Prior to coming to LBL she worked at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, NJ, and at Lawrence Livermore National Lab.
Dr. Brenda Rubenstein
Brown University
Day/Time: Saturday, November 19, 11:00-11:50am
Title: How the Magic of Random Numbers Can Be Harnessed to Reveal the Secrets of Materials
Abstract: Quantum materials manifest a wide array of fascinating properties, including exotic magnetism, superconductivity, and topology, that promise to transform modern devices and sensors. However, the properties of these materials are notoriously difficult to predict, as doing so requires solving the Schrodinger Equation to high accuracy. While years of painstaking theoretical efforts have produced a wide array of techniques for solving this equation, including Density Functional Theory, Coupled Cluster Theory, and a variety of perturbation theories, many of these theories struggle to maintain their accuracy while describing comparatively large systems containing hundreds of electrons or more. In this talk, I will describe how, somewhat counterintuitively, the use of random numbers in Quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) techniques can dramatically accelerate and increase the scale at which the Schrodinger Equation may be solved. I will then discuss the fascinating array of properties these stochastic techniques can reveal about 2D quantum materials. Finally, I will close with an overview of the possible paths theories can take to successfully describing large, complex solids and how techniques that use random numbers fit into this evolving picture.
Biography: Dr. Brenda Rubenstein is currently an Associate Professor of Chemistry at Brown University. While the focus of her work is on developing new electronic structure methods, she is also deeply engaged in rethinking computing architectures and biophysics. Prior to arriving at Brown, she was a Lawrence Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellow at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. She received her Sc.B.s in Chemical Physics and Applied Mathematics at Brown University, her M.Phil. in Computational Chemistry while a Churchill Scholar at the University of Cambridge, and her Ph.D. in Chemical Physics at Columbia University. Prof. Rubenstein and her research have received such honors as the Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship, the Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award, and the Cottrell Teacher-Scholar Award. She is always interested in working with the larger community to increase access to higher education.
Registration and Submission Information
Registration is free for the WKU Mathematics Symposium!
DEADLINE HAS PASSED
Simply send the abstracts to attila.por@wku.edu by Friday, November 11th, 2022 5:00pm including:
- Name of Presenter(s)
- Affiliation(s)
- Position(s): Undergraduate Student/Graduate Student/Gatton Student/Faculty/Other
- Title
- Abstract
Symposium Comittee
Chair of the Organizing Committee: Dr. Attila Por
Committee Members: Dr. Dominic Lanphier, Dr. Samangi Munashinge, Dr. Lan Nguyen, Dr. Ozkan Ozer, Dr. Richard Schugart
Sponsored by:
WKU Mathematics Department
Ogden College of Science & Engineering
Gatton Academy of Math & Science
WKU SIAM Student Chapter
WKU AMS Student Chaper
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