NEW ZEALAND INSTITUTE OF MATHEMATICS AND ITS APPLICATIONS (NZIMA) Newsletter 1 November 2003 1. Message from Co-Directors Marston Conder and Vaughan Jones 2. New Thematic Programmes 3. Maclaurin Fellowships 4. Information on scholarships and other support 5. High Performance Computing 6. NZIMA Logo 7. NZIMA Annual Report 8. Forthcoming conferences in the mathematical sciences in NZ 1. WELCOME MESSAGE FROM THE TWO CO-DIRECTORS Welcome to the first of what we plan to be a regular (quarterly) series of newsletters from the New Zealand Institute of Mathematics and its Applications (NZIMA). The NZIMA was established last year as one of seven Centres of Research Excellence selected in 2002 by the New Zealand government for special support and recognition. Hosted by the University of Auckland, the NZIMA is modelled on similar mathematical research institutes in other countries, notably the Fields Institute (Canada), MSRI (Berkeley), and the Newton Institute (UK). Our broad aims involve fostering research of the highest possible quality in the mathematical sciences in NZ, through the support of thematic programmes, research fellowships, scholarships, visitors, conferences and other stimulating activity. You can find out more from our website http://www.nzima.auckland.ac.nz This newsletter will contain information about many of the NZIMA's activities and future oportunities. We hope you will find it both interesting and helpful. Marston Conder and Vaughan Jones Co-Directors of the NZIMA 2. THEMATIC PROGRAMMES The NZIMA recently made decisions regarding support for new thematic programmes for 2004/05. The three chosen are: Combinatorics & its applications, directed by Paul Bonnington (U Auckland) & Geoff Whittle (VU Wellington) Second half of 2004 NZIMA website link: http://www.nzima.auckland.ac.nz/Programmes.html#CA Dynamical systems & numerical analysis, directed by Robert McLachlan (Massey U) Mid-2004 NZIMA website link: http://www.nzima.auckland.ac.nz/Programmes.html#DSNA Programme website: http://www.math.waikato.ac.nz/~rua/dsna.html Geometry: interactions with algebra & analysis, directed by Gaven Martin (U Auckland) & Eamonn O'Brien (U Auckland) First half of 2005 NZIMA website link: http://www.nzima.auckland.ac.nz/Programmes.html#GIAA Information on all current and upcoming programmes can be found on the NZIMA website at http://www.nzima.auckland.ac.nz/Programmes.html **************************************************************** * The NZIMA is now calling for preliminary proposals for new * * thematic programmes for 2005/06, with a closing date of * * 15 March 2004. For further details, see * * * * http://www.nzima.auckland.ac.nz/Funding.html#Progs * **************************************************************** 3. MACLAURIN FELLOWSHIPS The NZIMA has established a small number of short-term research fellowships, called Maclaurin Fellowships (named after Richard Cockburn Maclaurin, who was a New Zealand mathematician who served as President of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the early 1900s). These fellowships have been established to enable mathematical scientists from NZ or worldwide to take time out from their usual occupations and undertake full-time research in New Zealand (or partly overseas if based in NZ). Full Maclaurin Fellowships for 2004/05 have been awarded to Dr Rod Gover (University of Auckland), for one year Prof. Mike Steel (University of Canterbury), for one year. Also a visiting Maclaurin Fellowship was recently awarded to Prof. Hal Caswell (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution), who will be spending 3 months in New Zealand from December 2003. **************************************************************** * The NZIMA is now calling for applications or nominations * * for 1-, 2- or 3-month visiting Maclaurin Fellowships for * * 2004/05, with a closing date of 31 January 2004, and * * applications or nominations for full Maclaurin Fellowships * * for 2005/06, with a closing date of 15 March 2004. * * For further details, see * * * * http://www.nzima.auckland.ac.nz/Funding.html#Macl * **************************************************************** 4. INFORMATION ON SCHOLARSHIPS AND OTHER SUPPORT The following scholarships are currently available for research students based in New Zealand: - Masters and PhD Scholarships in Industrial Mathematics See: http://www.massey.ac.nz/~wwiims/research/cmi/cmi_pgschol.html - Masters and PhD Scholarships in Dynamical Sytems & Numerical Analysis See: http://www.math.waikato.ac.nz/~rua/dsna/topics.html Scholarship support is also expected to be available through the other NZIMA thematic programmes running in 2004/05, and during 2004 a call will be made for applications or nominations for a small number of full or partial scholarships to be awarded on a merit basis (not tied to thematic programmes) to postgraduate research students enrolled in mathematical science departments in NZ universities, from 2005. In addition: **************************************************************** * The NZIMA is now calling for applications for small grants * * (of up to about NZ$5000) to support other forms of * * mathematical research activity in NZ, such as specialist * * conferences or workshops, or visits to NZ by eminent * * researchers in the mathematical sciences, with a closing * * date of 31 January 2004. For further details, see * * * * http://www.nzima.auckland.ac.nz/Funding.html#Small * **************************************************************** 5. HIGH PERFORMANCE COMPUTING The NZIMA is pleased to be able to help facilitate access by researchers in the mathematical sciences in NZ to high-performance computing platforms, as follows: - A Silicon Graphics Origin 3400 (with 16 R14000 processors) and an IBM Regatta P690 (with 32 processors) housed at the University of Auckland's Bioengineering Institute - information about access and charging is available from http://www.bioeng.auckland.ac.nz/resources/hpc.php#sec_education - The HELIX Beowulf-class cluster supercomputer (comprising 66 dual- processor AMD Athlon computing nodes connected to each other using dual gigabit Ethernet networking), created by the Allan Wilson Centre for Molecular Ecology and Evolution, and housed at Massey University's Albany campus - information about access and charging is available from http://awcmee.massey.ac.nz/helix-service.htm In each case charging depends on the type of usage (whether educational/academic or commercial) and the amount of usage. The NZIMA is assisting with the annual costs of leasing the IBM Regatta P690 computer. 6. NZIMA LOGO Earlier this year a competition was held for the creation of a suitable logo for the NZIMA. The winning design was based on an entry submitted by Dr Mike Thomas (of the Mathematics Education Unit at the University of Auckland) and further development by Margaret Woolgrove (the NZIMA's Executive Administrator). Congratulations and thanks to Mike and to Margaret! The logo has a stylized koru unfurling in a Fibonacci spiral in order to represent both New Zealand and mathematics. See: http://www.nzima.auckland.ac.nz/Logo_Info.html 7. NZIMA ANNUAL REPORT The NZIMA's first annual report has been completed, and approved by the Governing Board. See: http://www.nzima.auckland.ac.nz/Reports.html 8. FORTHCOMING CONFERENCES IN THE MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES IN NZ 23-27 November 2003 Remarkable Delta 03, Queenstown See: http://www.maths.otago.ac.nz/delta03 3-10 January 2004 NZMRI Summer meeting on Computational Algebra & Number Theory, Tahunanui Beach, Nelson See: http://www.math.auckland.ac.nz/Conferences/2004/NZMRI 11-16 January 2004 Logic and Computation Workshop, Tahunanui Beach, Nelson See: http://www.cllc.vuw.ac.nz/LandCworkshop.shtml/ 26-30 January 2004 Mathematics-in-Industry Study Group, at the University of Auckland See: http://iims.massey.ac.nz/research/cmi 9-14 February 2004 Victoria International Conference 2004 (VIC 2004), Wellington See: http://www.mcs.vuw.ac.nz/~mathmeet/vic2004/ 15-20 February 2004 International Phylogeny Conference at Tongariro National Park See: http://www.math.canterbury.ac.nz/bio/doom04/ SUBSCRIBING AND UNSUBSCRIBING Please forward the NZIMA newsletter to any non-subscriber to whom the material may be relevant and who may wish to receive the publication regularly. To join or to have your name removed from the mailing list, just send an email to nzima-admin@nzima.auckland.ac.nz