Canada-China Workshop on
Industrial Mathematics
May 22-25, 2005
Overview
Mathematics of Information
Technology and Complex Systems
Arvind Gupta, Scientific Director
Science and industry
Mathematization of Science
Economic Spin-offs
New Problems
Mathematization of Industry
Math through the ages
 The root of innovation
 A framework for systems too:
• complicated to study by observation
• large for conventional tools
• fragile to disturb with experiments
• costly to deal with in an ad-hoc fashion
Archimedes’ principle
Archimedes’ model
Galileo – The heretic
1564-1642
The Newtonian revolution
(1642-1727)
A quantum leap
Newtonian mechanics
Quantum mechanics
Fluid flows for car design
Simulating buoyancy
Quantum Computing
The Canadian Response
MITACS: The Mathematics of Information
Technology and Complex Systems
What is MITACS!
 One of 18 Networks of Centres of Excellence
 Fund applied mathematical sciences research
 Generate mathematical methodologies:
 With partners
 Ensure important economic and social benefits
 2005-06 funding:
 $5.4M Federal government
 $3.0M Partner organizations
Why MITACS?
 Change academic and industry cultures
 High quality applied research
 High scientific standards
 Active involvement with partners
 Multi-disciplinary, multi-regional teams
 Ensure Canada at the forefront
Our Goals
 Benefits to Canadian industry and society
 Strong links between:
 Mathematical sciences community
 Key non-academic partners
 Enhanced skill sets for Canadian students
Who we are
 335 scientists
 32 academic disciplines
 38 Canadian universities
 550 students and post-docs
 155 partners
 5 themes
 32 projects
Our focus
Biomedical and Health
Communications, Networks and Security
Environment and Natural Resources
Information Processing
Risk and Finance
Research Projects
MITACS Projects
 National, ongoing
 Avg. annual funding: ~$200K
 Excellent science
 Involve multiple universities
 High potential for technology transfer
 Strong training component
 Partners provide > 25% funding
Partnerships
ST PAUL'S
HOSPITAL
Financial CAD®
And more …
Case Studies
Fuel cell basics
Problems in fuel cell
construction
Atrial fibrillation
 Irregular heartbeats
 >200,000 Canadians suffer
 6-18 times more likely to have a stroke
 AF is the leading cause of strokes
 Strokes cost ~$3B to Canadian economy
Heart basics
Electrical signals in the heart
Atrial fibrillation
Mathematics models electrical
signals in the heart
Normal beating heart:
Regular patterns in excitable medium.
Heart in fibrillation:
Chaotic behavior of excitable medium.
Experimenting with real human hearts isn’t possible.
Experimenting with accurate mathematical models is.
Models have led to new understanding.
Security through mathematics
Small Business: The
Economic Engine
The future is mathematics
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Fluid Flows
Fires
Climate
Oceanography
Electromagnetics
Materials
Chemical processes
Nuclear devices
Crop Growth
Biological Processes
Epidemics
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Ecology
Genetics
Life
Stock Markets
Economics
Transportations
Psychology
Nanotechnology
Music/Video
Home Appliances
Privacy
Selected Other Programs
Graduate Research Internships
 Industry connection through grad. students
 Student, supervisor, organization:
 Identify mathematical research problem
 Develop a work plan
 Student spends ~2 months at partner site
 Returns to university to do research
 Funded 50-50 between MITACS/industry
Graduate Training Schools
 One to two weeks lon
 Focused on MITACS theme areas
 11 Schools offered in 2004-2005
 Sample schools:
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Canadian Bioinformatics workshops
Modeling infectious disease transmission
Quantum Information Processing
Analysis of ecological systems
Mathematical finance
Round Tables
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Two day industry-university workshops
Focus on one issue
Equal participation from industry/academia
Formulate long-term plans for future activities
Sample Round Tables:
 Data Mining
 Energy
 Aerospace
 Pharmaceuticals
 Resource Extraction
International Programs
 Scientific Exchanges
 First exchange launched with China
 4 month to 12 month visits
 Exploring new exchanges with others
 Joint workshops and conferences
 Joint summer schools
Banff International Research
Station (BIRS)
Mathematics: A living discipline
A platform for our imagination
Paul Carlson