IPAM: Historical, UCLA, NSF,
Global Perspectives
Tony Chan
Hong Kong University of Science & Technology
Occasion of IPAM’s 10th birthday
Nov 2, 2010
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IPAM 10th Anniversary!
• Time to reflect on vision, inception & success
• Scientific impact has gone beyond math sci
• UCLA: Influence & contributions beyond Math
Dept & Physical Sci Division
• NSF: important infrastructure for Math Sci,
platform for interaction with other disciplines
• Global: US math institutes has inspired others
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Personal Perspectives
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Co-PI of proposal to NSF
UCLA Dept Chair at the time
IPAM Director 2000-2001
Dean of Physical Sci at UCLA 2001-2006
(including Math, Statistics Depts)
• NSF Assistant Director of Math & Phy Sci
(including Division of Math Sci)
• Now: HKUST President, building an IAS
• Most important: as a mathematician who has
participated in programs in many math institutes
globally
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Historical Perspective
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IPAM In The Beginning
• 1997 NSF Call For Proposal to re-bid Math
Institutes
• TC new Math Dept Chair
• Mark Green Administrative Vice Chair
• Eitan Tadmor: relatively new faculty
• First dept retreat F97 at Lake Arrowhead
(funded by Dean R. Peccei)
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Results of Arrowhead Retreat
• Bid for a new Math Institute at UCLA
• Other resolutions:
– Apply for NSF VIGRE
– Hire in Sympletic Geometry
– Compete for AMS Millennium Conference
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The UCLA IPAM Team
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The Original Vision
• Interface Between Pure & Applied Math
– Leverage dept strength & tradition
• Interface Between Math & Other Disciplines
• Complements, not compete with, 2 existing
math institutes (MSRI, IMA)
• Act as regional center
– Leverage So. Cal. math strength
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Reunion Conferences at Arrowhead
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Institute for Numerical Analysis at UCLA 1947-56
First National Math Institute at UCLA ?
Group of NBS Institute for Numerical Analysis researchers in 1950,
including Mark Kac, Edward J. McShane, J. Barkley Rosser, Aryeh
Dvoretzky, George G. Forsythe, John Todd, Olga Taussky-Todd,
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Everett C. Yowell (?), Wolfgang R. Wasow, and Magnus R.Hestenes.
History of NSF Math Institutes
• ~ 1973: Idea of creating an IAS-like Institute took
form within the Math section of NSF
• ~1974: Presented to the Assistant Director for
Research at NSF
• ~1975: Decision made to have Institute for
Theoretical Physics competition. Led to creation of
ITP (now KITP) at UCSB.
• More discussions for a Math Institute continue but
focus on the Math Section Advisory Committee
• 1977: Math Advisory Committee passes resolution
saying that an Institute would be a good thing but
only if it were “free”. (This resolution was
contentious).
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Science Aug 79
Science Aug 71
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July 1 1979 NYT
New York Times 7/1/79
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Lt. General William Odom
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Which Model for Math?
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A Name, A Logo, A Brand
• “IMPA” already taken (Brazil)
• SCMSRI: un-pronounceable!
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Space
• Original proposal: 8K sq ft on campus
• Career Center space became available
between proposal submission and site visit
• Dean Peccei secured the space for IPAM
on interim basis
• Frank Gehry designed, 1973
• Major renovation for institution functions
• Still in it after 10 years!
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The UCLA Big 5
EVC Rory Hume
Chancellor Al Carnesale
VCR Kumar Patel
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Dean Roberto Peccei
Provost Brian Copenhaver
We Won!!!
Celebratory Dinner (with spouses)
~ Dec 1998?
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Inauguration (Aug 5, 2000)
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Yenlin
The People
Who Really Ran
IPAM
Lynn
Carl
Eilish
Tufan
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Research in Industry Program for Students
(RIPS)
Bob Borrelli
Mike Raugh
(Modeled after Harvey Mudd Math Clinic)35
First 4 RIPS (Summer 2001)
Mateo Pellegrini
Dave Wasson, Egbert Tse
Protein Pathways
Arete
Mark Gyure
Doug Roble
HRL
Digital Domain
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VIP NSF Visitors
Arden Bement, Debbie Lockhart
Bill Rundell
Phillippe Tondeur
Chris Stark
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Directors of IPAM
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Director of Special Projects
Deputy Directors
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Huai-Dong Cao
Allon Percus
Christian Ratsch
Jichun Li
Amber Puha
Chair, Science Advisory Board
Chair, Board of Trustees
Peter Jones (Yale)
Fred Wan (UCI)
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Mac Hyman
Al Hales
Impact
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UCLA Math: increased stature & visibility
UCLA - models for others: CENS, CCB, CNSI
Regional – So. Cal.’s only nat’l math institute
National - NSF infrastructure for Math Sci
International
– Model for other new institutes
– Participants from around the world
– RIPS Beijing, Berlin
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Scientific Impact
• Fulfills vision of bridging math sci & other
disciplines: Life & medical sci, computer science,
humanities & social science, material, chemistry,
physics (now trend of other math institutes)
• Played a role in major developments: e.g.
compressive sensing, math of internet,
predictive policing, etc.
• Helped launch young mathematicians’ careers.
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UCLA Perspective
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Note:
IPAM
Inaugur
ation
same
month
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IPAM
helped
CENS PI
Debra
Estrin in
preparing
CENS
proposal
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Summer graduate school at IPAM
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NSF Perspective
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Math Institutes as National
Infrastructure
• Infrastructure to enable collaborative research,
advance frontiers
• Provides support to enable conference
participation for many mathematicians
• Career opportunities for junior researchers
• Enables NSF to reach into math sci community,
quickly: e.g. CDI workshops, ARRA postdocs.
• Provides platform for getting support from other
sources, e.g. NIH, NGA, industry,
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DMS FY 2009 (~$224) ARRA
(~$98M)
250
200
150
ARRA
FY 2009
100
50
0
ARRA
FY 2009
IIA
Workforce
Institutes
Other
71.48
26.43
0.1
0
154.84
35.16
24.51
9.2
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NSF Support as a Percentage of Total
Federal Support of Academic Basic
Research
(excluding NIH)
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OLPA-29
US Government Support for Math Sci
• National Science Foundation (DMS, CISE,…) 46%
– Only agency supporting basic math sci research
– Primarily source of $ for academic research
• Dept of Defense (AFOSR, ARO, ONR, DARPA)
20%
• Dept of Energy (ASCR, SciDAC) 18%
• National Institute of Health (NIGMS, NIBIB,…)
• Intelligence agencies: NSA, NGA, CIA,..
• Total = $537M in FY2010
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Trends in Basic Research by Agency
billions of constant FY 2006 dollars
FY 1975-2007
Source: AAAS analyses of R&D in AAAS Reports I-XXXI. FY 2007 figures are President’s request. Basic
research only. March ’06 © 2006 AAAS.
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OLPA-26
Why Should Society Support Math Sci Research?
• Government:
– Investment in basic science, with long term return for society
– National needs: economy, health, energy, climate, defense,
disasters
– Globally competitive S&T workforce
– Intellectual achievements alone insufficient
– “Interdisciplinary” necessary, but also insufficient
• Industry:
– Basic R&D, supports other units in company
– Mathematicians is a good talent pool, versatile.
• Private Philanthropy:
– Intellectual interest; “truth”, “beauty”, “applicability”
– Appreciates one of highest forms of human achievements
– Legacy, history
• Math is inexpensive: good return on investment!!
• Math has an “image” problem: hard, behind the scene
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The Fundamental Principle
• “If you expect the public and elected
officials to support your research, you
have an obligation to help them
understand why it is in their – not your
interest to do so” --- from Lewis Burke (a
DC lobbying firm)
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BMSA 6/17/2010 Chair: Tom Everhart Co-Chair: Mark Green.
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Proactive Actions by Math Sci Community
• Understand and play in the political process
– SIAM Sci Policy Committee; AMS DC Rep Sam Rankin
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Articulate relevance of math sci to society
Present a unified and consistent message
Be “inclusive” in what is Math Sci
Partner with other disciplines
Emphasize intellectual depth, enabling nature to
other fields and workforce training
• Consider international benchmarking
• Cultivate public interest in math sci
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Global Perspective
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Math Institutes around the World
• IMS Singapore 10th Anniversary July 2010
• IHES 50th Anniversary 2008?
• In China:
– Mainland: Nankai, Zhejiang U, Morningside, PKU, Tsinghua IAS,
Oberwolfach-like center in Hainan
– HK: CU, HKUST IAS
• East Asia: Korea IAS, Japan Kyoto, Industrial math….
• International Math Sci Institutes – 59 members as of Apr
2010 **** check
• Math Institutes are inexpensive, indirectly funds many
mathematicians, easy for mathematicians to travel (no
labs!), mathematicians increasingly collaborative
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Math Institutes in China
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HKUST Institute for Advanced Studies
Visiting Members:
M. Atiyah
R. Glowinski
G. Papanicolaou
p.68
T. Hou
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Happy
th
10
Birthday
IPAM!
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