Contrary to popular opinion, the School of Mathematics is home to some of the
University's most innovative programs, colorful personalities, & perplexing
research problems
As researchers nationwide confront the ever-growing number of issues
that emerge in scientific fields, they are searching for ways to
develop more accurate models, find better solutions, and discover
new research tools. Thanks to a unique program developed at the
University of Minnesota, they have increasingly enlisted the help
of unlikely allies—mathematicians.
Since 1982, the Institute for Mathematics and Its Applications
(IMA) has provided a unique meeting ground for scientists and mathematicians,
two groups that haven't historically worked closely together.
The only organization of its kind in the nation, the IMA draws
scientists, scholars, postdoctoral students, and industry experts
from around the world to study math and its application to other
fields.
During yearlong and summer programs, IMA members study a variety
of topics, ranging from materials science to scientific computation
to continuum physics to mathematical applications in
biology.
"The IMA was built on the concept of bringing scientists and
engineers together with mathematicians to study a variety of scientific
and mathematics issues,” says mathematics professor Willard
Miller, the institute's director since 1997.
With its rotating slate of research issues and visiting experts,
the IMA has built an unparalleled reputation as a center for innovative
mathematical collaboration.
The IMA hosts more than 100 visiting scholars and experts each
year, and another 900 attend its 12 weeklong workshops. In addition,
10 postdoctoral students remain on staff for a year to work with
professors and industry experts in workshops, seminars, and individual
research.
"The IMA brings the best people from different fields together
in a much better atmosphere to interact,” says Harold Layton,
a visiting professor from Duke University who is working on the
applications of math to renal physiology. “In many universities,
something like the IMA is unheard of."
"It's amazing how the IMA can bring people from different
parts of the country together to work on these projects,” adds
Carlos Castillo-Chavez, a visiting professor from Cornell University
who has worked with the IMA on the application of math to the spread
of diseases.
The idea behind the IMA dates back to 1978, when Miller—then
head of the School of Mathematics—learned that the National Science
Foundation (NSF) was soliciting proposals for a math institute that
would complement the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton University.
The NSF hoped to establish an institute with the flexibility to
change programs and to remain innovative, so Miller and his colleagues
submitted their idea for the IMA.
"Our concept was for an institute that would focus not only
on math but also look for ways to advance other fields,” says
Miller. “We would bring together people from all over the world,
and we would provide the facilities and atmosphere that would encourage
interaction between mathematicians and other scientists."
Miller and his colleagues were confident that their proposal would
be successful because IT's unique organizational structure—which
incorporates mathematics, science, and engineering in the same collegiate
unit—reflected a strong tradition of innovative, interdisciplinary
collaboration.
After scrutinizing more than a dozen proposals, the NSF awarded
the University one of two new mathematics centers. The IMA offered
its first program, Continuum and Statistical Approaches to Phase
Transition, in fall 1982.
Today, the IMA receives 60 percent of its $3.2 million annual budget
from the NSF. The remaining 40 percent comes from federal agencies,
corporations, the University, and a coalition of other educational
institutions.
The IMA's first director, Hans Weinberger, a mathematics professor
with a history of collaborative research, built the institute's
foundation. However, IMA officials attribute much of the institute's
success to Regents' Professor Avner Friedman, whose tenure as director
from 1987 to 1997 included many IMA milestones.
Friedman came to the University from Purdue because of the unique
opportunities offered by the IMA. Under his leadership, the IMA
introduced its summer program, added several new workshop topics,
and boosted efforts to work more closely with industry. Friedman
says the latter was his proudest accomplishment.
"We were able to bring industry and mathematics together,
and that was unique,” Friedman says. “There is nothing
like the IMA anywhere. After 17 years, it is still strong and always
moving on to new ideas."
In 1987 the IMA introduced a program that pairs postdoctoral students
with corporate partners like Medtronic, Honeywell, and IBM to solve
industrial problems.
According to Fadil Santosa, the IMA's associate director for industrial
programs, this arrangement helps students learn about opportunities
in industry and allows corporate participants to benefit from the
students' expertise.
"We train people with doctorates to have a choice between
industrial research and academic work,” says Santosa. “The
postdocs work on company problems half the time and on their own
research for the other half. Usually, both projects complement one
another."
"Industry is a source that we really haven't tapped into until
recently, and now it's very exciting,” adds Santosa.
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Computers have also transformed the IMA's programs. Although scientists
used to build prototypes to test their theories, much testing is
now performed using computer simulations, and mathematicians have
a major role to play in their creation and analysis.
This year—as part of the IMA's focus on mathematics in biology
—participants developed simulations that model heart rhythms and
the spread of AIDS in a human body. Researchers then used the models
in workshops to explore how mathematical applications might aid
in the search for a cure.
IMA participants also used mathematical models to study the level
of AIDS-infected cells in a body over an 11-year period, the average
life expectancy for someone with AIDS. They also used the models
to study the impact of vaccines on the population of infected cells.
IMA researchers also explored developmental biology, fluid mechanics
in biology, cancers, hormone control, and infectious diseases this
year.
According to Miller, specific criteria govern the selection of
IMA program topics. “The program must have a lot of opportunity
for mathematicians,” Miller says. “It must be of current
interest in one of the sciences, provide employment opportunities
for researchers, and it must be mathematically exciting."
Planning for IMA programs begins three or four years in advance,
says Miller. It usually takes that long to plan all the details
of the program, including invitations to participants.
Next year, the IMA will focus on reactive flow and transport phenomena,
followed by mathematics in multimedia, and then mathematics in geosciences.
Although some themes have been repeated, Miller says the work itself
always changes.
"There are always new problems and old problems that are evolving,”
he says.
Those new problems have made the IMA a hot spot for research. Since
the institute opened its doors, its programs have gradually grown
larger and more successful. Last September the IMA expanded into
spacious new offices on the fourth floor of Lind Hall.
The IMA concept is gaining popularity. Although some similar programs
are popping up in places like Delaware and North Carolina, Miller
still thinks the IMA is the premier institute of its kind. This
May the NSF announced that it would renew funding for the IMA through
2004.
Miller is excited by the opportunity to help others pursue their
mathematical research.
"The IMA plays a critical role in demonstrating the benefits
of mathematics research to society,” Miller says. “For
me, the most gratifying part has been the beneficial impact the
IMA has had on the lives of thousands of researchers."
