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Report on the “Workshop on polynomial systems and polynomial modelling” held at the University of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

Previously intended for 18-22 January 2016, the workshop on polynomial systems and polynomial modelling was finally held from 23-27 May 2016 at the IUFIC (located at the Université Ouaga II, Burkina Faso). This deferment was caused by Ouagadougou terrorist attack on the 15th January 2016.

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The lectures were based on introducing classical tools for handle polynomial systems problems. The first lecture dealt with constructive commutative algebra based on Henri LOMBARDI and Claude QUITTE book. The second lecture was an introduction to semi-algebraic geometry. It introduced important results for counting real roots of a polynomial in R[X]. Moreover, the first properties of semi-algebraic sets and semi-algebraic morphisms were studied. The main lecture was given by Professor Michel COSTE from Université de Rennes 1 (FRANCE). He gave an example of polynomial modelling encountered in robotics area. He has emphasized how the abstract machinery of the first two lectures could be used to solve these concrete robotic modelling problems.

 

Besides the planned lectures, some participants have given some talks related to their own research interests.

 

AMMSI Phillip Griffiths Prize Winners 2016

AMMSI Phillip Griffiths Prize Winners 2016.JPGThe African Mathematical School was co-organized at the University of Bamenda in Cameroon with the Pole of Research in Mathematics and their Application to Information Security PRMAIS (www.prmasi.org) from the 06 June to 17 June 2016.

The titles of the African Mathematical School were:

1- Mathematics Applied to Cryptology and Information Security

2- Improve the Teaching of Mathematics with Computer Software and Technological Tools

The school was organized under the patronage of the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bamenda and under the scientific coordination of Dr. Fouotsa Emmanuel, permanent lecturer in the department of Mathematics.

More information can be found here.

AMMSI Phillip Griffiths Prize Winners 2016

Winners of the inaugural AMMSI-Phillip Griffiths Prize were announced in Nairobi, Kenya on 19th April 2016. The award comprises a certificate with a citation on thwinner's scientific achievement as well as a cash prize of USD 6,000.

The two winners are:

Professor Omar El-Fallah: For outstanding contribution to mathematics in the areas of Banach algebras, reflexivity of operators and Dirichlet spaces as well as his role in educating and mentoring the next generation of African mathematicians. Omar El-Fallah is a full professor at the Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Sciences, University Mohammed V Rabat, Morocco. He is also the Director, Laboratory of Analysis and Application.

Professor Edward Lungu: For outstanding contribution to mathematics in the area of mathematical modelling of HIV/AIDS as well as his role in educating and mentoring the next generation of African mathematicians. Edward Lungu is a full professor at the Department of Mathematics, Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST), Palapye, Botswana, which he joined recently having served many years at the University of Botswana, Gaborone. He is also the Principal Investigator in the Simons Foundation Africa Mathematics Project (AMP) entitled, "Research and Graduate Studies in Mathematics and its Applications: A Network Approach (RGSMA)".

The announcement was made by Prof Phillip Griffiths with the assistance of Prof. Wandera Ogana , Secretary / Executive Director of AMMSI, during the conference of the Regional Initiative in Science Education (RISE)

Find out more: AMMSI Official Website

Pre - Announcement of the IMU Breakout Graduate Fellowship

Thanks to a generous donation by the winners of the Breakthrough Prizes in Mathematics – Ian Agol, Simon Donaldson, Maxim Kontsevich, Jacob Lurie, Terence  Tao and Richard Taylor – IMU with the assistance of FIMU (Friends of the IMU)  and TWAS (The World Academy of Sciences) is launching a fellowship program to  support postgraduate studies, in a developing country, leading to a PhD degree  in the mathematical sciences. The IMU Breakout Graduate Fellowships will offer a  limited number of grants for excellent students from developing countries.

Professional mathematicians are invited to nominate highly motivated and  mathematically talented students from developing countries who plan to complete a doctoral degree in a developing country, including their own home country.

Nominees must have a consistently good academic record from the high school level and must be seriously interested in pursuing a career of research and  teaching in mathematics.

For a nomination to be eligible, the country of citizenship of the student, the country of residency and the country where the study will take place must be contained in the list of Developing Countries as defined by IMU.

The nominiation will be possible from the 22nd of April to the 22nd of June, 2016 via an online nomination form on this website.

Due to technical issues the IMU Breakout Fellowship Program will be launched on 22 April and will be open until 22 June.

Call for Applications for African Mathematicians and departments in Africa to support mathematics and its teaching in universities in Africa

AMMSI-Phillip Griffiths Prize: 2016  

The AMMSI-Phillip Griffiths Prize is to be awarded annually, starting in 2016, to an African mathematician, living in Africa, who has made outstanding contribution to mathematics, application of mathematics or promotion of mathematics, as evidenced by research and its impact. The award comprises a certificate with a citation on the winner’s scientific achievement as well as a cash prize of USD 6,000. The deadline for receipt of nominations is 5th March 2016.
The Prize has been made possible through a grant to AMMSI by Professor Phillip Griffiths occasioned by his reception of the Chern Prize in 2014. For more details please see www.ammsi.org.

AMMSI-Phillip Griffiths Travel Grant

The AMMSI-Phillip Griffiths Travel Grant is to be awarded annually, starting 2016, to an African mathematician, living in Africa, to enable him or her visit an international research partner for a period of 1 to 3 months. In case of matching support from the host institution, the period may be extended as appropriate. The program is designed to offer the opportunity for research to mathematicians in the early stages of their professional careers. The maximum amount of the award is USD 5,000.  The deadline for receipt of applications is 5th March 2016. It has been made possible through a grant to AMMSI by Professor Phillip Griffiths occasioned by his reception of the Chern Prize in 2014. For more details please see www.ammsi.org.

MARM: CALL FOR PROSPECTIVE DEPARTMENTS IN AFRICA

Mentoring African Research in Mathematics (MARM) is a cooperative programme of the London Mathematical Society (LMS) and the International Mathematical Union (IMU), in association with  and the African Mathematics Millennium Science Initiative (AMMSI).  The scheme focuses on building infrastructure and networking in mathematics in Africa.  It has now been in operation for a number of years and details of the existing projects can be found on the website www.lms.ac.uk/grants/marm-projects. MARM is now seeking applications, from departments in Africa, for grants to support mathematics and its teaching in universities in Africa during 2016-17.  Four mentoring partnerships are to be awarded, each for a duration of two years.  For more details please see www.ammsi.org.

 

CDC Supports mathematical leaders from Nepal

CDC has supported 12 mathematical leaders from Nepal to participate from August 31 to September 8, 2015, in Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) in the SEAMS School "Number Theory and Applications in Cryptography and Coding Theory" which was organized at the Department of Computer Science at HCMC Ho Chi Minh City University of Science.

This SEAMS school allowed them to regroup and make plans for moving forward, as well as sharing the needs of the Nepalese math community with their colleagues from other countries within the region. This contributed to connect mathematicians from Nepal with mathematicians from Vietnam and neighbouring countries and to help them to make plans for support and regional projects after the earthquake that had hit Nepal recently.

More pictures can be found here.

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Ramanujan Prize for Young Mathematicians from Developing Countries 2015

05-01-2015.pngIt is our pleasure to announce that the winner of the 2015 Ramanujan Prize for Young Mathematicians from Developing Countries is Dr. Amalendu Krishna of India’s Tata Institute for Fundamental Research.
 
The prize is in recognition of  Krishna's outstanding contributions in the area of algebraic K-theory, algebraic cycles and the theory of motives.
 
In his work Krishna has shown an impressive command of a very technical subject, applying the modern theories of algebraic K-theory and Voevodsky’s theory of motives to study concrete problems.
 
His results on 0-cycles on algebraic varieties with isolated singularities effectively reduces their study to the corresponding study on the desingularization, together with information about multiples of the exceptional divisors.  This allows the complete calculation of the Chow group of 0-cycles on an algebraic variety in many cases, like the case of rational varieties or cones.
 
Working initially with Levine, and later with Park, Krishna built up the original constructions of Bloch-Esnault on additive Chow groups into a full theory. This includes proving fundamental properties, such as the contravariant functoriality and a projective bundle formula, as well as constructing an action of the usual higher Chow groups on the additive ones.
 
The 2015 Ramanujan Prize Selection Committee comprised:
- Maryam Mirzakhani
- Ngaiming Mok
- Duong H. Phong
- Madabusi S. Raghunathan
- Fernando Rodriguez Villegas (Chair)

CDC 2015-2018 Meeting in Berlin, March 12 and 13, 2015

The CDC 2015-2018 meet March 12 and 13, 2015 in the IMU Secretariat. Key issues discussed included the new CDC Grant Selection Committee, new programs and the distribution of a special IMU Grant for projects in developing countries. Follow this website to keep updated about the new programs of CDC for developing and non- affluent countries.

On March 13th the CDC met also with the IMU-EC 2015-2018.

South African mathematician elected as next President of the International Council for Science

Professor Daya Reddy, a South African mathematician and ICM 2014 Invited Lecturer, was on September 3rd 2014, as next President of the International Council for Science (ICSU). Reddy will take over from the current ICSU President, Gordon McBean, in October 2017.

Sir John Ball (UK), former IMU President and Professor Manuel de León (Spain), IMU EC member were elected as Ordinary Members.

They were elected by representatives from ICSU’s 120 National Members and 31 Scientific Unions attending the conclusion of ICSU’s 31st General Assembly in Auckland, New Zealand. Congratulations!

Find out more: ICSU Official Website