Pianos, Plants and Pasta: Their Impact on Mathematics
Dr Bob Anderssen (CSIRO Mathematical and Information Sciences)
MSI Network for Applications of Mathematics & StatisticsDATE: 2006-05-22
TIME: 12:00:00 - 13:00:00
LOCATION: Coombs Lecture Theatre (building #8a)
CONTACT: JavaScript must be enabled to display this email address.
ABSTRACT:
Clearly, Fourier understood mathematics' role in solving challenging real-world problems and how that catalyses the development of new mathematics or new interpretations of established mathematics. Mathematics allows a rigorous framework to be defined in which specific matters can be resolved. The impact arises when the matter under investigation leads to a question which can only be answered after the further development of established or new mathematical results.
Thus, from an R&D perspective, it is "applications" that have the most profound effect on the directions in which mathematics develops and evolves. As V. I. Arnold once remarked "My best pure mathematics was in applied mathematics, and my best applied mathematics was in pure mathematics".
Applications connected with vibrating piano strings, the drying
of pasta and plant breeding will be used to illustrate some of
the different ways in which the impact occurs.
