What are primes? A prime number is a positive integer with exactly two different divisors. For example, 2 is prime, as 1 and 2 divide it. The same is true for 3, 5, and 7. But 6 is not prime as it has four divisors 1, 2, 3 and 6. On first glance, we may think… Read More You can’t hide from the primes
I met Lisa Jeffrey in Ottawa this February, where we worked together on the NSERC Evaluation Group for Mathematics & Statistics. We walked back to the hotel from dinner one evening and discussed her field of symplectic geometry, which was largely a mystery to me. She described the symplectic camel and I knew then I had to learn… Read More Interview with a mathematician: Lisa Jeffrey
Barry Mazur is the Gerhard Gade University Professor in the Department of Mathematics at Harvard University. Barry is one the world’s leading experts on number theory, and his work focuses on Diophantine geometry and elliptic curves. His research in topology is also legendary, and he settled the generalized Schoenflies problem as a doctoral student. He is highly awarded,… Read More Interview with a mathematician: Barry Mazur
Common adversaries In recent news, Canada and Mexico decided to coordinate on trade given the uncertainty faced by the US position on NAFTA. In another news story, an infectious disease physician used a virus to fight back an anti-biotic resistant superbug that was killing her husband. We hear of similar stories of unexpected alliances often. In a slogan: enemies of… Read More Modelling networks of enemies and friends
What’s in a name? OK, the title of this week’s post is deceptive. I don’t plan to debate whether mathematics is an art or science (or neither or both), nor will I consider the relative truth of the continuum hypothesis depending on which axioms of set theory you accept. Having returned from Greece, where modern mathematics partially originated… Read More The meaning of Mathematics
Originally posted on Piece of Mind:
James Colliander, Director of the Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences (PIMS) Nassif Ghoussoub, Director of the Banff International Research Station (BIRS) Ian Hambleton, Director of the Fields Institute for Research in Mathematical Sciences (Fields) Luc Vinet, Directeur du Centre de Recherches Mathématiques (CRM) The direct funding of research initiatives on artificial intelligence (AI)…
Science research in Canada While at a conference on graph searching in Crete this last week, I met Greek mathematicians and computer scientists who now live and work in places abroad. Their departure was owing in part to the economic crisis in 2010 in their home country. Compared to Greece, Canada is in a better place economically,… Read More The Naylor Report – what is it and why it matters
