Wolfgang Pauli Institute (WPI) Vienna

Home WPI in a nutshell Practical Information Events People WPI Projects
Login Thematic Programs Pauli Fellows Talks Research Groups

"Daumen mal PI" = "Thumb times PI" ("Rule of the thumb")

"(un)reine mathematik - (un)wichtige mathematik"
"(im)pure mathematics - (un)important mathematics" (external website )

Location: WPI @ Wien + Lodi + Washington D.C. + Vienna + Shanghai + Peking + Cambridge + Paris + WPI @ Klosterneuburg Sat, 14. Mar (Opening: 15:00) - Fri, 1. May 20
Topics:
On "PI day" (March 14 - 3.14) we reflect on the question which aspects of mathematics (plural !) are the most important for science and society:
is it "theorems and proofs" ?
is it "models, estimates and simulations" ?

This "event" is sort of sequel to the "Pauli Symposium" 2018 "How many mathematics ?":
https://www.wpi.ac.at/event_view.php?id_activity=261
(The renormalized answer was "there are 2.6 mathematics", by the way...)

CHANGE: due to Corona restrictions at Univ.Wien, that hit WPI as its partner ,
the event has taken place in an appropriate "online format":
watch full video at
https://youtu.be/BQGrTViTtYI

A) PI lecture by Norbert J Mauser from the WPI @ Univ. Wien
watch the lecture here
https://youtu.be/jRcJuomVKig

B1) Alfio Quarteroni from Lodi
B2) Doron Levy from Washington D.C.
B3) Peter A. Markowich from Jeddah/Vienna
B4) Shi Jin from Shanghai
B5) Zhennan Zhou from Beijing
B6) Edriss Titi from Cambridge
B7) Claude Bardos from Paris

C) epilog at the WPI

D) "Delicious PIe" : happy end at WPI @ Klosterneuburg
Organisation(s)
WPI
 Organiser(s)
Norbert J. Mauser
Remark: The video was a spontaneous idea the day before, it was completely improvised,
the blackboard lecture was given with 15 minutes of preparation,
mathematics friends all over the world were asked on the very PI day if they could send a 2 min video, as it comes spontenously to their mind.

An interesting "synchronicity" (entanglement ?!) happened between Shi Jin in Shanghai and me in Vienna: completely independently we chose the topics "how to estimate the value of PI by polygons" and "how to Quantify Uncertainty".

In the end, these videos combine to "A beautiful message":
our global community will survive the corona crisis,
we scientists can help to overcome and prevent such crisis !

We mathematicians should combine the skills and results of "Pure math" and "Applied math" for the best of "Mathematics in the Applications" !

Thanks to Alfio, Doron, Peter, Shi, Zhennan, Edriss, Claude and Birgit for the videos
thanks to Inma, Yvette, Hans Peter and Walter for technical help.

I am looking forward to the sunny day when we will meet all together again to have a "Pauli symposium" on "Mathematics has no borders", where we share "A delicious PIe".

For the weeks, months, years to come I wish us courage and patience,
may the world that arises from the corona crisis be a better one for fighting the climate catastrophy.

Norbert J Mauser

PS: the choice of mathematicians who present a short video was more or less random among my personal global friends who had a few hours to answer to my request, also related to the time shift between Asia, Europe and North America - the 3 continents where I have been working.
I chose Alfio as first, he is locked in the European epicenter of corona, and Claude as last, as the "doyen" of a large community celebrating his 80th birthday on 4.April.

Note that China, "by coincidence", has 2 of the 7 speakers, with the only "youngster" among them.
Things are shifting from the USA to China, with Europe in the middle ...

Impressum webmaster [Printable version]