Exponential Fields (24w5224)
Organizers
Adele Padgett (McMaster University)
Sebastian Eterovic (University of Leeds)
Salma Kuhlmann (Universität Konstanz)
Description
The Banff International Research Station will host the “Exponential Fields” workshop in Banff from February 4 - 9, 2024. Slides are available *here*. Posters are available *here*.
Scientists often study real-world phenomena using mathematical models. A model is a function whose input is usually time and whose output approximates a real world quantity. For example, an epidemiologist could gather data early in a pandemic and use it to create a model that predicts the number of new infections in the future. One of the simplest types of models that closely reflects many real-world processes is exponential growth. The initial spread of a virus, the amount of debt over time as interest accumulates, and nuclear chain reactions can all be modelled using exponential growth.
Exponential functions, in particular $f(t) = e^t$, have also been intensely studied in mathematics, not only because of their important real-world applications, but also because of their striking mathematical properties. There is still much that is not known about the solvability of systems of equations involving exponential functions, the geometry of exponential functions, and their abstract theory.
The aim of this 5-day workshop at BIRS is to bring together young researchers and established experts to share recent discoveries and outline new strategies for better understanding the mathematical properties of exponentiation.
The Banff International Research Station for Mathematical Innovation and Discovery (BIRS) is a collaborative Canada-US-Mexico venture that provides an environment for creative interaction as well as the exchange of ideas, knowledge, and methods within the Mathematical Sciences, with related disciplines and with industry. The research station is located at The Banff Centre in Alberta and is supported by Canada’s Natural Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), Alberta’s Advanced Education and Technology, and Mexico’s Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACYT).
