Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0354716
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$10,000.00
Summary
Energetically Open Systems Research Network Study. Conceptual frameworks arising in the physical sciences, such as non-equilibrium statistical mechanics and thermodynamics, synergetics, chaos and dynamical systems theory, are seminal in the emerging science of complexity. This study will lay the groundwork for a network to link Australian and overseas research on these fundamental concepts, and their application within the context of entropy-producing systems vital to the long-term sustainabilit ....Energetically Open Systems Research Network Study. Conceptual frameworks arising in the physical sciences, such as non-equilibrium statistical mechanics and thermodynamics, synergetics, chaos and dynamical systems theory, are seminal in the emerging science of complexity. This study will lay the groundwork for a network to link Australian and overseas research on these fundamental concepts, and their application within the context of entropy-producing systems vital to the long-term sustainability of the earth - oceans, atmosphere, biosphere, CO2-free energy production, space and solar environment. The network would facilitate the development of young investigators and be linked into wider complex systems networks such as the CSIRO Centre for Complex Systems Science.Read moreRead less
Geodetic groups: foundational problems in algebra and computer science. The project aims to resolve important and longstanding open problems in Geometric Group Theory and Theoretical Computer Science. Since the 1980s researchers have conjectured that the geometric property of being geodetic is equivalent to several purely algebraic, algorithmic, and language-theoretic characterisations.
The project team's expertise in geodesic properties of groups, the interaction between formal languages and g ....Geodetic groups: foundational problems in algebra and computer science. The project aims to resolve important and longstanding open problems in Geometric Group Theory and Theoretical Computer Science. Since the 1980s researchers have conjectured that the geometric property of being geodetic is equivalent to several purely algebraic, algorithmic, and language-theoretic characterisations.
The project team's expertise in geodesic properties of groups, the interaction between formal languages and groups, and the theory of rewriting systems, together with recent breakthroughs by the team ensures that significant results can be expected.
Benefits include training research students and postdoctoral researchers in cutting-edge techniques, and advancing fundamental knowledge in mathematics and computer science.Read moreRead less
Towards the prime power conjecture. This project attacks a famous and long standing conjecture in pure mathematics that has important ramifications in many applied areas. The project aims to determine when it is possible to produce more efficient codes for electronic communication and statistically balanced designs for experiments in areas as diverse as agriculture and psychology.
Unlocking the potential for linear and discrete optimisation in knot theory and computational topology. Computational topology is a young, energetic field that uses computers to solve complex geometric problems, such as whether a loop of string is tangled. Such computations are becoming increasingly important in mathematics, and applications span biology, physics and information sciences, however many core problems in the field remain intractable for all but the simplest cases. This project unit ....Unlocking the potential for linear and discrete optimisation in knot theory and computational topology. Computational topology is a young, energetic field that uses computers to solve complex geometric problems, such as whether a loop of string is tangled. Such computations are becoming increasingly important in mathematics, and applications span biology, physics and information sciences, however many core problems in the field remain intractable for all but the simplest cases. This project unites geometric techniques with powerful methods from operations research, such as linear and discrete optimisation, to build fast, powerful tools that can for the first time systematically solve large topological problems. Theoretically, this project has significant impact on the famous open problem of detecting knottedness in fast polynomial time.Read moreRead less
Elliptic special functions. Although elliptic functions and special functions are both classical areas of mathematics, the field of elliptic special functions was only established in the last two decades. It combines ideas from analysis, modular forms and statistical mechanics to tackle problems in number theory (elliptic curves), algebra (elliptic quantum groups), mathematical physics (Seiberg duality) and more. This project aims to settle two important problems in the field of elliptic special ....Elliptic special functions. Although elliptic functions and special functions are both classical areas of mathematics, the field of elliptic special functions was only established in the last two decades. It combines ideas from analysis, modular forms and statistical mechanics to tackle problems in number theory (elliptic curves), algebra (elliptic quantum groups), mathematical physics (Seiberg duality) and more. This project aims to settle two important problems in the field of elliptic special functions: the resolution of Boyd's conjectures concerning Mahler measures and L-values of elliptic curves, and the construction of an Askey-Wilson-Koorwinder theory of elliptic biorthogonal functions for the A-type root system.Read moreRead less
Tractable topological computing: Escaping the hardness trap. Computational topology is a young and energetic field that uses computers to solve complex geometric problems driven by pure mathematics, and with diverse applications in biology, signal processing and data mining. A major barrier is that many of these problems are thought to be fundamentally and intractably hard. This project aims to defy such barriers for typical real-world inputs by fusing geometric techniques with technologies from ....Tractable topological computing: Escaping the hardness trap. Computational topology is a young and energetic field that uses computers to solve complex geometric problems driven by pure mathematics, and with diverse applications in biology, signal processing and data mining. A major barrier is that many of these problems are thought to be fundamentally and intractably hard. This project aims to defy such barriers for typical real-world inputs by fusing geometric techniques with technologies from the field of parameterised complexity, creating powerful, practical solutions for these problems. It is expected to shed much-needed light on the vast and puzzling gap between theory and practice, and give researchers fast new software tools for large-scale experimentation and cutting-edge computer proofs.Read moreRead less
Cycle decompositions of graphs. The benefits to Australia of fundamental research in core disciplines such as mathematics are well documented. This project aims to solve long-standing and significant open problems in the field of mathematics known as graph theory. Solving such problems will undoubtedly bring Australian research in this field to the fore, and help to enhance Australia's international research profile generally. The project offers substantial postgraduate training in the form of t ....Cycle decompositions of graphs. The benefits to Australia of fundamental research in core disciplines such as mathematics are well documented. This project aims to solve long-standing and significant open problems in the field of mathematics known as graph theory. Solving such problems will undoubtedly bring Australian research in this field to the fore, and help to enhance Australia's international research profile generally. The project offers substantial postgraduate training in the form of three excellent PhD projects in discrete mathematics. The computer age has ensured that this is a booming discipline and an increasing component of undergraduate syllabi around the world. It is thus a crucial area in which to be providing quality research training.Read moreRead less
Matchings in Combinatorial Structures. The theory of matching in graphs concerns the problem of pairing up objects, subject to constraints on which objects may be paired. It is a well-developed theory that is not only of tremendous mathematical importance, but is also widely applied to efficiently deal with allocation and scheduling problems. Much less is known, however, about the equally important but harder problem of dividing objects into collections of three or more. This project aims to add ....Matchings in Combinatorial Structures. The theory of matching in graphs concerns the problem of pairing up objects, subject to constraints on which objects may be paired. It is a well-developed theory that is not only of tremendous mathematical importance, but is also widely applied to efficiently deal with allocation and scheduling problems. Much less is known, however, about the equally important but harder problem of dividing objects into collections of three or more. This project aims to address this deficiency by developing the theory of matching in important combinatorial objects. The problems it expects to solve are of great significance in their own right, and when considered together may help to lay a foundation for a more general theory of matching.Read moreRead less
Decompositions of graphs into cycles: Alspach's Conjecture and the Oberwolfach problem. Graph theory is used extensively to model and solve practical problems in physical, biological and social systems. By answering two long-standing and fundamental questions, the project will extend a long tradition of Australian research excellence in the field, and provide substantial high-quality postgraduate training in line with national needs.