newsletter
2017/18 SCHOOL OF
Mathematics
WELCOME Welcome to the fourth edition of the School of Mathematics newsletter. As ever in the School we are happy to keep you abreast of the recent news and developments of which there have been many. Firstly, I must mention the sad passing of Professor David Simms in June at the age of 84. Professor Simms inspired generations of mathematics students and played a pivotal role in the development of the School over many decades. He was active in the School until recent times and will be missed by all.
Our annual masterclass in particle physics for secondary school students continues to open their eyes and minds to what researchers actually do in one of the most important fields in science. I hope that you enjoy catching up with events in the School from the past year. We always welcome news from our alumni and friends so please keep in touch. You can find recent news and events on our website www.maths.tcd.ie or twitter @MathsTCD
Earlier this year we welcomed Dr Jim and Dr Marilyn Simons to Trinity College Dublin for the award of an honorary degree to Dr Jim Simons, who supports the Hamilton Mathematics Institute (HMI) through the Simons Foundation. Over the last 12 months, the HMI has organised many lectures and workshops through the Simons Foundation Visiting Professors, Scholars and Postdoctoral Programmes. We were delighted to welcome our new staff member, Professor Kirk Soodhalter who is the new Ussher Assistant Professor in Number Theory. He joins us from the Johann Radon Institute for Computational and Applied Mathematics. Congratulations were in order for Professors Jan Manschot and Andrei Parnachev, who were two of the thirteen researchers to receive an Irish Research Council Laureate Award. The School was also awarded EU funding for two PhD scholarships through the Scattering Amplitudes: from Geometry to Experiment (SAGEX) Innovative Training Network. There is also an ITN funded in computational particle physics which will support another two Ph.D. candidates. This year, twenty-one undergraduate students participated in the Hamilton Trust Summer Internship Programme designed to give them a taste of research in mathematics and theoretical physics, and to provide the opportunity to lead investigations into unsolved problems.
Associate Professor John Stalker Head of School
Newsletter 2017-18 2014 – 2015
Professor David Simms (In Memoriam) Professor David Simms passed away on the 25th June 2018 at the age of 84. He was an inspiration to staff and generations of students in the School of Mathematics. David Simms came to Trinity in 1951 to study Mathematics. He was elected a Scholar of the College in 1951, when he was just in the first year of his degree. David graduated from Trinity in 1955 and went on to do a PhD in the University of Cambridge and lectured in Glasgow University before returning to Trinity. He served as head of the Department of Pure and Applied Mathematics from 1991 to 1998.
David’s research interests included differential geometry and geometric quantisation and he published widely in these fields. David Simms was a member of the Royal Irish Academy since 1978 and he was a member of the Editorial Board of the journal Mathematical Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. David continued teaching after his retirement and finally called time on his teaching career in 2015 at the age of 81. David is survived by his wife Anngret and sons, Brendan, Daniel and Ciaran. All of us who worked with him, his many friends and former students will miss him greatly.
Professor David Simms pictured with his final group of students in April 2015
Dr Jim Simons receives an Honorary Degree from Trinity College Dublin In June, Trinity recognised prominent US philanthropist Dr Jim Simons along with four other pre-eminent individuals for their contribution to society at an honorary degree ceremony in June 2018. Former US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton; President of the Confederation of British Industry, Paul Drechsler; Archivist at the Irish Architectural Archive, Ann Martha Rowan; and co-founder of the Young Scientist Exhibition, Dr Tony Scott, were also honoured at the ceremony.
the Simons Foundation, whose mission is to support basic scientific research. The Simons Foundation has since provided substantial funding to scientists and institutions in the U.S. and abroad, supporting diverse areas such as mathematics, physics, ocean science, brain science and the science of autism. Dr Simons was proposed for his numerous contributions to mathematics and philanthropy, serving society at large by
truly international philanthropic activities. The Public Orator succinctly described his immense ability and contribution to society: “Mathematics has taken him through a marvellous journey of discovery, distinction, and boundless benefaction”. Dr Simons was nominated by Professor Samson Shatashvili from the School of Mathematics.
Dr Jim Simons supports the Hamilton Mathematics Institute through the Simons Foundation. Dr Simons is a renowned mathematician, entrepreneur and philanthropist who has embodied scientific excellence throughout his extraordinary career. As a mathematician his work had profound influence on the development of modern theoretical physics providing a framework for the combination of geometry and topology with quantum field theory where the “Chern-Simons Action” is central. In 1982 he founded Renaissance Technologies, a private hedge fund investment company based in New York, which by 2015 had $65 billion worth of assets under management. His philanthropic activities are outstanding. In 1994, with his wife, Marilyn, he established
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L-R: Secretary Clinton, Chancellor Mary Robinson, Dr Scott, Provost, Paul Drechsler, Ann Martha Rowan
responsible financial management and & Dr James Simons
SCHOOL OF
Mathematics
Provost Teaching Awards The Trinity College Dublin annual Provost’s Teaching Award were presented by Dr Patrick Prendergast to five members of staff in recognition of their enthusiasm and commitment to ensuring students receive quality teaching and learning. Now in their 18th year, the Awards are Trinity’s principal means of celebrating academic staff who have made an outstanding contribution in the pursuit of teaching excellence in the University and who promote teaching as a scholarly activity. Congratulations to Prof Dmytro Volin, the first School of Mathematics academic to be awarded a Provosts Teaching Award. He received the Early Career Award, after nomination by his students, in recognition of the efforts he puts into teaching and his remarkable impact on the school and their minds.
L-R: Provost, Dr Patrick Prendergast and Professor Dmytro Volin
Professor Sinéad Ryan elected Chair of the Scientific Steering Committee of PRACE
Professor Sinéad Ryan
In March 2018, Professor Sinéad Ryan was elected Chairperson of the Scientific Steering Committee PRACE, whose mission is to enable high-impact scientific discovery and engineering research and development across all disciplines to enhance European competitiveness for the benefits of society. PRACE seeks to realise this mission by offering world class computing and data management resources and services through a peer review process. PRACE also seeks to strengthen the European users of High Performance Computing in industry through various initiatives and improving the energy efficiency of computing systems. Professor Ryan will hold the position for 12 months.
Trinity’s School of Mathematics secures PhD funding from the EU Scattering Amplitudes: from Geometry to EXperiment, a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Innovative Training Network funded by the European Commission, is a unique consortium that combines an international team of academic leaders in the research area of scattering amplitudes with a selection of world-leading industrial partners. SAGEX has been created with the objective to train 15 Early Stage Researchers (ESRs) not only to achieve far-reaching scientific goals but also to equip them with broad skills that will serve them well in either a scientific or commercial career. Scattering amplitudes, describing the observations of high-energy collider experiments, provide a window into the fundamental structures predicted by relativistic quantum theories. By identifying and exploiting seemingly disparate concepts from abstract geometry, symbolic big data, and phenomenological calculations, the SAGEX network will train the next generation of researchers in the new tools, approaches and insights that will make possible previously intractable analyses directly relevant to current and near-future particle physics experiments. Trinity’s School of Mathematics was awarded funding for two PhD positions starting in 2019.
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Newsletter 2017-18 2014 – 2015
Hamilton Mathematics Institute (HMI) The Hamilton Mathematics Institute Over the last year, the Hamilton Mathematics Institute (HMI) has organised many lectures and workshops through the Simons Foundation Distinguished Visiting Professors, Scholars and Postdoctoral Programmes. Simons’s Visiting Professors Mikhail Kapranov and Konstantin Zarembo took up residencies
in the HMI, to further their research and give a series of lectures. Many Simons Visiting Scholars from universities and mathematics institutes all over the world also spent time in the HMI, delivering lectures during workshops and participating in many research discussions with local mathematicians.
The Simons Foundation award is enabling the HMI to become a national and international center of excellence, as evidenced through the research activities and wide range of lectures and workshops hosted by the HMI and we are attracting speakers from all over the world.
Hamilton Trust Summer Internship Programme During the summer, twenty-one undergraduate students from Trinity’s School of Mathematics have completed a hands-on summer internship programme designed to give them a taste of research in the field, and to provide the opportunity to lead investigations into unsolved problems. The Summer Internship Programme is sponsored by the Hamilton Trust, an educational charity founded by Mike O’Regan to support students and teachers of Mathematics, Science and English. Mike O’Regan is the great-great grandson of Trinity mathematician, Sir William Rowan Hamilton. A number of students worked alone while others worked in groups as 14 unique projects took shape over a six-week period. Each project was overseen by a researcher working in the school, and students enjoyed regular project meetings, presentations
and talks along the way. The internship programme was led by Ussher Assistant Professor in Numerical Analysis in Trinity’s School of Mathematics, Kirk M Soodhalter. Professor Soodhalter said: “It was a pleasure to work with so many talented and hardworking students. I myself participated in two such programmes in consecutive summers during my undergraduate years, and this greatly influenced me to pursue a career in mathematical research. I am delighted to help others have the same opportunities I had.” Project topics ranged from pure mathematics and theoretical physics to applications in data analysis and statistics. For example, one project used mathematical methods to extract information in medical data with the hope of offering better diagnoses in people
2018 Hamilton Trust Summer Internship Programme participants
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living with Motor Neurone Disease (MND), and even of detecting when MND may be present in cases before the motor neuron count has not yet drastically decreased. Another project tackled black hole thermodynamics and the ‘firewall phenomenon’, while one student focused on developing a mathematician’s guide to understanding how their students visualise abstract concepts. Student, Rebecca Mangan, added: “I found the internship a great opportunity to investigate areas outside of normal undergrad teaching, and to work on a real-life project independently. I enjoyed the weekly presentations as it gave some insight into other areas I did not have much previous knowledge of.”
SCHOOL OF
Mathematics
News The 13th Quark Confinement and the Hadron Spectrum Conference Inaugurated in 1994 in Como, Italy, this series of conferences has become an important forum for scientists working on strong interactions, stimulating exchanges among theorists and experimentalists as well as across related
fields. The aim of the conference is to bring together people working on strong interactions from different approaches, ranging from lattice QCD to perturbative QCD, from models of the QCD vacuum to QCD phenomenology and
experiments, from effective theories to physics beyond the Standard Model. The conference included a public lecture in Trinity’s Biomedical Sciences Institute by Dr Manjit Dosanjh, Senior Advisor for Medical Applications at CERN, the particle physics laboratory in Geneva, Switzerland. Dr Dosanjh gave her lecture on Ions for Cancer Therapy. Many advances in healthcare stem from particle physics: PET scanners use antimatter; diagnostic imaging use specialised detectors; while radiotherapy for cancer treatment and isotope generation for diagnosis require particle accelerators. There are about 30 linear accelerators in Ireland and one circular accelerator at the Blackrock Clinic, which generates short-lived radioactive isotopes for the whole country. An emerging technology for treating cancer is hadron therapy in which protons and atomic nuclei are fired into the body to remove tumours. Unlike X-rays used in conventional treatment, hadron therapy has little effect on the healthy tissue surrounding the tumour. It is the preferred method for treating certain cancers in children.
Conference participants in Trinity
Trinity Sport announces New Scholars for 2017-2018 Trinity Sport, in association with Bank of Ireland, have unveiled their 63 sports scholars for 2017-2018. Three students from the School of Mathematics were awarded these prestigious scholarships. Congratulations to Aoife Hopkins (sailing) who is the current U21 European ladies radial champion and is on track to qualify for the next Olympics, Fintan Murphy who received a rugby scholarship and Rachel Burns, a hockey player who represented Ireland at U21 level this year.
process. This has been the highest level of interest the programme has ever received, and underlines the further enhancements made to the services, support, expertise, and facilities, which are tailored to those on a high performance pathway. In particular, the introduction of the new Sports Performance Development Officer post, and other vital support staff, is fundamental to our ability to attract and support athletes of the highest standard.
Matthew Dossett, Deputy Head of Sport and Recreation, commented: “With a significant number of applications received, the task of selecting the final Trinity Sport scholars for 2017/18 was a very challenging
Specialised strength and conditioning training, a dedicated medical care pathway, and financial support are just some of the benefits on offer to student athletes on the sports scholarship programme.
Aoife Hopkins (sailing) and Conal Hayes (athletics)
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Newsletter 2017-18 2014 – 2015
Master-class introduces Secondary School Students to Particle Physics Trinity hosted a masterclass in particle physics to open the eyes and minds of around 50 secondary school students to what researchers actually do in this fundamental field of science. The students took a day off from school to dive into actual data as scientists introduced them to the tiniest building blocks of the universe and to the accelerators and detectors, which probe these mysterious particles. By analysing
David Wilson, Royal Society and Science Foundation Ireland University Research Fellow, School of Mathematics
real data from experiments at CERN´s Large Hadron Collider (LHC) students got a taste of how modern physics research works. Dr David Wilson, a particle physicist working on the theory of strong interaction at Trinity’s School of Mathematics said: “The students are enthusiastic about the program and enjoyed interacting with professional scientists and working with real data from the LHC.” The basic idea of this day-long Masterclass is to let students work as much as possible like real scientists. Four experiments – ATLAS, CMS, ALICE, and LHCb – have made data available for educational use within the program. “During the day students understand how a scientific discovery can be claimed,” said Ph.D. Candidate in Trinity’s School of Mathematics, Argia Rubeo. At the end of the Masterclass, students connected in a video-conference with physicists at CERN and their peers in
other student groups from Cincinnati, Perugia and Rio de Janeiro, to discuss their results. The Masterclass at Trinity is part of an annual program called International Masterclasses. Scientists at about 210 universities and laboratories from 50 countries around the world host Masterclasses at their home institutions. The worldwide participation reflects the international collaboration in particle physics. International Masterclasses are organised by the International Particle Physics Outreach Group (IPPOG). IPPOG is an independent group of outreach representatives from countries involved in the research at CERN and other leading research laboratories. The group’s goal is to make particle physics more accessible to the public.
‘Powering STEM’ celebrates Trinity Walton Club graduates
Scholars and Fellows
In March 2018, ‘Powering STEM’ took place to mark the completion of four years’ hard work and commitment from the inaugural secondary school club members of the Trinity Walton Club. The Trinity Walton Club is a science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) education enrichment programme at Trinity. Walton Club students embark on a
In April 2018, students and academics gathered in Trinity’s Front Square to hear the announcement of new Scholars and Fellows on Trinity Monday. There were scenes of joy and jubilation as the names of the students and academics were read out by Provost, Dr Patrick Prendergast. This year there are 73 Scholars, 16 Fellows and two Honorary Fellows in total from a vast range of disciplines.
Alphas (Trinity Walton Club students) presenting their end of year certificate to each other
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100-week educational experience, developing skills across problem solving, critical thinking, teamwork and communications. To date, Trinity Walton Club has worked with over 1,000 second-level students from 247 different schools across 19 counties in Ireland. ‘Powering STEM’ was a celebration of the first young people to sign up to the club and the commitment they have shown. At this event each team of students presented their detailed research projects around the theme ‘Sustainable World’. The projects included an investigation into how we can minimise human error in recycling and The Energy Revolution: an investigation into generating useful electrical energy from revolving doors. Trinity Walton Club Director, Professor Arlene Gallagher, said: “Trinity Walton Club provides an opportunity for our university to play an active role in nurturing tomorrow’s trailblazers. We are empowering an ecosystem of critical thinkers and creative problem solvers who can confidently and competently affect positive change in the world.”
Congratulations to our new scholars James Hennigan, Cathal Ó’Cléirigh and Katie O’Connor and new fellows Professor Ruth Britto and Professor Tristan McLoughlin.
SCHOOL OF
Mathematics
Staff Interview: Kirk Soodhalter pushed us quite hard but taught us to take concepts apart to understand them. That is the first time I really enjoyed mathematics.
Kirk Soodhalter
What were your early mathematical influences? I didn’t have any strong interest in math as a child. Most of my family are business people; a career in mathematics was not on my radar. I had a mathematics teacher in middle school who diverted me into advanced courses, and in the final two years of high school, I had another enthusiastic teacher who
This is your second year at Trinity. Tell us about your role and ambitions for the year ahead. A good deal of time during my first year was spent just settling into my position. As I had committed 90% of my time in the previous year to the Siemens project, I worked this first year spinning up research projects. I spent a lot of time establishing contacts on both islands and will commence with some local collaborations. I will start submitting the first publications from my work at Trinity and work on some grant proposals. What research are you working on right now? My work is primarily in the analysis and development of Krylov subspace iterative methods, a powerful class of methods for solving many types of large-scale linear (and also nonlinear) matrix equations, with a
broader background in the uses of applied linear algebra in the computational sciences such as astronomical imaging, computational physics, image reconstruction and, other engineering, scientific, and industrial settings. What is on the horizon for mathematics and where do you think the subject is going? Computers and the internet now play a large role in all facets of personal and professional life. There will be increased discussion about the need for us to consider the moral implications of our research, particularly in the era of “big data” where the tools of my field are used to analyse large collections of personal data. While this brings to the fore interesting mathematical problems, it also lead to the development of tools which could have negative implications for personal privacy, etc. Furthermore, they can be misused, as they may for example be put into the hands of those who do not know how to use them properly.
Alumni Interview: Pramit Ghose What were your early mathematical influences? I was always good at maths in school and enjoyed the subject, but I guess the main encouragement to do the mathematics degree was my Indian grandfather Prabhat Ghose who was one of the first actuaries in India. He was the Government Actuary of India in the 1950s.
the whole class to dinner in his home. I still remember the astonished look on his face when everyone in the class put his/her hand up to go! Others include Siddartha Sen who gave me grinds to get through the Physicsrelated exams (and with whom I became a founding patron of the Hamilton Mathematics Institute) and Tim Murphy for his quirkiness.
What is your fondest memory from Trinity? I really enjoyed being part of the particular cohort of maths undergraduates in the early 1980s. It was a very intellectual and stimulating class with clever people, but we were naïve socially. It was a ‘turn-off’ at college parties to admit one was a mathematician. The relatively small class of students bonded well. I also fondly remember being at the forefront of the personal computer revolution and having access to the then-verysophisticated pc’s.
What are you doing these days? I am Global Strategist at Merrion Private, managing investments and portfolios for private individuals, families, charities, trusts and pension funds. I also manage the Merrion Global Equity Income Fund, an investment fund that invests in a diversified portfolio of conservative, financiallystrong, cashflow-strong companies that pay a good dividend and are expected to consistently grow the dividend.
Who made an impression on you while studying in Trinity? A number of maths professors. David Simms, who recently passed away, bravely invited
What advice would you give to young people thinking about studying mathematics? The career opportunities for mathematics graduates are so much wider than when
I graduated in 1984. Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, data-mining, algorithm trading, risk analysis etc., as well as the traditional roles in academia and actuarial. Maths graduates are no longer ‘nerds’, they are highly sought after and one needs to be confident, not shy, about one’s maths degree!
Pramit Ghose
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Remember. The power of a legacy to Trinity When you remember Trinity in your will, you join a tradition of giving that stretches back over 400 years – and reaches far into the future. You’re empowering ground-breaking research which will benefit people in Ireland and all over the world. You’re supporting students from all backgrounds to access a Trinity education. You’re helping preserve our unique campus and heritage for new generations.
For more information about leaving a Legacy to Trinity, please contact Gareth Crowe. T. +353 1 896 8994 E. gareth.crowe@tcd.ie www.tcd.ie/alumni
Trinity Alumni Online As a Trinity graduate, we'd like to help you make the most of being part of a community of over 115,000 Trinity graduates around the world. We know how important it is for our alumni to stay connected and how valuable networking and mentoring opportunities can be for career advancement. With this in mind,
we would like to invite you to join our new platform, Trinity Alumni Online. This platform will help you to connect with fellow alumni as well as current Trinity students, allowing you to give and receive career advice. It’s easy to use and a great way to stay connected to Trinity. To register go to www.trinity.aluminate.net
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Christmas Commons 5 and 12 December 2018
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Alumni & Friends Carol Service 6 December 2018 Homecoming 20 December 2018
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Trinity School of Mathematics Trinity College Dublin 2, Ireland T. +353 (0)1 896 1889 E. mathdep@maths.tcd.ie Twitter: @MathsTCD