Source: Charles Moore, 785-532-0576, cnmoore@k-state.edu

Friday, Sept. 25, 2009

K-STATE, KU SPONSOR NINTH ANNUAL PRAIRIE ANALYSIS SEMINAR

MANHATTAN -- Several international experts on differential equations will be the featured speakers at the ninth annual Prairie Analysis Seminar at Kansas State University.

The seminar, which is free and open to the public, starts at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 1, and continues all day Friday, Oct. 2, in 103 Cardwell Hall. It is sponsored by the mathematics departments at K-State and the University of Kansas. The seminar is supported by a grant by the National Science Foundation and by K-State's Isidore and Hilda Dressler Endowment for the Enrichment of Mathematics.

"Differential equations are mathematical equations involving a function of one or several variables and some of its derivatives," said Charles Moore, interim head of the K-State department of mathematics. "These arise in modeling physical situations in engineering, physics, biology, chemistry, economics and many other disciplines."

The seminar will feature two one-hour talks by Emmanuele DiBenedetto, a professor at Vanderbilt University. Giving one-hour talks will be Ugo Gianazza, a professor at the University of Pavia in Italy, and Vincenzo Vespri of the University of Florence in Italy. In addition, 20 shorter talks will be given by mathematicians from throughout the U.S. and Canada.

"Most of the talks will be concerned with some of the theoretical aspects of solving and understanding different types of differential equations," Moore said. "Among the types of equations to be discussed at the conference include those which describe atmospheric and oceanic motion, flows of liquids through porous media, flows of fluids, interfaces of fluids which do not mix, and control systems."

Conference organizers Moore and Marianne Korten, professor of mathematics at K-State, together with Estela Gavosto and Rodolfo Torres, mathematics professors at KU, received a $48,985 grant from the National Science Foundation to continue the seminar series for three more years. The seminar alternates annually between K-State and KU.

For more information on the seminar, call 785-532-0567.