Press Release:

Partial Order in Materials: at the Triple Point of Mathematics, Physics and Applications

The Banff International Research Station will host the "Partial Order in Materials: at the Triple Point of Mathematics, Physics and Applications" workshop from November 26th to December 1st, 2017.



Partially ordered materials are classes of materials that are intermediate between
the solid and liquid phases of matter. Liquid crystals and complex fluids,
superconductors, polymers, glassy matter and even the
cell cytoskeleton and bacterial suspensions are some classic examples of partially ordered
systems. The theory and applications of partially ordered systems raises
new cutting-edge mathematical questions that can have far-reaching impact for
materials science and nano-technology. Recent years have seen a tremendous surge
in the number of analysts, PDE experts and mathematical modellers working on
liquid crystals, superconductors,
micromagnetics, theory of colloids and active matter, along with the connections between these
seemingly different fields. However, a lot of open questions remain, both
at the analytical level and and on how the theory and analysis can be applied
to new experiments and applications. This workshop brings together
researchers working on analytical, numerical and experimental methods
for solids, fluid dynamics and materials from different disciplines to
formulate new interdisciplinary strategies for open problems and
future challenges in this rapidly evolving field.

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 disc iplines and with industry. The research station is located at The Banff Centre in Alberta and is supported by Canada's Natural Science and Engineeri ng 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).

BIRS Scientific Director, Nassif Ghoussoub
E-mail: birs-director[@]birs.ca
http://www.birs.ca/~nassif