After a year of planning, the Equadiff 2024 mathematics conference is fast approaching. Almost 500 mathematicians from around the world are expected to visit Karlstad and the university.
The conference will take place from June 10-14, featuring participants from countries such as Japan, USA, Brasil and France and will include over 200 talks and lectures. Professor Adrian Muntean, who has led the planning, aims to provide mathematicians from various countries the opportunity to meet, exchange knowledge, and be inspired by each other's research:
“This is a fantastic opportunity to raise awareness about the significance of mathematics in our rapidly changing society. Additionally, it is the first time such a large mathematics conference is being held in the Nordic region! Many of the researchers are leaders in their fields and will present the latest developments and discuss the future direction of mathematics.”
The conference theme is differential equations, a topic many may not be familiar with. What does this mean for mathematics, and why is it important?
“Mathematics allows us to describe and predict outcomes and understand what will happen before taking action. All engineering work relies on mathematical principles. We need technology and physics in society, but fundamentally, everything comes down to the mathematical language. We can then apply it to climate studies and many other areas, but mathematics is the foundation. Differential equations, the theme of the conference,
is a branch of mathematics where algebra, analysis and geometrics meet and can be applied to calculations in dynamic systems, pattern analysis and fluid dynamics.”
The conference is one of the largest in mathematics in Europe and has previously been held in Germany, France, and Belgium. Many participants come from Eastern Europe, which Adrian Muntean sees as particularly positive since they usually have their own Equadiff conference every four years and having many younger participants is valuable, as it can further inspire their research:
“It is beneficial to have a mix of speakers from different countries who will present their research and talk about what it is currently happening and what the hot questions on where mathematics tomorrow is going. Younger researchers might chose their next research question based on the talks and help us bring research in mathematics forward. I also hope everyone will leave Karlstad with a positive impression of Sweden, Karlstad, and the university,” concludes Adrian Muntean.
