MATHEMATICS LIBRARY

Over the summer the university libraries introduced a new version of MNCAT, the online catalog system, with enhanced features such as the ability for an individual to check due dates and renew books after signing in. Thanks to the mathematics department systems office, wireless internet access is now available for those working on their own computers in any corner of the Mathematics Library, as in other parts of Vincent Hall. Thus the accessibility and usability of the library’s various networked resources and services continue to improve. In addition to its many electronic journals and databases, the Mathematics Library now contains over 43,000 volumes of journals and books. Special acquisitions in 2002 included 12 new books purchased with private donations, as well as many gifts of older books, some out of print, that are useful additions or replacements for the collection. The library continues to develop effective ways of supporting the learning and research needs of the mathematics and statistics community in light of the challenges and opportunities of scholarly publishing.

Kristine Fowler, Mathematics Librarian
310 Vincent Hall
E-mail: fowler@math.umn.edu
Phone: (612) 624-9395

MINNESOTA CENTER FOR INDUSTRIAL MATHEMATICS (MCIM)

Led by Prof. Fadil Santosa (Director) and Prof. Fernando Reitich (Associate Director), the Minnesota Center for Industrial Mathematics (MCIM) continues to provide internship opportunities for mathematics students and to develop collaborative projects with industry. In its ninth year, the Center has garnered a reputation as a valuable resource for industry, and receives inquiries about possible projects from local companies on a regular basis.

In cooperation with the IMA, the Center runs the Industrial Problems Seminar. The seminar typically features speakers from industry who present their work and problems to our faculty and students. It also serves as a stage for the students to present their results upon completion of their internships. The seminar has thus become a successful forum for interaction between industrial scientists and our faculty, students and visitors. The list of speakers for 2002-3 series can be found at www.ima.umn.edu/industrial. Several students were placed in internships last summer. Companies hosting our students include Symbol Technologies, Parker Hughes Cancer Institute, Schlumberger, and Signature Bioscience.

Alumni of our Applied and Industrial Mathematics Program have consistently done very well professionally upon graduation, and we try to keep informed about their career paths. Among those that have pursued industrial careers, Scott Shald (MS 1997, PhD 1999) recently moved from Lincoln Lab to Coherent Technologies in Lafayette, CO, to join the company’s effort in the development of laser radar systems for imaging and remote atmospheric measurements. Also, Sam Albert (MS 1998, PhD 2000) is now back in the Twin Cities area working for Cargill’s financial management group after a short stint at Interactive Data Corporation in New York.

In the following note, our student Maria Ponomarenko writes about her internship experience at Schlumberger-Doll Research in the Summer of 2002.

Fernando Reitich, Professor and Assoc. Director of MCIM,
Fadil Santosa, Professor and Director of MCIM

My Internship Experience

I am a third year graduate student in the School of Mathematics working towards a PhD degree in Mathematics with emphasis in the Applied and Industrial Mathematics. Last summer I was fortunate to participate in an internship at Schlumberger-Doll Research, Ridgefield, CT. For PhD students interested in industrial mathematics an internship is highly recommended. I was particularly excited because I was very eager to step into the real world and try to work in an industrial research facility (especially one belonging to such a major company as Schlumberger). I thought at the very least, it would give me an idea whether I would like to pursue a career in industry after my graduation.

During my internship I worked on an optimization problem involving an oil reservoir simulation. It was extremely interesting but also quite challenging since I have not worked in the field of optimization (in fact, I used to major in algebra during my master’s studies at Kiev Taras Shevchenko University, but here shifted my focus to applied math and took a variety of courses in this area). A major and perhaps the most exciting part of my project has been the development of a surrogate function approach based on the artificial neural network. I had to write and test a C++ code based on the method which had to interface with other existing software. Incidentally, this required me to learn C/C++ — something I long wanted to do.

As a result of my internship I have gained insight of a new and exciting field in applied math that has a great potential and is full of yet uncharted territories. Indeed, I plan to pursue some of the questions that arise in this internship work in my thesis research. I also greatly enjoyed interaction with my supervisor and coworkers, the whole environment at the lab, and realized that I definitely made a right choice when I decided to work towards a career as an industrial researcher. Overall, this internship has been a most happy and fruitful experience and I recommend it to anyone.

Maria Ponomarenko