Mathematical Opportunities

2018 Mathematics Research Communities - Call for Applications

Calls for Applications / Graduate students, Postdocs/early career

The 2018 Mathematics Research Communities will have five conferences in the summer of 2018. Below is one of the conferences. The other four conferences are separately listed on this site.

Week 1a: June 3 – 9, 2018 - The Mathematics of Gravity and Light

Organizers:
Charles Keeton (Rutgers University)
Arlie Petters (Duke University)
Marcus Werner (Kyoto University)


The propagation of light probes the fundamental structure of spacetime, and its gravitational dynamics are described by general relativity or possible modifications. These theoretical models are increasingly testable thanks to the latest advances in astronomy. We will explore the mathematical properties of gravitational lensing, which is the study of how gravity acts on light. Given the remarkable recent insight that gravity theories can be constructed “geometrodynamically” so as to ensure predictivity, we will also investigate how such theories may be tested. The attractive nature of this research is that it intersects with several core areas of mathematics, e.g., differential geometry, analysis, PDEs, algebra, and probability theory.

Our interdisciplinary summer conference will be aimed at newcomers to the field, with a strong focus on team-based collaborative work. Pedagogically, the expressway into the subject is to use the thin-screen, weak-field limit of gravitational lensing, which is rich with examples that carry many of the key ideas and theorems in the field. Teams will analyze specific examples that lead to open problems. Extending beyond the weak-field limit, an accessible introduction to the relevant aspects of Riemannian, Lorentzian, and Finslerian geometry will be given, so that the differences among the three, as well as the ways in which they appear in general relativity and gravitational lensing, can be appreciated. This will lead naturally to recent results and open problems in constructive gravity and optical geometry.

This conference addresses the following topics: deterministic and stochastic weak-field gravitational lensing; numerical aspects of gravitational lensing with astrophysical applications; constructive gravity; optical geometry of Lorentzian spacetimes; non-Lorentzian optical geometries; singularities in gravitational lensing; testing five-dimensional modified gravity.

We seek an academically excellent and diverse group of peri-doctoral mathematical scientists with an interest in applications as well as physicists keen on mathematical structure.

About the Mathematics Research Communities:

Mathematics Research Communities (MRC), a program of the American Mathematical Society (AMS), nurtures early-career mathematicians--those who are close to finishing their doctorates or have recently finished--and provides them with opportunities to build social and collaborative networks through which they can inspire and sustain each other in their work.

The structured program is designed to engage and guide all participants as they start their careers. For each topic,the program includes a one-week summer conference; a Special Session at the next Joint Mathematics Meetings; and a longitudinal study of early career mathematicians.

The summer conferences of the MRC are held in the serene setting of the Whispering Pines Conference Center, West Greenwich, Rhode Island, where participants can enjoy the natural beauty and a collegial atmosphere. Those accepted into this program will receive support (full room and board at the Whispering Pines Conference Center and full or partial airfare) for the summer conference, and will be partially supported for their participation in the Joint Mathematics Meetings which follow in January 2019.

ELIGIBILITY: Individuals within one to two years prior to the receipt of their PhDs or within one to five years after receipt of their PhDs are welcome to apply. The MRC program is open to individuals who are U.S. citizens as well as to those who are affiliated with U.S. institutions. A few international participants may be accepted. Women and underrepresented minorities are especially encouraged to apply. All participants are expected to be active in the full MRC program.

Please contact Steven Ferrucci at ams-mrc@ams.org if you have additional questions.

American Mathematical Society
Date Posted: Jul 18, 2017
Deadline: Feb 15, 2018