Information About MPI 1998
About MPI 1998
MPI is a problem solving workshop that attracts leading applied mathematicians and scientists from universities, industry, and national laboratories.
During the workshop, engineers and scientists from industry interact with the academic participants on problems of interest to their companies. In the
past, these problems have included, but are not limited to
- engineering and product design
- process design and control
- environmental remediation
- scheduling and optimization
- financial modeling
The challenge facing business and industry is to prosper in an era of rapid technological growth. Meeting the challenge requires continually improving
productivity, resource management, and innovation, both to refine existing products and processes and to create new ones.
The MPI workshop is a resource that offers
- clarification and formulation of a proposed or existing process
- methods to solve problems of interest to industry
- links with applied mathematicians and scientists from universities and national laboratories
- access to advanced computing solutions and environments
- fresh input of new ideas
Format of the MPI Workshop
The MPI Workshop is a lively, 5-day interaction on problems of interest to science and industry. On the first day, the industry representatives, present
their problems to the whole group. These problems vary widely in nature from those requiring basic physical modeling to those requiring significant
computation (a partial list of problems brought to previous workshops is included overleaf). For the rest of the week, the workshop participants break
up into small working groups consisting of senior faculty and attending scientists, graduate students, and the industrial representatives, to discuss and
tackle the problems in an informal setting. On the last day of the workshop, an academic representative from each group presents the results obtained
and discusses possible future directions. A written report detailing the progress made during the workshop is prepared subsequently and sent to the industry representatives.
The format of the workshop is not strict and some variation is possible. For example, while representatives from industry are strongly encouraged to
stay and participate during the full week, a partial-week participation can be arranged. The MPI 1998 Organizing Committee is committed to working
with representatives from industry to meet their needs and we are especially interested in encouraging new contacts with industry while maintaining existing ones.
Problems from MPI 1997
The following problems were brought to last year's workshop. These problems are discussed in detail in the Proceedings of the Thirteenth Workshop on Mathematical Problems in Industry. Copies of this report are available upon request.
- The Optimization of a Flexible Cable, IBM.
- Bond Default Correlation, Merrill Lynch.
- Gas Concentration Measurements in Underground Waste Storage Tanks, Pacific Northwest National Lab.
- Kinetic Modeling of Multicomponent Electrowinning, Los Alamos National Lab.
- MEMS Diffraction Grating, Interscience
These problems represent but a small sample of problems discussed at our workshops. The mathematical techniques used to solve these, and other
problems at the workshop, include mathematical modeling, nonlinear analysis, numerical analysis and computation, and optimization.
MPI 1998 Organizing Committee
Donald Schwendeman (518) 276-2647
Julian Cole (518) 276-6916
Donald Drew (518) 276-6903
Ashwani Kapila (518) 276-6894
MPI 1998 Location
All workshop meetings will take place in the Darrin Communications Center on the campus of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Registration and Fees for Industry
There is a $250 registration fee for each industry representative attending the workshop.
There is a $1500 problem submission fee for each industry bringing a problem to the workshop. This fee is reduced to $1000 for a first-time industry
problem submission. The problem submission fee covers all work done on the problem during the workshop and the subsequent written report.
Industry representatives who are interested in submitting a problem to the workshop should first contact a member of the MPI 1998 Organizing Committee to discuss the suitability of the problem. The best results are achieved when the proposed problem is discussed and refined prior to the workshop.
For all Participants
Lunches will be provided Monday through Thursday during the week of the workshop. A workshop dinner will be held at a local restaurant on Monday evening, June 8.
Lodging is available on campus or at local hotels. Arrangements for on-campus lodging can be made through our Workshop Coordinator, Judy Kubik (518) 276-2307 or email kubikj@rpi.edu. Arrangements at local hotels can be made by contacting a hotel directly. Some nearby hotels are the Best Western Rensselaer Inn (518) 274-3210 and the Super 8 Motel (518) 274-8800.