Mathematics and Mechanics in the Search for New Materials (13w5004)

The Banff International Research Station will host the "Mathematics and Mechanics in the search for new Materials" workshop from July 14th to July 19th, 2013.

Materials science is undergoing rapid development. A number of new techniques for synthesis have recently been introduced, and it is possible today to synthesize compounds today that were impossible a decade ago. New techniques of characterization, including scanning probe microscopy, are now available and they have provided a new view on material microstructure. Finally, the availability of computational power has made it possible to study a number of previously inaccessible problems.

Yet, most materials are still discovered through inspired accident and improved through expert empiricism. The essential reason for this is the complexity and the range of interactions between the electronic, atomistic, microstructural and macroscopic scales that determine the properties of materials. This workshop seeks to bring together a diverse group of mathematical and physical scientists to apply mathematics to understand this complexity. A specific focus is on active materials and materials of interest to energy storage and conversion.

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 disciplines and with industry. The research station is located at The Banff Centre in Alberta and is supported by Canada's Natural Science and Engineering 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).