Participant Testimonials
Helped me form a better picture of the current context and state of the research in this area, which is closely related to my research interests. Provided me with some questions to look into and potential areas of future research interest, although I need more time! It also clarified in my mind what my current MSc student should be looking into. The meeting provided me with a valuable opportunity to make some new contacts, and renew other contacts. It also allowed me speak confidentially with colleagues who have had contact with a potential future pdf candidate. Altogether I really valued and appreciated this opportunity.
It is wonderful to spend a few careless, focussed days in relative isolation with a nice, small group of people. These few days at BIRS I experienced the serendipitous atmosphere that works so inexplicably good in science. The organisers made the fantastic choice to reduce the number of talks and leave a lot of free time for discussion. For me, this turned out to be the best part: the naturalness with which small teams would form and let their thoughts flow, spending time together in the small discussion rooms; I was in at least one of those every day, and most of these discussions I expect will lead to new collaborations and definite insights.
As a PhD student (in number theory) I have only recently started studying operator algebras. It was very enlightening to hear more about how these structures can be used (in a number theoretic setting) in more generality. I have met many people with whom I have had interesting discussions. Hopefully I could also discuss things with them, once I am further along in my project.
This was a very interesting meeting and gave me ample opportunity to talk to experts in the field as well as getting to know what is happening in the field right now. These two aspects were most important for me. Organizers did a superb job.
Mathematics, University of Western Ontario
I found the workshop very interesting and informative. It did indeed help my research directly, since it brought together a team of 4 researchers with whom I have several ongoing projects. One feature of this workshop was that it was very well organised: the order of the talks was planned so that later ones could build on earlier ones. I also enjoyed the half-workshop format: it was easy to get to know all 21 participants. (I think this is probably especially beneficial for younger people, of whom there were quite a few.)
The workshop was extremely beneficial and stimulating. The program of talks was excellent, and introduced me to a number of exciting new ideas in number theory and dynamics that are closely related to my own area of operator algebras. A few specific benefits of the workshop were: * The intensive research environment and excellent breakout rooms enabled me to interact with collaborators to make significant progress on three separate research projects. * A number of the talks suggested extremely interesting connections with the theory of number theory and semigroups that are likely to lead to new research projects and new collaborations. * The workshop introduced me to new research contacts, both amongst high-profile established researchers, and amongst exciting current students who will be a part of the next generation of researchers in the area. * The workshop was extremely valuable for at least one current post-doc in my department; attendance and the opportunity to speak will have had a very positive effect on his job prospects. All in all the meeting was extremely well organised and scientifically stimulating and struck an excellent balance between interesting talks, and time and space for research interaction.
