Experts to tackle industry problems using maths
The event will take place at the Peter Chalk Centre on the Streatham Campus in Exeter
Mathematicians and data scientists will try to solve a range of real-world problems – in areas ranging from animal welfare to cyber security – during a week-long event at the University of Exeter.
The Department of Mathematics and Statistics will host the 195th UK European Study Group with Industry (ESGI) from July 20-24.
ESGIs are five-day workshops where partners from business, industry and government present a mathematical or computational problem – then mathematicians and data scientists form focus groups to find a solution.
ESGIs are internationally recognised as a cost-effective means of making significant, rapid progress on industry problems.
Dr Tony Samuel said: “ESGI is Europe’s largest industrial mathematics conference series, and we are honoured to be hosting it here at Exeter.
“We have a great line-up of industrial challenges, with topics ranging from mining and biogases to accessibility in education and elliptic curve cryptography – themes lying within the pillars of the University of Exeter’s Strategy 2030.
“We are incredibly grateful to our industry partners, and to all the mathematicians and data scientists who will be bringing their expertise.”
The challenges (each presented by a partner organisation) include:
- Partner: ATASS Sports. This study group will bring together vision-impaired and sighted mathematicians to explore how data analysis and mathematics software can be made more accessible. The group has been organised memory of Dr Robin Williams, a former member of the Exeter Statistics Group who joined ATASS Sports, an Exeter-based statistical research consultancy.
- IEG Group. This group will analyse graph theoretic properties of floor plans to improve processing of planning applications. IEG Group is developing AI solutions to help city councils with processing of planning applications, thus speeding up planning and housing provision.
- Kestrel Institute. This challenge aims to prove, with mathematical certainty, that the algorithms used to keep online data secure are completely accurate and error-free, starting with those used in cryptography for medical devices and blockchain technology. Kestrel Institute is a US-based non-profit computer science research centre specialising in cybersecurity and software verification.
- The Donkey Sanctuary is a global charity, and this study group will develop new mathematical and statistical methods to quantify its impact on donkey health and wellbeing globally, particularly in data-sparse regions in the Global South.
For more information, visit https://mathematics.exeter.ac.uk/esgi/
