> BUC-III: 16.05.16 - 20.05.16

Overview

Bath, UNAM and CIMAT have a long history of interaction in probability and there are already clearly intersecting synergies. Rather than holding a traditional workshop, we would like to experiment with some problem sessions and spend the week on trying to formulate good questions that can lead to healthy collaborative research. There are two motivations for our departure from the traditional workshop format.

First, we are inspired by the article of Vlada Limic in the IMI bulletin which points to the benign nature of workshops. Second, following the huge success of the Integrative Think Tank model at the Bath-based EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training SAMBa, that is mathematical problem formulation workshops in collaboration with industry, we would like to explore how the principle of “problem formulation” can be applied equally well to academic workshops.

The workshop is structured in a way that mirrors the natural progression of discovery when one first encounters an appealing new problem. See also the summary article here.

The workshop is held in CIMAT between 16th May and 21st May 2016.

Monday: This is a fast moving day with very short talks presenting topics and open problems. Talks consist of 15 minutes of background and 5 minutes of open problems. Detail is restricted to the bare minimum. There are two discussion sessions during which speakers and a second person familiar with the speaker’s material will chair group discussions to understand better the problem at hand and where the issues lie.

Tuesday: The talks and discussions on Monday will have motivated further questions around the basis of the problems proposed. One hour “methods” lectures are given to support the background material of the talks. At the end of the day, groups of up to 5 people are invited to form to work around chosen problems – either those presented or related problems that have arisen or been formulated during the first two days.

Wednesday: Group all day. 5 minute presentations at the end of the day summarizing progress in the morning, continued group work in the afternoon.

Thursday: Group work all day.

Friday: Continued group work in the morning and in the afternoon the BUC is wrapped up with summary talks indicating progress and plans to take research forward as a group or individuals.

The Workshop (timetable)

Attendees (in progress)