CIM PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES

October  7, 2024

THE FIELDS INSTITUTE FOR RESEARCH IN MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES

August 11-15, 2014
Fields-Mprime Industrial Problem Solving Workshop
at the Fields Institute, 222 College Street, Toronto

Organizing Committee
C. Sean Bohun, Mehran Ebrahimi, Huaxiong Huang,
Sebastian Jaimungal, Odile Marcotte, Nilima Nigam,
Sivabal Sivaloganathan

OVERVIEW

Objectives:
The objective of the FMIPW is to connect industries with faculty, postdocs and graduate students who have expertise in industrial case-studies. This interaction is fostered in the specific context of a problem-solving session over 5 days. The case-studies in question have a significant mathematical or statistical content.

The interaction between industry and academia has many potential benefits for both. Academics learn about interesting potential research problems and find application for their existing tools. Industries get access to some of the most experienced mathematical modellers and problem-solvers on the continent.

Deliverables:
At the end of the week, the academic experts make a presentation consisting of the problem restatement and their solution. This is a summary of results; the teams also prepare reports for the industrial sponsors.

History and mission statement

Fields Institute for Mathematical Sciences:
Founded in 1992, the Fields Institute plays a central role in ``promoting contact and collaboration between professional mathematicians and the increasing number of users of mathematics". It supports research in pure and applied mathematics and statistics. Thematic programs of international interest, academic workshops, and prizes are organized by the Institute.

Of specific interest to the business community is the Commercial and Industrial Mathematics program. This program seeks to develop synergistic links between mathematicians and industrial partners. The Fields Industrial Problem-Solving Workshop (FIPSW) is a new initiative in this direction.

What the workshop is about:

Objectives:
The objective of the FMIPW is to connect industries with faculty, postdocs and graduate students who have expertise in industrial case-studies. This interaction is fostered in the specific context of a problem-solving session over 5 days. The case-studies in question have a significant mathematical or statistical content.

The interaction between industry and academia has many potential benefits for both. Academics learn about interesting potential research problems and find application for their existing tools. Industries get access to some of the most experienced mathematical modellers and problem-solvers on the continent.

Format:
The FMIPW will occur over 5 days. Participants will include between 36-50 academic experts (including mathematicians and statisticians), and experts from industry. On the first day, the industrial sponsors will present their problem statements. The academic experts will divide into teams of 6-10 people each, with one team assigned to each problem. The teams spend the next 3 days collaborating on solutions to their problem, and present their solution on the final day of the workshop.

Deliverables:
At the end of the week, the academic experts make a presentation consisting of the problem restatement and their solution. This is a summary of results; the teams also prepare reports for the industrial sponsors.

Schedule

Time Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
8:00 Coffee Coffee Coffee Coffee Coffee
9:00 Problem 1 --ARFI Refocusing Problem (details) (slides)
Charles Mougenot - Philips Healthcare
Group Discussion
Group Discussion
Group Discussion
Video of final presentations

Problem 1 -ARFI Refocusing Problem
(slides)
9:30 Problem 2 --Estimating Long-term Risk Using Short term Data (details) (slides)
Chris Gifford & Andrew Lin - Dominion Bond Rating Service

Problem 2- Estimating Long-term Risk Using Short term Data (slides)

10:00 Problem 3 --Simulation of Oxygen Release from an Oxygen Delivery Scaffold (details) (slides)
Huaifa Zhang & Jake Barralet - McGill University
Problem 3 - Simulation of Oxygen Release from an Oxygen Delivery Scaffold
10:30 Break Break Break Break Break
11:00 Problem 4 --Mass Filters (details)
Samad Bazargan - Perkin Elmer
Group Discussion
Group Discussion
Group Discussion

Problem 4 -Mass Filters (slides)
11:30 Problem 5 -Modeling of Thermal Dose from Focused Ultrasound Exposures for Heterogeneous Tissues (details) (slides)
Adam Waspe - Hospital for Sick Children
Problem 5 Modeling of Thermal Dose from Focused Ultrasound Exposures for Heterogeneous Tissues
12:00 Problem 6 -- Scenario Quantification for Operation Risk Modelling (details) (slides)
Pavan Aroda - OSFI
Lunch
Problem 6 Scenario Quantification for Operation Risk Modelling
12:30 Lunch NSERC Presentation
Jennifer Bean
(slides)
OCE Presentation
1:30 Group Discussion
Group Discussion
Group Discussion
Group Discussion
Closing Remarks
Lunch
 
3:30
Break
4:00 Group Discussion Group Discussion
Group Discussion
Group Discussion
5:00 Daily Summary Daily Summary
5:30    
Pizza and Beer Night
 

Workshop Participants
* not confirmed

Full Name University/Affiliation
  Andrews, Rob  
  Aroda, Pavan OSFI
* Barralet, Jake McGill University
  Bazargan, Samad  
  Bohun, Sean University of Ontario Institute of Technology
  Budd, Chris University of Bath
  Budd, Jeremy University of Cambridge
  Butt, Nabeel Royal Bank of Canada
  Cao, Melanie York University
  Cervi, Jessica University of Ontario Institute of Technology
  Cheyne, Helen University of Western Ontario
  Drapaca, Corina Pennsylvania State University
  Ebrahimi, Mehran University of Ontario Institute of Technology
  Fehribach, Joseph D. Worcester Polytechnic Institute
  Gan, Luhui University of Toronto
  Gifford, Chris Dominion Bond Rating Service
  Gold, Nathan York University
  Haddad, Jean-Paul University of Waterloo
* Hauck, Cory Oak Ridge National Laboratory
  Hosseini, Bamdad Simon Fraser University
  Huang, Huaxiong York University
  Keener, James P. University of Utah
  Komarova, Svetlana Shriners Hospital for Children - Canada
  Kuznetzov, Alexey York University
  Lin, Andrew  
  Lindstrom, Michael University of British Columbia
  Luk, Kevin University of Toronto
  Madras, Neal York University
  Marcotte, Odile Université de Montréal
* Mi, Lizhong Tongji University
  Mougenot, Charles Philips Healthcare
  Moyles, Iain University of British Columbia
  Murley, Jonathan University of Waterloo
  Nigam, Nilima Simon Fraser University
  Olobatuyi, Oluwole University of Alberta
  Peshko, Olesya McMaster University
  Pugh, Mary C. University of Toronto
  Qazi, Sanjive Gustavus Adolphus College
  Razaghzadeh, Samad Queen's University
  Ryczko, Kevin University of Ontario Institute of Technology
  Salisbury, Thomas York University
  Selventhiran, Urmela York University
  Shirgir, Samire Concordia University
  Sivaloganathan, Sivabal University of Waterloo
* Steprans, Juris York University
  Sui, Yi University of British Columbia
  Tan, Jeremy University of Toronto
  Tsang, Charles University of Toronto
  Wang, Renjie Concordia University
  Waspe, Adam The Hospital for Sick Children
  Zhang, Huaifa McGill University

 

What's in it for the participating company:

The intellectual dedication of many expert problem-solvers during the workshop to the phenomenon of interest to the company yields many benefits. These range from partial or complete solutions to the problem of interest, to long-term collaboration between the companies and the participating academics. The forum is an informal but intensive opportunity for companies to take advantage of the mathematical and scientific computing expertise of participating researchers.

Often the academic reformulation and solution of the problem enables the company to find inexpensive in-house strategies. Similar workshops in Europe and North America have saved participating companies hundreds of thousands of dollars.

In addition, the academic experts typically use state-of-the-art scientific and technological tools, which may prove useful to the company in other contexts as well.

The workshop also serves as a mechanism for recruitment of talented graduate students; the company sponsors can watch this pool of potential employees in action!

Why do academic experts participate?

The potential benefits of the FMIPW to professional mathematicians involved are myriad. They range from an exposure to interesting mathematical problems arising outside the confines of academia to an opportunity to try new scientific tools in novel application areas. Previous workshops have seen such involvement turn into long-term collaborations, often leading to journal publications and new research directions.

Commitment of FMIPW:
The Fields Institute will provide the academic expertise and infrastructure for this workshop. The recruitment of appropriate faculty and graduate students to best meet the needs of the problems will be done by the Fields Institute.

Commitment of industrial sponsors:
Each participating company contributes a problem with mathematical or statistical content for discussion during the workshop. They also commit a representative to participate in the workshop during the problem-solving phase. The company may sponsor part of the FIPSW through a one-time or ongoing financial contribution.

Earlier Industrial Problem Solving Workshops:

August 20-24, 2012
Industrial Problem-Solving Workshop on Medical Imaging

June 22-26, 2009
OCCAM-Fields-MITACS, Math-in-Medicine Study Group
Biomedical Problems Solving Workshop

August 11-15, 2008
Fields-MITACS Industrial Problem-Solving Workshop (FMIPW)

August 14-18, 2006
Fields-MITACS Industrial Problem-Solving Workshop (FMIPW)

 


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