ICERM

ICERM
Name	ICERM
Established	2011
Type	Research institute
Location	Providence, Rhode Island, United States
Affiliations	Brown University, National Science Foundation
Director	Bjorn Poonen

ICERM is a research institute focused on computational and experimental aspects of mathematical sciences, located in Providence, Rhode Island. It hosts thematic programs, workshops, and collaborative research projects that bring together researchers from mathematics, computer science, and related fields. ICERM operates in partnership with universities, foundations, and federal agencies and serves as a node in a network that includes institutes such as Institute for Advanced Study, Mathematical Sciences Research Institute, and Clay Mathematics Institute.

History

ICERM opened in 2011 after planning involving Brown University, the National Science Foundation, and local stakeholders in Providence, Rhode Island. The institute's founding followed precedents set by centers such as Institute for Advanced Study, Mathematical Sciences Research Institute, and Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences. Early leadership included collaborations with faculty affiliated with Brown University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Harvard University. ICERM's programming model drew inspiration from the thematic semester formats used at Institute for Advanced Study and the workshop-driven approaches of Banff International Research Station and Fields Institute. Over its first decade ICERM hosted numerous events with participants from institutions including Princeton University, Yale University, Columbia University, Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley, and University of Cambridge.

Mission and Research Areas

ICERM's mission emphasizes computational experimentation, algorithmic development, and interdisciplinary interaction involving institutions like Brown University and federal agencies such as the National Science Foundation. Research areas include computational algebraic geometry connected to work at Max Planck Institute for Mathematics and Institut des Hautes Études Scientifiques, numerical analysis linked to methods developed at Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and symbolic computation influenced by projects at SymbolicData.org and research groups at University of Waterloo. Other focal topics are mathematical visualization with ties to efforts at American Mathematical Society and Mathematical Association of America, computational number theory reflecting collaborations with Institute for Computational and Experimental Research in Mathematics, and data-driven mathematics paralleling initiatives at Simons Foundation and Microsoft Research. ICERM fosters interaction among researchers from Princeton University, Carnegie Mellon University, University of Chicago, University of Oxford, and ETH Zurich.

Programs and Workshops

ICERM organizes thematic semesters and short workshops similar to formats at Mathematical Sciences Research Institute and Banff International Research Station. Programs have included topics such as computational topology with contributors from University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, machine-assisted proofs featuring researchers from Google Research and Microsoft Research, and visualization and communication with participants from National Gallery of Art and Museum of Modern Art. Workshops often attract attendees from Princeton University, Harvard University, Stanford University, University of Toronto, McGill University, Imperial College London, and École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne. ICERM runs collaborative projects with applied partners, echoing partnerships like those between Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences and New York University or Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Los Alamos National Laboratory. Special programs have invited speakers from award-granting bodies such as the National Academy of Sciences, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and prize-awarding organizations like the Fields Medal committees.

Education and Outreach

ICERM offers educational initiatives for graduate students and early-career researchers that mirror training programs at Institute for Advanced Study, Mathematical Sciences Research Institute, and Fields Institute. Outreach activities bring together scholars and educators from American Mathematical Society, Mathematical Association of America, National Science Foundation, and local schools in Providence, Rhode Island. Public lectures have featured invited speakers affiliated with Harvard University, Yale University, Princeton University, and Columbia University and have collaborated with cultural institutions such as Rhode Island School of Design and Providence Athenaeum. Summer schools and bootcamps engage participants from Brown University, Dartmouth College, University of Rhode Island, and international programs associated with Simons Foundation and European Research Council fellows.

Facilities and Resources

ICERM's facilities include seminar rooms, computing labs, and visualization spaces comparable to resources at Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences and Mathematical Sciences Research Institute. Computational infrastructure supports high-performance computing workflows used by researchers from National Center for Supercomputing Applications and data analysis techniques pioneered at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The institute maintains collaborative office space for visiting scholars from Princeton University, Yale University, Stanford University, and visiting researchers affiliated with Google Research and Microsoft Research. Visualization galleries have showcased work related to projects at Museum of Modern Art and Rhode Island School of Design. ICERM provides access to libraries and digital resources in partnership with Brown University Library and connects participants to archives at institutions such as Harvard University and Library of Congress.

Governance and Funding

ICERM is governed through partnerships involving Brown University and advisory input from mathematicians associated with National Science Foundation, Simons Foundation, and leading departments at Princeton University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, and University of California, Berkeley. Funding sources include grants from the National Science Foundation, gifts from philanthropic organizations like the Simons Foundation and private donors associated with universities such as Brown University and Yale University. Governance structures mirror those used by institutes such as Mathematical Sciences Research Institute and Institute for Advanced Study, with advisory boards populated by faculty from Carnegie Mellon University, Columbia University, University of Chicago, Imperial College London, and ETH Zurich. Budgeting and program support have involved collaborative grants with federal bodies like the National Science Foundation and partnerships with foundations including the Simons Foundation.

Category:Mathematical research institutes