Past Events

workshop providing both theoretical background and direct practical experience in applying topological data analysis to the challenges of big and complex data. Keynote speakers: Professor John Harer, Duke University, USA Dr Facundo Memoli, University of Adelaide Dr Vanessa Robins, The Australian National University Ms Kate Turner, University of Chicago

Optimization in Industry is a three-day workshop that brings together researchers, graduate students and industry practitioners with an interest in solving challenging industrial problems using analytics, mathematical modelling, and advanced optimisation and constraint programming methods. Real-world problems are usually very large and highly constrained, often dealing with uncertainty. Researchers have to formulate new models and design solution methods to handle them. The talks will clearly define the problems, explain their difficulty, and expose the solution “path” (with failures and successes). How does one get from the initial discussion and data to a full solution? What are the research pathways to convert challenging problems into computationally tractable sub-problems?

The current plan is to have a 2-hour session in the morning and another in the afternoon, each day. We will ask Prof Ashoke Sen to talk in the mornings, and ask participants who wish to contribute to talk in the afternoons. In addition, we expect that there will be group discussion sessions, then the rest of the time is meant for informal discussions.

See this link for all events during 2013

The Australian and New Zealand Association of Mathematical Physics will hold its inaugural annual meeting in the seaside town of Lorne, Victoria. MASCOS is a sponsor of this meeting

11:00 to 17:45

A public lecture will be given by Professor Ian Enting as part of National Science Week.

Title: Great is the Power of Steady Misrepresentation*

Details: 6:30pm-7:30pm, Tuesday August 14.
Location: Elisabeth Murdoch, Theatre A, Parkville campus of The University of Melbourne. Map: http://go.unimelb.edu.au/8wo (detailed directions below)
Contact: No booking necessary, but if you require further information about this lecture please contact Mrs Kerry Hill, kerryh@complex.org.au

Speaker: Ian Enting is a Professorial Fellow in the ARC Centre of Excellence for Mathematics and Statistics of Complex Systems (MASCOS). He formerly worked in carbon cycle modelling at CSIRO Atmospheric Research. He was one of the lead authors of the "CO2 and the Carbon Cycle" chapter of the 1994 IPCC Report on "Radiative Forcing of Climate Change". In 2007 he wrote "Twisted: The Distorted Mathematics of Greenhouse Denial". Over 2009 he undertook an extensive analysis of the errors, misrepresentations and fabrications in Ian Plimer's book "Heaven+Earth".

Abstract:
The science of climate change has come under public attack through what has been described as asymmetric warfare. Public communication has been flooded with a deluge of misinformation. In parallel there have been attempts to distract, intimidate and gag climate scientists. In 2009 Ian Plimer's book, "Heaven + Earth - Global Warming: The Missing Science", claimed to demolish the theory of human-induced global warming due to the release of CO2 and other greenhouse gases. A careful reading of "Heaven + Earth" reveals extensive examples of fabricating numbers, distorted and misattributed graphics, misrepresentation of the content of cited references and a sprinkling of plagiarism. In spite of its blatant flaws "Heaven + Earth" has gained considerable political traction in Australia.
There will be time for questions and discussion after the talk.
Further information can be found at Professor Enting's homepage (http://www.ms.unimelb.edu.au/~enting/) including a link to the document "Ian Plimer's `Heaven + Earth' -- Checking the Claims".

* quote from Charles Darwin in 6th edition of "The Origin of Species ..."

How to get there:
The Elisabeth Murdoch Theatre A is in the Elisabeth Murdoch Building, Parkville campus of The University of Melbourne. Map: http://go.unimelb.edu.au/8wo
To find Theatre A, please enter the theatre foyer at ground level through the marble doorway and large glass doors very near to Castro's Café (this is the outdoor café with the large wooden tables). You exit the theatre through the same door. Please note that there is no access to this theatre from any other entrances of the Elisabeth Murdoch Building.