Aim & Scope

The NCTS Interdisciplinary Distinguished Lecture series aims to introduce important research directions in sciences to the Taiwan mathematical community. And at the same time create a platform that people with different backgrounds can meet, discuss and develop interdisciplinary collaborations. Each Interdisciplinary Distinguished Lecture is designed to be a half day activity with lectures, discussions and a close up.

We are very happy to have Professor Bob Li give the NCTS Interdisciplinary Distinguished Lecture. Li started his career in Mathematics. He is an alumnus of NTU (1970) and Berkeley (1974), and taught at MIT and UI Chicago, all in mathematics. He gradually switched his directions after moving to Bell Lab. in 1979. His seminal work on linear network coding has changed the landscape of the information technology. He is an IEEE Fellow, a member of National Academy of Artificial Intelligence and a foreign member of Serbian National Academy of Sciences. Li considers his works as building connections between mathematics and technology.

Invited Speaker

Prof. Bob Li (Distinguished University Professor, University of Electronic S&T of China)

Title

A Dialog Between Algebra and Engineering

Abstract

Once a mathematical subject is widely applied to engineering, it is often referred to as "engineering mathematics", that is, the intersection of engineering and mathematics. For algebra in particular, the most recognizable example is linear algebra. More and more abstract subjects in algebra are becoming "engineering mathematics." For example, Galois theory is the foundation of classical coding theory. For another example, Fermat's little theorem has assorted applications in engineering.

This lecture revolves around the two topics of Network coding theory and Algebraic switching theory. The former includes "the changing face of the Butterfly Network," encryption and decryption, convolutional network coding, linear algebra over a PID, local ring, etc. The latter includes hardware algorithms, switching networks, sorting, routing, multicast, Boolean algebra, and cut-through coding.

The relationship between mathematics and engineering is not always just applying mathematics to engineering. Sometimes engineering knowledge also provides feedback to mathematics. For example, “cut-through codability of lattice” is a mathematical concept discovered from engineering applications.

Tentative Agenda

1:30-2:00 Registration

2:00-3:00 Lecture

3:00-3:30 Q&A / Informal Discussion

3:30-4:00 Tea Break

4:00-4:30 Conclusion

Regsitration 【LINK】