Ad for admission to Institute of Mathematics & Applications Bhubaneswar

Add comment February 11th, 2010

Shortage of Math Ph.ds in India; current faculty situation at the IISERS and NISER

I was discussing with several people associated with NISER Bhubaneswar. I was told that the NISERs and IISER are having difficulty finding good faculty in mathematics, especially in pure mathematics. (On the other hand they can find very good people in Physics, Chemistry and Biology.) I did a quick survey of the IISERs and NISER and indeed they have much more faculty in Physics, Chemistry and Biology than in Mathematics. Following is a rough count made on Jan 30, 2010.

As evident from the above, all of the above institutes are struggling in hiring faculty in Mathematics. Also, while the young faculty in the other fields (Physics, Chemistry and Biology) mostly have post-doc experiences, most of the younger Math faculty do not have that experience.

One of the reasons behind the shortage of Math Ph.ds is that most people who love Mathematics in high school go on to pursue engineering and perhaps there is a mistaken impression that the career prospects in mathematics is not good. Thus there is a big need for institutions like

The Institute of Mathematics and applications, Bhubaneswar

which is making great efforts to popularize Math among youngsters.

I hope some of the people who loved Math in high school, and now are in other (say IT) jobs would consider pursuing Math. Some of the top places to pursue Ph.D in Mathematics in India are:

• TIFR, Mumbai
• Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Chennai
• Chennai Mathematical institute, Chennai
• HRI, Allahabad
• ISI, Kolkata and Bangalore
• IISc Bangalore
• Various IITs
• the IISERs and NISER
• Some of the Universities

India could also consider hiring foreigners. At least in the USA many Math Ph.Ds from top schools do not get a tenure track faculty position and end up teaching in community colleges. Some of them may jump at an opportunity to be a faculty in IISERs, NISER and other institutions.

2 comments January 30th, 2010

Institute of Mathematics & Applications (Bhubaneswar) advertises for 5 faculty positions

Add comment June 21st, 2009

Great job being done by the Institute of Mathematics & Applications

Following is an excerpt from a report in Times of India.

About 124 students of rural schools were felicitated by chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday for their brilliant performance at the National Math Olympiad.

Shradha Ranjan Grahacharya, a Class IX student at Kanakpur in Jagatsighpur district, wants to be a scientist and do research in her favourite subject, algebra. Although mathematics as always been her favourite, she began to take greater interest in the field after she was selected for the Rural Mathematics Olympiad (RMO) in 2006 when she was in Class VI.

"After I was picked for the RMO camp, I started liking the subject even more. At the camp, teachers taught us some easy methods to solving difficult mathematical problems," said Shradha, who stood first in the Junior Mathematics Olympiad, 2008.

According to IMA director Swadhinananda Pattanaik, there is a lack of interest in mathematics among parents and teachers, especially in government schools in villages. Hence, the IMA has decided to make teaching of mathematics an interesting and fun-filled activity.

"In most classrooms, there is little opportunity to understand maths beyond the level of solving equations. Typically, students just memorize mathematical facts without actually understanding the subject," he said.

Encouraging the young mathematicians, chief minister Naveen Patnaik said, "The IMA’s efforts are commendable, especially the special programmes to prepare students for premier institutes like IIT and NISER. This is the only institute of its kind in the country. I hope it will spread its wings globally very soon".

Besides the 124 young students, 33 senior students who performed well in the Regional and National Mathematics Olympiad were also felicitated. IMA is also conducting summer camps for undergraduate and post-graduate students.

1 comment June 15th, 2009

M.SC Computational Finance and B.Sc (Hons) in Math and Computing at Institute of Mathematics & Applications Bhubaneswar

Add comment May 15th, 2009

New campus for Institute of Mathematics & Applications (IMA) inaugurated in Bhubaneswar

Following is an excerpt from a report in Statesman.

The new campus of Institute of Mathematics and Applications inaugurated here today was, in many ways, an idea conceptualised by chief minister Mr Naveen Patnaik and a reflection of the fact that ‘Tata Steel was as much a state of mind as a corporate house’.

It is spread over 23 acre and laid out from spiral lines of the golden equation. Mathematical equations apart, the institute’s golden formula is not only to become a world class centre of excellence but also to train and teach rural tribal students. From conceptualisation to construction, it had taken just three years.

Inaugurating the institute campus, the CM praised Tata Steel for having contributed to the development of the institute and architect Mr Karan Grover. "We are committed to make this a world class institute," he asserted.
"Bhubaneswar has become a hub for education be it engineering colleges, management institutes, the IIIT, NISER or the IIT," he said. "Very soon I will hold a meeting with mathematicians and others to get a proper feedback on the problems and lacunae as well as to get ideas on developing this institute, from international quarters," he informed.

An Odisha Today report has some more information.

The institute will also have facilities like computer labs, class rooms, library rooms as well as residential accommodations for the faculty and researchers.

The campus of this institute has been built in 7000 sq metre complex, with an investment of Rs.140 million.

As many as 96 students can undertake higher research in mathematics.

Note: 7000 sq metre = 75600 sq feet.

See http://www.orissalinks.com/archives/214 to compare IMA with the size of NISER.

8 comments July 24th, 2008

Mathematics Institute to come up as a world class institution

The Pioneer reported the following.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday said the Institute of Mathematics and Application would be made a world class institute. "The new buildings of the institute and other infrastructure would be ready within one month," he said.
 
Patnaik said this while distributing prizes to the winners of the regional mathematic Olympiads in a glittering function at Jaydev Bhawan. "Mathematics plays an immense role in development of science and technology," he said, adding that the Mathematics Institute should play a pro-active role in spreading the knowledge of mathematics in the tribal dominated areas. "More tribals would come up to take up mathematics as a subject," he said.
 
The meeting was held under the chairmanship of the eminent mathematician Professor Gokulananda Das. Science and Technology Minister Duryodhana Majhi, Professor Venkata Chela of Indian Science and Technology, Bangalore also delivered their speeches. Director of the Institute Professor Swadhin Patnaik delivered the welcome speech.
 
The Chief Minister gave away first prizes to Debakanta Mallick (1st) Anup Biswanth Dixit (2nd) of Bhubaneswar, Siddharth Satpahty ( 3rd) and Abinash Das (4th)

3 comments June 12th, 2008

Science magnet school as part of IMA? Not yet, but a precursor.

Following is from Samaja.

Add comment April 21st, 2008

IMA plans five year integrated M.Sc in Computer Science

Following is an excerpt from a news report in New Indian Express.

Institute of Mathematics and Application (IMA) here is contemplating to introduce a five-year integrated M Sc programme in computer science.

The course would seek to churn out computer scientists who would use their expertise in providing solutions to a number of fields.

All in all, its scope would go far beyond what is taught at the MCA level today. This should lead to a research programme in computer science in the areas of cryptography, digital image processing and bio-informatics.

Institute director Prof. Swadhin Pattnaik said the integrated programme will help students save one year. Students have to put in additional two years after graduation for pursuing such a programme from other institutes.

The success of the programme would immensely help several sectors recruit highly skilled computer professionals as the country is currently facing crisis for such hands.

Even though a number of technical institutes offer similar programmes today, the product they churn out fail to meet employers’ expectations. IMA, with its level of academic standards, promises to solve this problem.

… The Tata Group is supporting in the development of the infrastructure. However, he ruled out any knowledge of naming the institute after the Tata Group.

4 comments April 11th, 2008

Tatas to take over IMA and call it Tata Institute of Mathematics?

Following is an excerpt from a report in Telegraph. (Thanks to Sanjoy Das for the pointer.)

After Tata Institute of Social Sciences and Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in Mumbai, it is now the turn of a national-level mathematics institute from the house of Tatas.

The steel major has decided to come up with an advanced institute in mathematical studies in Bhubaneswar. To be called Tata Institute of Mathematics, the project is being launched in association with Utkal University in Orissa.

“The decision behind coming up with the institute was development of pure mathematics as a research subject and also to arouse interest among youngsters for the subject,” said H.M. Nerurkar, the chief operating officer of Tata Steel at Jamshedpur today.

Scheduled to be opened in two months, the centre is based on the lines of institutes of mathematics located in Pune and Chennai. Once functional, it would work in areas like fundamental research in frontier disciplines of the mathematical and physical sciences: mathematics, theoretical physics among others.

“The institute has been envisaged with the vision of promoting advance studies in different mathematical faculties and practices. It will offer postgraduate and post-doctoral research programme in different mathematics disciplines,” said Nerurkar, adding the place would be an architectural delight with the design by Vadodara-based Karan Grover and Associates.

… The centre will also conduct special courses for schoolchildren to help them develop interest in mathematical studies.

Add comment April 8th, 2008

Entrance exam for admission to Institute of Mathematics & Applications (IMA) Bhubaneswar

6 comments March 16th, 2008

RMTS2007 Test on 11th Nov.; Last date of application extended to 25th October

Institute of Mathematics and Applications in Bhubaneswar has extended the last date of application for RMTS 2007 to 25th of October. The test date is not changed and stays on Nov 11.

Update: The application form is available at http://www.rmtsorissa.org/text/aplication.zip.

2 comments October 10th, 2007

IMA’s Masters program in Computational Finance

1 comment August 16th, 2007

Institute of Mathematics and Applications teams up with SCSTRTI

Pioneer reports on this teaming up to give training to selected children from several Tribal department run schools. Following are some excerpts.

The SC & ST Research and Training Institute (SCSTRTI) under the ST & SC Development Department has been organising a number of training programmes for the teachers as well as students of tribal schools to promote effective education among the tribals.

The institute, in collaboration with the Institute of Mathematics and Application (IMA) headed by eminent mathematician Professor Swadhin Pattnaik, identified 47 meritorious tribal students of Class VI from different Tribal Department-run schools and provided them an eight-day-long residential training course from July 17 to 24 to prepare them for the Mathematics Olympiad.

The training programme is considered to be unique and innovative, director of the institute, AB Ota, indicated that more and more such programmes would be held in future in the interest of tribal education.

2 comments July 26th, 2007

Institute of Mathematics and Applications now has a new web page.

The new web page of Institute of Mathematics and Applications is http://www.iomaorissa.org/index.html.

(Thanks to Sandip babu for the pointer.)

2 comments July 25th, 2007

List of Research Institutes in Orissa

Following is a list of research institutes in Orissa which I earlier compiled at http://orissalinks.com.

Continue Reading 16 comments May 31st, 2007

IMA takes lead on a new and improved high school Mathematics text in Oriya

New Indian Express reports that Institute of Mathematics in Bhubaneswar is taking a lead in creating a new and improved high school Mathematics text in Oriya. Following is an excerpt from that report.

… the citybased Institute of Mathematics and Applications (IMA) has come forward with a project on textbook in two volumes in Oriya.

“The USP of these books are their content: Need-based, contemporary and specially written for those HSC passouts of Oriya medium schools,” says IMA Director Prof Swadhin Pattnaik.

The project, which began earlier this year would be completed in June so that by July the students will get the books through the Textbook Bureau, he says adding these books, apart from inspiring the students to take the subject more seriously, would help in easy understanding of the subject without going for tuitions.

The panel of writers include eminent mathematician and former vice-chancellor of Utkal University Prof Gokulananda Das, Prof PC Das of IIT Kanpur and Prof Pattnaik and mathematicians drawn from the apex colleges of the State.

From the psychological point of view, students can do better if they understand the subject in their mother tongue.

Add comment May 29th, 2007

Institute of Mathematics and Applications advertises for B.Sc(hons) in Math and Computing and M.Sc in Computational Finance

1 comment May 13th, 2007

Guest Article by Sandip Dasverma: Himalaya Senapati, a RMTS Scholar is finalist for the India team selection to International Math olympiad

(Editor’s comment: Please read more about the noble RMTS effort and consider contributing to it.)

Dear Friends: Please read the mail below from Dr. Swadheen Pattanayak and rejoice. It has been long 4 years but it seems only the other day when the list of 30 students selected from 1st RMTS(2003) was forwarded by Swadheen, to me in December 2003. Himalaya was second of thirty in the list of merit.

Continue Reading Add comment March 24th, 2007

From mineral resources to human resources

For some time there has been discussion that Orissa government should formulate a policy of going from mineral resources to human resources. I.e., it must cajole the various mineral based industries (steel plants, aluminium plants, coal fields etc.) in Orissa to invest in the human resource development of Orissa. So far except the announced Vedanta University, and 13 crores donated by the Tatas towards the Institute of Mathematics, the others have at most contributed small amounts towards ITI type trade schools. In this regards the GOI public sectors in Orissa have not done much.

Now Orissa must take a quick lesson from Jharkhand. Today’s Telegraph reports that Bokaro steel plant has agreed to establish an engineering college as well as a medical college in Bokaro.

Continue Reading Add comment February 26th, 2007