The Weierstrass Institute for Applied Analysis and Stochastics (WIAS), is a part of the Forschungsverbund Berlin e.V. and a member of the
Leibniz Association.
Based in Berlin’s district Mitte, the institute's research activities involve
applied and
pure mathematics
Pure mathematics is the study of mathematical concepts independently of any application outside mathematics. These concepts may originate in real-world concerns, and the results obtained may later turn out to be useful for practical applications, ...
.
Since February 2011, the
International Mathematical Union (IMU) Secretariat has been located in Berlin at WIAS.
History
The institute developed from the “Karl Weierstrass Institute for Mathematics” of the former
GDR
East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...
's
Academy of Sciences at Berlin. Following a recommendation of the
German Council of Science and Humanities, the institute was established on January 1, 1992.
The institute is named after the Berlin mathematician
Karl Weierstraß
Karl Theodor Wilhelm Weierstrass (german: link=no, Weierstraß ; 31 October 1815 – 19 February 1897) was a German mathematician often cited as the "father of modern mathematical analysis, analysis". Despite leaving university without a degree, ...
(1815-1897), who was well known for his profound processing of analysis.
Tasks
The main task of WIAS is the implementation of project-oriented research in
applied mathematics, especially in applied
analysis and
stochastics. The research activity is oriented on specific application situations and is confirmed by cooperations with scientific institutions and the economy. It includes the entire spectrum of the solution, from
mathematical model
A mathematical model is a description of a system using mathematical concepts and language. The process of developing a mathematical model is termed mathematical modeling. Mathematical models are used in the natural sciences (such as physics, ...
ing to mathematical-theoretical analysis of models, up to the development of
algorithms and numerical simulation of technological processes.
Research at WIAS focuses on the following application areas:
*
Nano- and
Optoelectronics,
*
Optimization and
control in
technology and economy,
* Materials modeling,
* Flow and transport,
*
Conversion,
storage
Storage may refer to:
Goods Containers
* Dry cask storage, for storing high-level radioactive waste
* Food storage
* Intermodal container, cargo shipping
* Storage tank
Facilities
* Garage (residential), a storage space normally used to store car ...
and
distribution Distribution may refer to:
Mathematics
*Distribution (mathematics), generalized functions used to formulate solutions of partial differential equations
* Probability distribution, the probability of a particular value or value range of a vari ...
of
energy,
* Random phenomena in
nature and
economy.
Within these application areas, questions are investigated, that play a central role in the development of key technologies (e. g.
materials science,
manufacturing engineering,
biomedical engineering), as well as applications in the economy (e. g.
finance
Finance is the study and discipline of money, currency and capital assets. It is related to, but not synonymous with economics, the study of production, distribution, and consumption of money, assets, goods and services (the discipline of fina ...
s).
Services are not part of the tasks.
Cooperation
WIAS cooperates closely with university and non-university institutions and is involved in numerous joint research projects, for which additional funds are raised within the framework of competition procedures (e. g. of the
German Research Foundation
The German Research Foundation (german: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft ; DFG ) is a German research funding organization, which functions as a self-governing institution for the promotion of science and research in the Federal Republic of Germ ...
or the
European Commission.)
Close relationships are maintained with the three Berlin universities,
Humboldt University,
Technical University and
Free University
A free university is an organization offering uncredited, public classes without restrictions to who can teach or learn. They differ in structure. In 1980 in the United States, about half were associated with a traditional university, about a ...
, through cooperation contracts and six joint appeals based on these contracts. Together with the mathematical institutes of these universities and the
Zuse Institute Berlin WIAS operates the Berlin mathematical center of excellence, MATHEON.
Within the
Leibniz Association WIAS coordinates a network “Mathematical Modeling and Simulation”.
Infrastructure
The total budget of the institute was 12.9 million euros in 2015, of which the federal and state governments, within the framework of the basic funding, financed 9.5 million euros equally. Approximately 150 people work at WIAS.
References
External links
Official websiteWebsite of Forschungsverbund Berlin e.V.
{{Authority control
Research institutes in Germany
Non-profit organisations based in Berlin
1992 establishments in Germany
Scientific organizations established in 1992
Education in Berlin