Mathematician Gilbert Strang to lecture at Virginia Tech April 21
Correction: This story was updated to correct the name of the College of Science's new computational modeling and data analytics bachelor's degree.
BLACKSBURG, Va., April 9, 2015 – The College of Science at Virginia Tech will celebrate its new bachelor's degree in computational modeling and data analytics with a lecture by Massachusetts Institute of Technology mathematician Gilbert Strang at 4 p.m. on April 21 in 281 Davidson Hall, 1040 Drillfield Drive.
Strang is renowned for fundamental contributions to finite element methods, wavelets, applied mathematics, and linear algebra. His books, papers, and videos have inspired countless scientists and engineers, and shaped the way researchers think about these disciplines. His seminar, part of the CMDA Distinguished Lecture series, will address Tridiagonal Matrices and Applied Linear Algebra.
The event is open to the public.Visitors for the lecture may park in any faculty, staff, visitor, or student parking space if they have a valid visitor parking permit and if the space is not restricted by signs. Visitor parking permits are available at the Visitor Center, 925 Prices Fork Road, during regular business hours or at the Virginia Tech Police Department in the Maintenance Complex off Southgate Drive at all other times. Go here for more parking information.
The new degree, opened for enrollment this spring, is delivered by faculty in the departments of mathematics, statistics, and computer science. By combining elements of these disciplines in innovative, integrated courses that emphasize techniques at the forefront of applied computation, it teaches a rich suite of quantitative skills for tackling today’s massive data-based problems.
Degree courses focus on extracting information from large data sets, and on analyzing and solving problems through fast algorithms, accurate models, evolving statistical methodology, and quantification of uncertainty. Drawing on massive computational resources, these skills enable powerful analytic techniques impossible just a few years ago.
To learn more about the degree, go to the website. Students who wish to enroll should email an advisor. The new degree is one of four new multi-departmental degrees housed in the college’s Academy of Integrated Science, joining nanoscience (starting spring 2015), neuroscience (starting fall 2015), and systems biology (starting spring 2016).
