From Monday, June 7 through Friday, June 25, 2010, Michigan State University will be the host of the Institute for Mathematics and its Applications (IMA) Summer Graduate Program in Mathematics. The course will concentrate on Computational Wave Propagation.

The rapid growth over the last two decades in the speed and data handling capability of high performance computers has transformed the methodology of scientific investigation and industrial applications in the field of computational wave propagation. Indeed, computational wave propagation has emerged as a fundamental, vigorously growing technology for modeling, design, and development in areas ranging from radar, sonar, seismic imaging, medical imaging, submarine detection, stealth technology, remote sensing and electronics to microscopy and nanotechnology. The significant recent applications of the wave propagation technology have driven the need for more advanced mathematical models and numerical algorithms.

The proposed program on computational wave propagation covers three different topics: advanced numerical methods for solving full-wave models of wave equations; contemporary asymptotic or semi-classical methods for wave equations in the high-frequency regime; industrial and military applications such as in nano-optics, radar, seismic imaging, and medical imaging.

The program will focus on presenting some of the fundamental concepts and techniques currently used in computational wave propagation and related applications. It will provide a unique and timely synthesis of disciplines which will better position graduate students as future researchers for the next step to work on computational wave propagation.

Week one, June 7-11: Robert Burridge/Jianliang Qian. Topic will be contemporary asymptotic methods for wave equations.

Week two: June 14-18: Jean-Claude Nedelec/Gang Bao . Topic will be advanced numerical methods for full wave equations.

Week three: June 21-25: Topic will be applications. Leading figures in applications related to wave propagation will be invited to give lectures.