Fudan professor Li Jun reveals the great potential of Shanghai and, in particular, of Fudan University in applied mathematics.
At the end of February, the Ministry of Science and Technology of China announced 13 National Centers for Applied Mathematics. The Shanghai Center for Mathematical Sciences (SCMS) affiliated to Fudan University was tasked with leading the National Center for Applied Mathematics of Shanghai.
Recently, Professor Li Jun, chairman of SCMS who will co-chair the National Center for Applied Mathematics of Shanghai shared his insights on the prospect of applied mathematics at Fudan University and other universities in Shanghai.
Strong background in applied mathematics: SCMS and other universities in Shanghai
Proposed by the late Academician Gu Chaohao, SCMS was founded in 2011 at Fudan University as a state-level research institute in response to the growing need for cutting-edge technologies in national economic development. In 2018, the Ministry of Education commended SCMS on its performance in expert recruitment, talent cultivation and scientific research, and commented that it was “an important base for mathematical research and talent training in South China”.
Other universities in Shanghai have been committed to application of mathematics as well. For example, a research group from East China Normal University has completed a key module in the automated port management system for Yangshan Port, a deep water port for container ships in Hangzhou Bay south of Shanghai, yielding great socioeconomic benefit.
Li pointed out that what makes the National Center for Applied Mathematics of Shanghai stand out from other National Centers is the city’s booming businesses across various industries who have a keen demand for solutions to practical mathematical problems.
Two sub-centers of the National Center for Applied Mathematics of Shanghai will be set up at Fudan University and Shanghai Jiao Tong University. At the request of the Ministry of Science and Technology, the two sub-centers, together with applied mathematics specialists at East China Normal University, Tongji University and Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, will rise to the major mathematical challenges hindering industrial development and facilitate the dialogue between mathematicians, entrepreneurs and even scientists in other areas.
Past achievements of Fudan scholars in practical application of mathematics
Fudan University has a long history of applying math to practical use, said Li. Famous Fudan mathematicians, such as Su Buqing, Gu Chaohao and Li Daqian, have left their marks in China’s major technological advances for various industries. The three mathematicians are well known for their respective contributions to ship mold lofting, missile design and well logging.
In 1970s, to boost China’s civil aerospace industry, Fudan faculty of mathematics participated in the development of Yun-10 airliner. They were responsible for finalizing the design of the wings, testing the stabilizing effect of the tail and measuring vibrations and stresses sustained by different parts of the aircraft.
At the beginning of this century, Professor Su Yangfeng from Fudan School of Mathematical Sciences and Professor Zeng Xuan from Fudan State Key Laboratory of ASIC & System proposed a new way to solve quadratic eigenvalue problems and model order reduction of second-order dynamical systems, which has been widely acclaimed across the world. Their discovery enhanced China’s ability to develop tools for analyzing analog circuit and to design advanced chips.
Over the past decade, a team led by Feng Jianfeng, Chief Expert of Shanghai Center for Mathematical Sciences, has developed algorithms to facilitate brain-wide association study, assess bio-markers of brain diseases, and build special neural networks for gait recognition.
Blueprint for the future development of applied mathematics at Fudan
Li stressed the role of Fudan School of Mathematical Sciences (SMS) when introducing the blueprint for Fudan subcenter of the National Center for Applied Mathematics of Shanghai.
First, SMS will conduct cross-disciplinary research in integrated circuit design automation with the School of Microelectronics.
Second, SMS will collaborate with East China Normal University to explore intelligent decision-making technologies specialized in smart logistics and smart ports.
Third, SMS will partner with the Chinese Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics to improve design and manufacturing of chinese commercial aircrafts.
Fourth, SMS, School of Management, School of Data Science (Institute for Big Data) and School of Public Health will work out a collaborative mechanism to provide effective advice on disease spread, human mobility and resource allocation amid public health emergencies in the Yangtze River Delta based on mathematical models and real-time statistics.
What’s more, Li mentioned that top U.S. universities had a considerable edge in scientific research as they attract a lot of young researchers from all over the world. However, first-tier Chinese universities are quickly catching up. Fudan University will soon roll out a program aiming at cultivating talents in applied mathematics. Li said, if everything works out well, the talent gap can be significantly narrowed in a few years.
Editor: Deng Jianguo, Li Yijie
