Research

The Courant Institute is a center for training and research in the mathematical sciences. Its special character includes a large permanent faculty specializing in overlapping areas throughout pure and applied mathematics, scientific computation and computer science. There is an ongoing tradition of interdisciplinary work and a long history of collaborative research at Courant. Recent large scale NYU initiatives in scientific computing, including computational biology, fortify Courant's leadership in the mathematical sciences.

The Institute's research activities are diverse, spanning the continuum from "pure" to "applied," in mathematics. The Institute has long been a leader in the study of partial differential equations, with their many applications and ramifications. It is also strong in topics such as scientific computation and numerical analysis. An unusual feature of the Institute is its breadth, which extends beyond the conventional boundaries of mathematics to include aspects of biology, engineering, linguistics, physics, and other areas of science.

Central to the scientific life of the Institute is its lively program of research seminars. The purpose of these seminars is to stimulate education and research at the level where the two are synonymous. Seminars promote the formation of working groups by drawing students and visitors into contact with ongoing research activities. They also keep the Courant community abreast of new developments around the world. In recent years, there have been regular seminars in applied mathematics, analysis, computational geometry, computer science, magnetofluid dynamics, probability and statistical physics, numerical analysis, and programming languages. Additional seminars are organized each year depending on the interests of the faculty and postdoctoral visitors; recent examples include atmosphere/oceans, differential geometry, dynamical systems, mathematical finance, materials science, and neuroscience.