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We are delighted to announce the public lecture by Prof. Dr. Pascal Schweitzer from TU Darmstadt on “Symmetrie in der Mathematik: witzig, wichtig, wunderlich”. The talk, organized by the Re­search Station Geometry + Dynamics in collaboration with the STRUC­TURES Cluster of Excellence, will take place next Tuesday, July 2, at 5pm in the Hörsaal of the Mathematikon.

Abstract (the talk will be in German, but at low level and well accessible):
In den Naturwissenschaften treffen wir Symmetrien immer wieder und in facettenreicher Weise an. Ob bei den Strukturen von Molekülen, in der Form von Seifenblasen oder als fraktale Mandelbrotmenge, bieten uns Symmetrien manchmal eine Chance für besseres Verständnis und bereiten uns an anderer Stelle zusätzliche Schwierigkeiten.
Im Vortrag lade ich zu einem Einblick in die mathematische Welt der Symmetrie ein. Die Reise beginnt mit Beispielen von Symmetrien aus dem Leben, wie eine Fliesen-Kachelung, geht über die Symmetrien des Zauberwürfels, bis hin zur Beschleunigung von Algorithmen. Als Gegenpol erleben wir auch die Abwesenheit von Symmetrie, also Asymmetrie, und deren Konsequenz.
Die Mathematik formalisiert das Konzept der Symmetrie mit einem grundlegenden mathematischen Konzept, einer sogenannten "Gruppe". Die mathematische Theorie der Gruppen ist ein tiefes, etabliertes Teilgebiet der Mathematik. Der Vortrag liefert ebenfalls flüchtige Anekdoten aus der algorithmischen Gruppentheorie, also der computergestützten Behandlung von Symmetrien.

The lecture is aimed at the mathematically interested public, especially high school students and above. Everyone interested in learning more about exciting detours and discoveries in mathematics is warmly invited to attend.

Participation is free of charge, and no registration is required. The talk will also be streamed live on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUPqHBrgG10.

Further Information & Links:

• Event Webpage
• Re­search Station Geometry + Dynamics

The 2023/24 Young African Mathematicians (YAM) fellows and representatives from Berlin, Bonn, Hei­del­berg, and Münster gathered at Mathematics Münster on Monday, 17 June 2024, to exchange experiences and build enduring connections within the YAM network.

During the meeting, YAM fellows presented insights and learnings from their re­search experiences in Germany. A panel discussion featuring Prof. Dr. Franca Hoffmann, initiator of the YAM programme, Prof. Dr. Raimar Wulkenhaar, Dr. Fridolin Melong, AIMS-DFG fellow at Mathematics Münster, Prof. Dr. Anna Gusakova and Dr. Kristina Wensing provided valuable tips, advice and insights on (academic) careers in and outside Germany. The discussion was moderated by Dr. Imke Franzmeier. The day concluded with a feedback session and a joint dinner at “Das Blaue Haus,” a popular student pub in Münster.

The YAM Fellowship Programme supports talented and motivated young African mathematicians at a master’s level. Through immersing themselves in the activities at one of the four German excellence clusters, students can profit from the high-quality international re­search environment of the host institution and ultimately increase their own network. The programme includes a nine-month re­search visit with a structured course programme, stipend covering travel, living, and accommodation costs, as well as comprehensive personal and practical support from advisors, YAM coordinators, peers, and staff.

The STRUC­TURES Cluster of Excellence is proud to have hosted YAM fellows Richarlotte Razafindravola and Olivette Tchouangnou Chuagua during the 2023/24 period. Their re­search was supervised by Felix Joos, Roland Herzog, Hans Knüpfer, and Robert Scheichl, with additional support from YRC students Louise Kluge and Maximilian Siebel, who provided invaluable mentorship in a supportive learning environment. The organisation of the stay is in the hands of the coordinators Hans Knüpfer and May-Britt Becker as well as the members of the STRUC­TURES office.

Further information:

• African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS)
• Mathematics Münster
• Hausdorff Center for Mathematics Bonn
• MATH+ Excellence Cluster Berlin

We are delighted to announce the colloquium Tea, Coffee, Cake, and TDA on Thursday, June 27, at 2 PM. Kelly Spry Maggs (EPFL) will be talking about Cohomology classes in the RNA transcriptome. The event will take place at Konferenzraum 05/104, Mathematikon, INF 205. After the talk, there will be discussions accompanied by tea, coffee and cake.

This event is part of STRUCTURES' Exploratory Project Math & Data. This EP provides a platform across the fields of the natural sciences and mathematics to discuss applications and foundations of topological data analysis (TDA) and beyond. TDA provides versatile tools to uncover potentially hidden topological structures in data. The goal of the TDA Colloquium is to bring together people from various backgrounds, with an emphasis on synergies with Ma­chine Learning. Topics range from applications on real world problems to the abstract mathematical foundations of the subject.

Further Information & Links:

• Announcement Poster with Abstract
• EP Math & Data

We are happy to announce the next Scientific Ma­chine Learning event from the series “Ma­chine Learning Galore!”, taking place on June 27, 4:30 to 6:00 pm at INF 205 Mathematikon (5th floor). The event will include various lab presentations and science talks. In order to participate, please register for free at https://www.mlai.uni-heidelberg.de/en/machine-learning-talks-on-campus.

Scientific Ma­chine Learning is a joint initiative from IWR and STRUC­TURES to foster interactions within and development of the local ma­chine learning community. Its portal, http://mlai.uni-heidelberg.de summarizes the many relevant events and news from across campus that would otherwise remain scattered across single institutions or fields. The goal of the initiative aligns with the STRUC­TURES Cluster of Excellence's objective of driving re­search into the fundamental understanding of current and future ma­chine learning, and with IWR’s aim to leverage ma­chine learning to enable the solution of long-standing problems in the natural and life sciences, the engineering sciences, as well as the humanities.

Further information:

• Scientific Ma­chine Learning Website
• Ma­chine Learning Talks on Campus – Information service and mailing list
• Interdisciplinary Center for Scientific Computing (IWR)

We are happy to announce the talk “Dynamics and control of human cognition and behavior for mental health applications” by Georgia Koppe (IWR & ZI Mannheim) on June 5, 2024, 11:15 am.

Abstract: Understanding and predicting maladaptive human behavior and cognition, which are pertinent to many psychiatric disorders, requires understanding its underlying dynamics and dynamical mechanisms. 
Modifying these behaviors requires control over these dynamics. My re­search group focuses on inferring the dynamics underlying human behavioral and neural time series, utilizing both process-driven and data-driven modeling approaches. Based on these methods, we develop mental health applications where dynamics are used to predict or control future system states or to study their underlying generative mechanisms.
Our applications include: 1) Smartphone apps that assess psychological ratings as proxies for mental health states, forecast changes over time, and use these forecasts to tailor mental health exercises presented on the smartphone. 2) Social exchange games where we create human-like agents that can engage in social interactions and foster positive social experiences. 3) Web-based cognitive experimental platforms in which we specifically tailor experimental paradigms to reliably and validly measure complex decision making behavior. And 4) we develop and apply models for the robust and reliable detection of dynamical systems features predictive of psychiatric dysfunction.

The talk will take place at SR11, INF 205 (Mathematikon) and online via Zoom. More information can be found at:
https://www.mlai.uni-heidelberg.de/de/node/351

The STRUC­TURES STEPS Mentoring Programme is set to kick off a new round of mentor-mentee pairing. Whether you are a first-time participant or have previously been involved, we eagerly anticipate your participation. The programme aims to foster valuable interactions and networking among individuals from diverse professional backgrounds, promoting an atmosphere of openness and mutual learning, while making it easier for participants to engage with others.

Simply apply by filling out the matching form with your preferences and send it via mail to office@structures.uni-heidelberg.de. Any questions? We are happy to help! Find more infos on the STEPS webpage or contact us directly!

The deadline for submission is June 7, 2024.

Further information:

• Application forms: Mentor form | Mentee form
• Handout with more information on the Mentoring Programme
• STRUC­TURES Training and Education Programme for Success (STEPS): Flyer (PDF) | Webpage