28/07/2023

Mathematics in the context of Covid-19 was the topic of the outreach lecture.

The final day of the 34th Brazilian Mathematics Colloquium (CBM) was also marked by the outreach lecture " An Optimal Response to the Covid-19 Pandemic ," by researcher Paulo Silva from Unicamp. "I've been where you are. My first Colloquium was in 1995, and it was at this event that I chose the topic of my master's thesis during a mini-course. I hope that in the future some of you will also be here," said the mathematician before beginning his lecture.

In the presentation, the researcher explained how the optimization and control technique was used to address real-world problems that arose during the coronavirus pandemic. The lecture began with a brief recap of the start of the pandemic and continued with explanations of compartmental models, optimal control, and discretization and optimization strategies. He also highlighted a sequence of models developed to address specific questions.

Silva also showed how an algorithm proposed the adopted vaccination model. Fed with a series of "equations," the tool initially recommended, through graphs, the vaccination of the elderly. Then, it suggested vaccination for two other groups (defined by age range) until it indicated again when to offer the second dose to the elderly.

Before the lecture began, Paulo was introduced as a well-rounded applied mathematician. “Which means: solid and profound knowledge of mathematics, computational talent, and a true problem solver,” said Carlile Lavor (Unicamp).

Adriana Monteiro, a doctoral student at IMPA, was surprised by the work presented. “They said at the beginning that Paulo was a very complete mathematician, and I think that was quite clear. You could see how much he cares about the proposed model and also about the implementation of what he is doing. That's a bit rare, and that's why it's important to highlight it.”

34th CBM

The Brazilian Mathematics Colloquium is a biennial event organized by IMPA. This year, it took place between July 24th and 28th. It is the most comprehensive scientific meeting of the Brazilian mathematical community. Brazilian and foreign researchers of great international renown presented advances in various areas of mathematics.

This year, the event featured six plenary sessions, three outreach lectures, one special lecture, two roundtables, and 23 thematic sessions – a record number for the event.