Mathematics of Tomorrow

[two_thirds]

In pure and abstract mathematics, discoveries often take years—if not decades—to find their application. The Krieger-Nelson Prize, recently awarded to British mathematician Stephanie van Willigenburg, is proof of this.

Considered one of the creators of Schur's quasi-symmetric functions*, Stephanie was awarded for her exceptional contribution to research in the field. In short, a function is a mathematical relationship established between two variables, one that enters and another that exits the function. A playful example could be a juice machine that transforms any fruit (what goes in) into fruit juice (what comes out).

What's unusual about these mathematicians' work is that this nearly symmetrical function is so groundbreaking that it's unknown what mathematical problems it can solve. But Stephanie downplays this. "When you work in theoretical mathematics, achieving any kind of impact can take decades, perhaps generations," she told the official publication of the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Canada.

According to the scientist, this function should have applications mainly in Quantum Physics, but until that happens, Stephanie is happy to see herself as an example for young female researchers in the field.

[two_thirds]

[clear]