Christiane Tretter is at present Professor at the University of Bern, Switzerland. She will be Visiting Professor at the Department of Mathematics, Stockholm University.

Mathematical models for transport in nano-structures and other microscopic systems have flourished recently. They have many applications in fiber optics, quantum conductors, and even some processes in the human body.

Most of the mathematical models developed to date assume symmetry. However, many applications, including electricity, theory of elasticity, or magneto-hydrodynamics lack symmetry. Those systems are very sensitive and a small perturbation can make the time evolution of the system difficult to predict.

This implies that numerical models are unreliable. Therefore it is desirable to develop rigorous analytic understanding of problems describing non-symmetric systems.

The goal of the joint research project is to develop a theory of non-symmetric systems, which lies within Christiane Tretter’s area of expertise. By combining methods involving several branches of mathematics – theory of differential operators, analysis, complex analysis, and geometry – one may take further steps in response to the challenges of mathematical physics.

Photo Universität Bern