Text written in Basque and translated automatically by Elia without any subsequent editing. SEE ORIGINAL

“New mathematical theories must be found to face new challenges”

Mary Jesus Stephen answers the questions from Paris. In fact, although from time to time he comes to his hometown, he works at the research center CEREMONIADE of Applied Mathematics. In addition to researcher, he has been and is representative of various entities and commissions in the area. It is, therefore, those who, despite being a mathematician, would need to change the numbers and that the days were greater than 24 hours.

Ana Galarraga Aiestaran

As the new president of the International Council of Industrial and Applied Mathematics (ICIAM), we should congratulate you. What responsibilities and tasks will it bring you?

Thank you. Such a charge generates many obligations and of all kinds. ICIAM organizes every four years a large congress with about four thousand participants. In this Congress, five important prizes are awarded and commissions are organized that decide them.

These are the great things that ICIAM does, but we also have to do a daily job, organize assemblies and commissions, work with associations of many peoples members of the council, publish our magazine four times a year, etc. This is my internal work, but then I have to participate in many international commissions and meetings on behalf of our community.

At the beginning of your presidency, what are your dreams for the next four years?

Of course, do well what ICIAM has done so far, but also give more visibility to the organization to make our work more useful.

In recent years I have been very involved in the organization of industrial mathematics groups throughout Europe. Some mathematicians, not enough, but enough, clearly help solve the challenges and problems that industry and society have. Many new technologies necessarily need the work of mathematicians and mathematicians. And we have been organizing that work, drawing up documents, structuring the community, along with some European comrades. I would like to take it internationally, and the presidency of ICIAM will give me that opportunity.

Throughout your career you have also led other institutions. It does not match the image of the lone mathematician or scientist.

Mathematicians are not all lonely! Many of us work as a team and engage with society and the community. In that I am no exception, there are many others like me.

He works at CEREMONIADE. What specifically? What is your line of research?

My main topics are nonlinear differential equations and mathematical physics. These topics are very broad and have great value for solving quantum physics and chemistry problems. Hence, concrete applications can come from there. Most of my work is theoretical, but in some works I have proposed and analyzed algorithms that can be important in practice.

Could you give us an example?

For example, I have proposed and studied the calculation algorithms necessary to study the relations between atoms and molecules of relativistic quantum physics and chemistry.

Ed. Monika del Valle/© Photo Press

It is important to learn the characteristics of matter, especially in the case of heavy atoms. My papers have not been published in mathematical journals, but in physics and chemistry journals, for their interest in other areas.

You work focused on the application. Do you like to see that what you do has a correct application?

The director of my thesis was very interested in applying mathematics and so, since I started working, I have been on that path. Then I have had my personal evolution in the choice of subjects and in the search of companions, but I have always gone that way. I have always liked to talk about the mathematical vision necessary to respond to a specific problem.

Do you think it is easier for society or public institutions to allocate public grants to applied science than to theoretical science? That is, does your research get more funding than theoretical?

Only science can be applied. Science has two branches, basic and applied. And you have to do a theoretical work to make applications. Both go together. It is true that in recent years also at the European level and in some countries the majority of subsidies are granted mainly to applied issues. I think that is an inadequate attitude, because although in a moment what is done theoretically can be applied, it is not always possible.

New theories, new methods to face new challenges. I insist that basic science must be given money to work well. New technologies need theoretical developments and politicians don't always understand it.

When will we stop considering theoretical/applied as contrary?

When? Greater tolerance and understanding between each other. Nowadays some theoretical mathematicians (many?) think that applied mathematics is easier, that it is secondary. That's not true, but those who think so are hard when they have to say in a commission on applied mathematicians. However, there are applied mathematicians who think that what many theorists do is useless. And this is not always true either. A good part of the research is the freedom of scientists to choose our topics. Therefore, we must respect and accept what others do. And take the vision of others broadly.

What is your next research challenge?

I have my work project and I have to face some mathematical problems. I would like to finish with them and move my final results to a more applied scope. I have studied the symmetry properties of the equation solutions I have learned in recent years and, recently, I have obtained very good results. This work has been quite theoretical. Now I would like to apply the methods and ideas we have created with my colleagues to other more concrete problems.

Finally, you will also be appointed a member of Jakiunde. How did you receive the appointment?

With great joy, of course. It is an honor to enter a prestigious institution like Jakiunde, and of course, being from Euskal Herria, a double pleasure!

María Jesús Esteban Galarza

Born in Alonsotegi (Bizkaia), he has been in Paris for years. He graduated in Mathematics from the UPV and pioneered the use of Basque in this field. He then moved to Paris where he did his doctoral thesis. Since 1981 he is a researcher at the French Research Centre and has been president of the Committee on Applied Mathematics of the European Mathematical Association. He has received numerous appointments, including the honorary doctorate by the UPV Governing Council. He has recently been appointed president of the International Council of Industrial and Applied Mathematics (ICIAM).