The Role of Mathematics in the Development of Developing Countries

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The Role of Mathematics in the Development
ofDeveloping Countries
Mathematics House
Neishabour July 23 2005

• Michel Waldschmidt

http//math.jussieu.fr/miw
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Plan

• A concrete example
• Basic Sciences and Development
•  Pure  Mathematics
• Organisms of scientific cooperation
• Mathematics in developing countries
• Conclusion

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An example where mathematical modelisation is
useful

• International Conference at
  St Louis du Senegal
•  Mathematics and applications to the problems
  of development in Sahel 
• Supported by CIMPA
• december 15-20, 2003

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• The river Senegal

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Opening barbarie tongue river Senegal, St Louis
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Applications of researches in physics

• Computers (microprocessors, optic lecteurs)
• Telephones (transmission between fixed dialers,
  optic cables)
• Television (emission and reception of waves)
• New materials
• Study of the sand and its properties.

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Applications of researches in mathematics

• Credit cards (cryptography)
• Internet (data compression)
• Medecine (reconstruction of images, scanner,
  medical images)
• Building (simulation of the deformation of
  bridges and sky-scrappers related to winds and
  earth quakes)

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Mathematics as a tool

• Nuclear Physics
• Synthesis of chemical molecules
• Automatic recognition of forms, data processing,
  error correcting codes (telecommunications)
• Conception of mobile robots (work in hostile
  surrounding)
• Automatic driving systems (landing under any
  weather condition)
• Oil extraction Computer Commutative Algebra
  (Gröbner bases, Zanjan CIMPA School)

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• Lexplosion
• des
• Mathématiques

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Joseph Fourier
Gustav Jacobi

•  Mr Fourier thought that the main aim of
  mathematics was public utility and explanation of
  natural phenomenons. 

•   A philosopher like him should have known
  that the unic goal of Science is the honor of
  human spirit, and therefore a question of number
  has the same value as a question of the world
  system.  
• Carl Gustav Jacobi

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Henri Poincaré

•  Mathematics deserve to be studied for
  themselves, the theory which can be applied to
  physics should be developed as well as others.

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 Mathematics have always progressed under a
double stimulation, one from inside coming from
studying the problems arising from mathematics
itself, the other coming from outside arising
from other sciences, from engineering, services
and from the society in general.   Jean Pierre
Bourguignon, director of IHÉS (Institut des
Hautes Études Scientifiques, France)
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Mathematics as a cultural
component

• Mathematics is a universal language, it provides
  a structure to thinking, enables to treat the
  problems in a scientific, rational way.
• It is a necessary step to access basic culture.
• Helps to create an intellectual elite
• Historical development of mathematics
•  Free (not finalized) research
• Regional centers of excellence

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Hidden face of mathematics

• If we consider either art or mathematics, we are
  in the world of ideas and imagination
• Roger Rotmann, Director of National Center
  for Contemporary Art Georges Pompidou, 18/03/2004

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Usefulness of cooperation

• (Re)constitution of an intellectual elite in
  Developping Countries
• To create a network of academic people of high
  level who are indispensable for economic
  development (able to collaborate with
  industrials)
• Avoid brain drain (sandwich theses - cotutelle)
• Reciprocal benefit of exchanges
• Francophony

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To enable countries from south to acquire the
necessary expertise for their development

• Teaching preparation to the formation of
  technicians, engineers, scientifics - education
  is a preliminary basis for development
• Technology
• Computer science
• Banks, insurances (actuariat),
• (jobs in mathematics and in physics)

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• Reduction of communication costs increases the
  agglomeration of richness rather that its
  dispersion.
• A consequence of polarisation is a concentration
  of expertise in the centers to the detriment of
  periphery.
• Poor countries should find means for their
  prosperity which do not come from rich countries.
  

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To develop networks in southern countries

• Unión Matemática
  de
• America Latina y
  el Caribe
• Southeast Asian
• Mathematical
  Society
• African
  Mathematical Union

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Mathematics in India

• Tata Institute, Bombay (Mumbai)
  Homi Bhabha, Tata, Nehru
• DAE (Department of Atomic Energy)
• Bangalore silicon valley

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 Pure  Mathematics

• Non peaceful applications
  DAE Department of Atomic Energy in
  India and IAEA for ICTP
• NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization
• Cooperation with Iraq,
• Concurrence with countries like China and India

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French Cooperation

• MAE
• (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
• Budget of Foreign Affairs in 2000
  9 billions French Francs (1.5 billion Euros)
• (Ministry of Economy and Finances
  8,3 billions French Francs)

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A general institut for cooperation

• IRD (Institut de Recherche pour le Développement)
  
• French Institute of scientific research for
  the development in cooperation
• ex ORSTOM (Office de recherche scientifique
  et technique outre -mer)
• Budget 180 millions
  (1 600 positions, including 1 200
  researchers or engeeniers).

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A specialized institute

• CIRAD (Centre de coopération internationale en
  recherche agronomique pour le développement)
• Budget 78 millions
  (1 800 people, including 900 staffs).

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Other french institutions which take part to the
cooperation

• (Institut National de
  Recherche
• en Informatique et en
  Automatique)
• (Institut National de
  Recherche
• Agronomique)
• (Centre National de la
• Recherche Scientifique)

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COPEDComité pour les pays en
développement

• Committee for developing countries (Academy of
  Science)
• Aim to promote initiatives which will help
  french scientific research in connection with
  developing countries
• January 2002 workshop with CIMPA, SMF and SMAI
  (the two french mathematical societies) on the
  subject
• Mathematics and developing countries.

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Learned Societies

• SMF (Société Mathématique de France French
  Mathematical Society)
• SMAI (Société de Mathématiques Appliquées et
  Industrielles Applied and Industrial
  Mathematical Society )
• SFP (Société Française de Physique French
  Physical Society)

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CIMPA

• Centre International de Mathématiques Pures et
  Appliquées (1978) International
  Center of pure
  and applied mathematics
  
• Budget 250 000
  Including salaries 600 000
• Between 5 to 8 schools
  per year
• Contribute to workshops
  and networks

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CIMPA since 1978,
124 schools and 55 Seminars, workshops
in the field of Pure and Applied Mathematics
and Computer Science

• In 41 south countries including
• 15 in Africa
• 5 in South East Asia and India
• 10 in Latine America and Caraïbean
• 6 in Middle East
• 3 in East Europa
• 6 451 trainees, 700 lecturers (110 from south
  countries

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UNESCO

• United Nations Educational, Scientific and
  Cultural Organization

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ICTP

• International Center for Theoretical Physics
  (1964) under IAEA (International Atomic Energy
  Agency)
• Abdu Salam Centre, Trieste
• 17 Millions
  (85 from italian
  gouvernment)
•  Associate members  from south countries

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ISP

• International Science Program,
• University Uppsala (Sweeden)
• Faculty of Science and Technology
• Born in 1961
• 3,8 Millions
  / year
• Physic,
  Chemistry, then Maths.

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ISP International Science Program

• Constitution of networks North/South and
  South/South,
• Visits in developed countries of scientifics
  from developing countries
• Africa Cameroun, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya,
  Malawi, Mali, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambie,
  Zimbabwe
• Asie Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Thaïland
• Latin America Colombia, Equador, Perou

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ICMS Edimburg

• International Center of Mathematical Sciences
  (1990)
• The main aims of the ICMS are
• To create an environment in which mathematical
  sciences will develop in new directions.
• To encourage and exploit those areas of
  mathematics that are of relevance to other
  sciences, industry and commerce (trade).
• To promote international collaboration within
  these aims and in particular with mathematicians
  in the developing world.

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• EMS CDC
• European Mathematical
  Society
• Committee for developing
  countries
• IMU CDE
• International Mathematical
  Union
• Commission on Development and Exchanges

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• Physics in Developing Countries

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UNO United Nation Organization

• FAO Food and Agriculture
• Organization of the United Nations
• helping to build a world without hunger
• HWO Health World Organization
• The United Nations
• Children's Fund

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The World Bank is an institution for development
Whose aim is to reduce poverty by increasing
growth
International Bank for Reconstruction and
Development (IBRD)
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AMMSI

• The African Mathematics Millennium Science
  Initiative
• The Challenge of Strengthening Mathematics in
  Africa

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Budget 1,8 million US/year
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Mathematicians in the world

• World Directory of Mathematicians 2002
  (International Mathematical Union)
• 57 000 mathematicians in 71 countries (53
  900 in 1998)
• CNFM (Comité National Français des
  Mathématiciens)
• 3 000 mathematicians in France (2
  855 in 1998)

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ASIA
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Mathematicians in Asia
Source World Directory of Mathematicians
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Wuhan
Hyderabad
Mumbai
Chennai
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Mathematics in China

• Cultural revolution
• International Congress of Mathematics in 2002
  (Beijing) - science and technology
• Academia Sinica
• Peking University (Beida), Tsinghua

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Cooperation between France and China about
mathematics

• Wuhan Centre Sino-Français de Mathématiques,
  1980-90
• Shanghai Institut Sino-Français de Mathématiques
  Appliquées.
• Peking University (Beida), Tsinghua

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Mathématics in India

• Institute of
• Mathematical
  Sciences
• (IMSc Chennai)
• Harish Chandra Research
  Institute
• (Allahabad)

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• Indo French Centre for the promotion of advanced
  research
• A program of scientific cooperation between
  France and India, supported by the Indian
  Department of Science and Technology and the
  French Ministry of Foreign Affaires(Foreign
  Office)

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Indo-french Cooperation in mathematics

• Fr. Racine (Tiruchirappalli, Madras)
• Tata Institute (Laurent Schwartz, )
• Cyber University Bangalore/Toulouse
• IFIM Institut Franco-Indien de Mathématiques
  Indo French Institute of Mathematics.

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Mathematicians in Middle East
Source World Directory of Mathematicians
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Basic Sciences in Iran

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AFRICA
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Mathematicians in Africa
Source World Directory of Mathematicians
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Some centers of research in Africa

• CARIM Centre Africain de Recherche en
  Informatique et en Mathématiques African
  Research Center in Computer Science and
  Mathematics (Cameroun)
• IMSP Institut de Mathématiques et de Sciences
  Physique (Porto Novo)
• National Center for Mathematical Sciences
  (Accra, Ghana)
• National Mathematical Center (Abuja, Nigeria)
• Senegal
• Benin

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Two networks

• CARI (Colloque Africain de Recherche en
  Informatique African meeting for research in
  computer science)
• Coordinator INRIA
• GIRAGA (Groupe Africain de Recherche en Algèbre
  Géométrie et Applications African Research
  Group in Algebra, Geometry and Applications)
• Supports CIMPA, ICTP, UNESCO

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Other networks

• EDP PDE (Partial Differential Equations)
  Contrôle-Modélisation (Saint Louis du Sénégal,
  Ouagadougou, Nouakchott)
  1999 - 3 seminars of 2 weeks every year
• RAGAAD Réseau Africain de Géométrie et Algèbre
  Appliquées au Développement African Network in
  Geometry and Algebra applied to the development
  (Niger, Sénégal, Burkina-Faso, Mali)
• RAMAD Réseau Africain de Mathématiques Appliquées
  au Développement African Network in Mathematics
  Applied to the development (Yaounde Congo,
  Centrafrica, Tchad)

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• CAMES
• Comité Africain et Malgache pour lEnseignement
  Supérieur
• (African and Malgache Committee for
• Higher Education)

• Bénin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroun,
  Centrafrique, Congo, Côte dIvoire, Gabon,
  Guinée, Madagascar, Mali, Niger, Rwanda, Sénégal,
  Tchad, Togo.

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Mathematic Research in the french langage part of
Africa

• Claude Lobry
• Mathematical
  Research
• in Africa
• Is it necessary
  for the
• development?
• LHarmattan
  (ed.), 2003

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SARIMA

• Soutien aux Activités de Recherche Informatique
  et Mathématique en Afrique Support to the
  Activities of Research in Computer Science and
  Mathematics in Africa
• Improve the potential of research of academic
  research teams in the the region with priority
  solidarity (ZSP Zone de Solidarité Prioritaire)
  in Africa and in the Mediterranean Region in
  fields of mathematics, science and Information
  Technology.
• FSP (Fonds de Solidarité Prioritaire)
  Interministériel - MAE
• 400 000 per year for 4 years.
• Institutions INRIA, CIMPA
• Approved in 2002, starts in 2005

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Latine America
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Mathematicians enLatin America
Source World Directory of Mathematicians
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Instituto Nacional de Matemática Pura e
Aplicada (Rio, Brésil)
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Mathematics Modelization Center in Santiago du
Chili

• Franco-Chile
  laboratory,
  Centre de modélisation mathématique april
  2000
• unité mixte de recherche CNRS

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Other research centers in Latine America

• IMCA
  Instituto de Matemática y Ciencias Afine (Lima,
  Pérou)
• IVIC Instituto Venezolano de
• Investigaciones Cientificas
  (Caracas, Vénezuela)
• UNAM Universidad National
• Autonoma de Mexico (Mexique)

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Main points

• Fundamental Research is an essential component of
  Sustainable Development
• Basic science is international, without borders,
  all countries are entitled to participate.

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Objections

•  We have enough problems to solve in our
  countries  
•  The situation is hopeless! 

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Conclusions

• There is a place for a strong cooperation based
  on academic structures. A large number of
  contacts between french scientists and scientists
  from developing countries already exist, for
  instance thanks to the scientists who have
  studied in France.
• The funds which should be necessary are
  comparatively not high, but so far they are not
  sufficient.
• It is part of the mission of scientists,
  professors and researchers to participate, and
  this should be considered as part of their job,
  not only on a voluntary basis.

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Conclusions

• All the efforts which have been devoted in the
  past by the french scientific and cultural
  cooperation has given good results.
• The existing potential will soon disapear if the
  scientific research is not properly organized.
• Basic sciences need to be supported in developing
  countries.