Press Release:

Minimal submanifolds and related problems

The Banff International Research Station hosted some of the world leading experts in geometric analysis, on December 10 - 14, 2007. The workshop was devoted to recent developments in minimal submanifolds and the related problems. Important connection to the general relativity theory was addressed by several speakers. Geometric evolution equations, such as Ricci flow and mean curvature flows, were discussed. New regularity results on fully non-linear partial differential equations arising from calibrated geometry were reported. This event was co-organized by Professor Richard M. Schoen of Stanford University, whose fundamental Positive Mass Theorem with Professor S.T. Yau at Harvard University and deep work in minimal surface theory motivated a lot of recent activities in the field. Other organizers are geometric analysts Yu Yuan, Ailana Fraser and Jingyi Chen from University of Washington and The University of British Columbia.

The Banff International Research Station for Mathematical Innovation and Discovery (BIRS) is a collaborative Canada-US-Mexico venture that provides an environment for creative interaction as well as the exchange of ideas, knowledge, and methods within the Mathematical Sciences, with related disciplines and with industry. The research station is located at The Banff Centre in Alberta and is supported by Canada\'s Natural Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), the US National Science Foundation (NSF), Alberta\'s Advanced Education and Technology, and Mexico\'s Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnologí­a (CONACYT).

BIRS Scientific Director, Nassif Ghoussoub
E-mail: birs-director[@]birs.ca
http://www.birs.ca/~nassif