Day with a Research Mathematician

As part of our prize for winning the VIC award for IMMC this year, our team had the opportunity to experience a day in the life of a mathematical researcher. Throughout the day, we were accompanied by Dr Alina Donea, a research mathematician at Monash whose work involves advanced differential equations as well as helioseismology (real cool stuff).

We began the morning by exploring some of the ways mathematics is used in artificial intelligence. Dr Alina showed us how face averaging and face warping could be done using matrix transformations in Python. She also shared how image recognition could be used to build a mini Nerf turret on a four-wheel-drive platform to detect and shoot at unwanted cats outside her house. It was very interesting, although it took us a few tries to get the program working properly.

After lunch, we toured parts of Monash campus. We got to see the infamous Newton’s tree as well as the engineering facilities where we were shown the Monash Rover Team’s partially built rover. We then attended a third year financial maths lecture on introduction of stochastic calculus which gave us a glimpse into university level mathematics. Later, we met Professor Burkard Polster, also known as Mathologer on Youtube, who showed us his collection of unusual and fascinating mathematical toys and objects. We finished the day with Dr Sergio Rojas, who introduced us to physics-informed neural networks and demonstrated another way mathematics, physics and machine learning can work together.

Overall, it was an incredible experience that showed us just how broad mathematical research can be. From artificial intelligence and finance to solar physics and engineering, it was exciting to see how mathematics connects with so many different fields and to experience a small part of what studying and researching mathematics at university can be like. 

Our four students participating in this opportunity were: Andy Zeng, Ryan Wee, Ehen Chua, and Mor Yang .

~ Andy Zeng