Friday, September 11th, 2020

Time: 2:30 p.m.  Place: Online (via Zoom)

Speaker: Serdar Yuksel (Queen's University)

Title: Geometry of Information Structures, Strategic Measures and Associated Control Topologies.

Abstract: In many areas of applied mathematics (including control theory, information theory, game theory) decentralization of information among several decision makers is unavoidable. Information and correlation structures determine who knows what information and how the decisions may be dependent leading to various problems on the geometry of correlation structures among decisions/controls. We define information structures, place various topologies on them, and study closedness and compactness properties on the (strategic) measures induced by decentralized control/decision policies under varying degrees of relaxations with regard to access to private or common randomness. Ultimately, we present existence and approximation results for optimal decision/control policies. We then discuss various upper and lower bounding techniques, through realizable and classically non-realizable (such as quantum correlations and non-signaling) convex relaxations and quantization. For each of these, we review or establish closedness and convexity properties and present a hierarchy of correlation structures. As a second main theme, we review or introduce various topologies on decision/control strategies defined independently from information structures, but for which information structures determine whether the topologies entail utility in arriving at existence, compactness, convexification or approximation results. These approaches, which we will term as the strategic measures approach (where the induced joint measure is considered) and the control topology approach (where a product space of individual control policy spaces is considered), lead to complementary results and solution methods in optimal stochastic control. (Joint work primarily with Prof. Naci Saldi, other collaborators will also be acknowledged).

Monday, July 6th, 2020

Congratulations to graduating Mathematics and Engineering (MTHE) students who received awards in 2020. 

University Medal in Mathematics and Engineering - awarded to a student who has the highest Grade Point Average for all courses of third and fourth years, provided the GPA is 3.5 or higher - Richard Linsdell

Annie Bentley Lillie Prize in Mathematics - awarded to the graduating student in the program of Mathematics and Engineering who has the highest average on courses in Mathematics in final year - Jonathan Bryan

Richard Linsdell

Jonathan Bryan

Jonathan Bryan with Abdol-Reza Mansouri,
Chair of Mathematics & Engineering

This week has seen a renewed call to fight racism in all its manifestations. All of us must share this responsibility. I encourage you to inform yourself about and participate in these efforts. I endorse the messages from our Principal, the President of the Canadian Mathematical Society, the President of the American Mathematical Society, the Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, & Indigeneity (Edii) Implementation Committee of the Faculty of Arts and Science, the Alma Mater Society of Queen's University, and the Mathematics and Statistics DSC Representatives

James Mingo
Math & Stats Department Head

April 21st, 2020

As Ontario works to contain the spread of COVID-19, the provincial government is drawing on the expertise of researchers from its universities. Troy Day, Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at Queen’s, has been chosen to serve on the Provincial COVID-19 Modelling Consensus Table.

On Monday, Ontario released new models projecting the future spread of the virus in the province. The Gazette connected with Dr. Day to learn about his role at the table that generates these models and also to hear his thoughts about the state of the pandemic in Ontario.

Read more on the Queen's Gazette website...

APPLICATION DEADLINE:  Friday, February 7th, 2020

The Department of Mathematics and Statistics anticipates having several undergraduate research assistantship positions, including some through the NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Awards* program, available for the summer of 2020. These positions are open to current undergraduate students in mathematics and statistics, mathematics and engineering or related fields from Queen’s University or elsewhere. If you have a strong academic record and are interested in gaining research experience in the mathematical sciences we invite you to apply.

A list of available research projects offered by our department can be found here (PDF, 106 KB).  Successful applicants will be expected to work for 16 consecutive weeks, on a full-time basis (35 hrs/wk), between May and August.  Remuneration will be a minimum of $7840** for the entire work term for full-time assistantships.

If you are interested in being considered for a research position, please submit the following to Jennifer Read by the deadline:

• A copy of your CV/resume.
• The title of the project(s) for which you would like to be considered and a brief statement explaining why you are interested in and qualified for that project.  If you are interested in more than one project please rank the projects in order of preference.
• Copies of transcripts for any studies not completed at Queen’s; the Department can access your Queen’s record.

Submission methods:  Electronically as a PDF to readj@queensu.ca or by hard copy to:

Jennifer Read
Department of Mathematics and Statistics
RM320 Jeffery Hall
Queen's University
Kingston, ON  K7L 3N6

Eligible students will be considered for the NSERC USRA program.  Students selected for an NSERC USRA will be required to complete Form 202 and provide official, up to date (with fall 2019 grades), copies of all transcripts, including for studies completed at Queen’s.

USRA recipients will be selected in accordance with the objectives of that program.  All applicants will be judged on the following criteria:

1. Academic record;
2. Research aptitude and/or potential;
3. Fit/qualifications for the selected project.

Successful applicants will be contacted by 28 February 2020. 

The number of positions will depend on the number of qualified applicants and the number of awards/amount of funding available.

*Information about the USRA program, including eligibility conditions and general application instructions can be found on the NSERC website.   Students selected for an NSERC USRA will be required to complete and submit FORM 202, Part I using the NSERC Online system.  Instructions on completing this form can be found here.   You will be required to upload an official copy of transcripts for all universities attended.  Note that you should not upload a copy of the legend for Queen’s University.  Transcript legends for all other universities must be uploaded.  Part II of the application will be completed by the Department. 

**Before any applicable taxes and deductions.  This amount includes $4500 from NSERC for those selected for a USRA.