Press briefing
Breaking New Grounds in Mathematics and Statistics Research at A. M. Mathai Centre for Mathematical and Statistical Sciences
9th September 2021, Thiruvananthapuram, India – stargazing may be the passion of many, but the profession of a few, particularly in developing nations, where people’s access to space science and technology education may be limited. The inaccessibility may often stem from an inadequate knowledge of mathematics, and statistics, which form the foundation of advanced scientific study. To break down barriers and make space science and technology understandable for all, the UN-affiliated Regional Centres for Space Science and Technology Education in Asia, Latin America, and Africa turned to the research publications of A. M. Mathai Centre for Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (CMSS), India, as educational resources. Founded in 1977, and reaching its peak of excellence under Professor Arak Mathai Mathai, Emeritus Professor of Mathematics and Statistics at McGill University, Canada, CMSS has been dedicated to research and education in the fields of astrophysics, fractional calculus, statistical distribution theory, geometric probability, and discrete mathematics, in collaboration with stalwarts in diverse fields, including in theoretical astrophysics like Professor Hans Joachim Haubold of the Office for Outer Space Affairs, United Nations, Vienna International Centre, Austria. With financial support from the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, CMSS has established itself as a non-profit research center of repute for eminent Indian universities like Banaras Hindu University, Anna University, and Mahatma Gandhi University.
Professor Mathai and Professor Haubold, along with their collaborators, have been engaged in conducting pioneering research to develop new concepts and procedures, including dispersion theory, Mathai’s entropy, pathway models and pathway idea, Laplacianness of Bilinear Forms and generalized partial fraction technique, which have real-world applications in the present time, as well as promises for future space exploration missions. In addition, by fostering interdisciplinarity, Professor Mathai, Professor Haubold, and their collaborators are breaking new grounds in social and applied science disciplines. The immense contribution of CMSS, its Director, Professor Mathai, and able faculties like Professor Haubold, towards building scientific temper in developing countries like India by encouraging passion for mathematical and statistical sciences among young people is undoubtedly worthy of high praise.
