Movement and Symmetry in Graphs (24w5298)

The Banff International Research Station will host the “Movement and Symmetry in Graphs” workshop in Banff from November 24 - 29, 2024.

Over the past three years, mathematicians from across the prairie provinces have been developing a centre of excellence in the area of ``Movement and Symmetry in Graphs". In this context, a ``graph" is a model for a network. This research can involve very diverse problems, from modelling how infection can spread through a network of aquaintances, to understanding how the beauty of symmetry can affect some of the basic properties of a telecommunications network. Building a centre of excellence involves reaching out and mentoring students to promote and enhance their interests and skills in this field, and strengthening connections with researchers around the world with whom these students can develop careers. A very unique aspect of this particular centre of excellence is that it is led by three women: one in Winnipeg, one in Regina, and one in Lethbridge. Acknowledging the mentorship and support that promoted their own success in the face of systemic barriers, in building this centre these three women have focused their outreach and mentorship toward individuals who self-identify as coming from under-represented groups in mathematics (particularly women and visible minorities, but also Indigenous people and members of the LGBTQ+ community).

The newly-developed centre of excellence is holding a workshop at the Banff International Research Station. This event will serve as a showcase for the diverse young researchers. It will focus on the research that they have been doing on these problems. It will introduce them to other mathematicians, including world-renowned experts, with whom they may collaborate to further develop our understanding of these problems.

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 U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), Alberta’s Advanced Education and Technology, and Mexico’s Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACYT).