Interview with France Velazquez, vice-president professional training and apprenticeship
on January 8, 2024
Published on January 10, 2024– Updated on January 10, 2024
Under the Waves, Mathematics. Exploring the Research of Charles Collot, a Mathematician and Recipient of an ERC Grant in 2023
The mathematician received a European Research Council (ERC) grant to continue his wave and flow equations research project.
Mathematics, at times, is perceived as a distinct science, with its apparent abstraction being intimidating and discouraging. However, regardless of the fears of some, mathematics is omnipresent. It plays a crucial role in developing algorithms for our favourite mobile applications. It hides within computer software, meteorology, architecture, and numerous other domains. What is the regulation of public transportation traffic that you use every morning? Mathematics. The intricate fluctuations in stock markets? Mathematics. The GPS navigation on your phone? What are the special effects in your favourite science-fiction film? What is the design of your soccer ball? Mathematics, mathematics, mathematics. They even have a presence in art: the balance in a painting can be explained by the presence of symmetry. The golden ratio and the famous Fibonacci sequence cherished by Leonardo da Vinci are also a legacy of mathematics.
From Theory to Practice
Nevertheless, despite a rich history spanning millennia and five continents, mathematics has yet to unveil its secrets. Consequently, this discipline continues to pique the interest of scientists today. This is the case for Charles Collot, a researcher at the AGM (Analyse Géométrie Modélisation) laboratory. He has recently secured significant funding from the European Research Council (ERC Starting Grant program) for his ambitious project in theoretical mathematics, FloWAS (Flows, Waves, and their Asymptotic Stability).
When asked about his work, Charles Collot simply states that he studies wave and flow equations. Then, other terms emerge in the conversation: nonlinear partial differential evolution equations, Keller-Segel system, fluid mechanics, degenerate self-similarity, Prandtl system, concentration and displacement effects. In simpler terms, he studies equations that explain the emergence of specific structures (whose form remains consistent over time, like waves) in various models, whether they originate from biology, physics, or mathematics. He investigates how these structures form and the phenomena they are responsible for (concentration, displacement). These mathematical principles and phenomena can be found and applied in very different contexts, such as waves (the birth of waves and their behaviour when encountering obstacles, the turbulence that forms behind the wings of a flying plane, for instance) or the behaviour (displacement, concentration, propagation) of cells in a given situation.
Charles Collot does not view theoretical mathematics as a separate discipline but as one link in a chain where biology, physics, and mathematics intersect and mutually enrich one another. This is why, although he does not work directly with biologists, theoretical physicists, or applied mathematicians on concrete problems, he regularly collaborates with them to understand better the phenomena his research confronts.
The ERC Grant: A Passport to Research
Upon leaving high school, the researcher envisioned pursuing engineering studies. However, while in preparatory classes, he developed a taste for mathematics. His admission to the ENS (École normale supérieure) confirmed his change of direction: the world of fundamental research opened its doors to him. After completing his PhD at the University of Nice Côte d'Azur, he continued his career at NYU on the Abu Dhabi and New York campuses. He joined CY Cergy Paris University in 2020.
The ERC Starting Grant he has just obtained provides funding for five years. These funds will allow him to expand his research project, FloWAS, for which he plans to establish a research team through the recruitment of two post-doctoral researchers and to organize various collaborative scientific events. The ERC (European Research Council) is a body of the European Union. In the current phase—Horizon Europe—from 2021 to 2027, it is expected that 16 billion euros will be allocated to ERC grants. The sole selection criterion is the excellence of the candidate's research. Since 2018, three researchers from CY Cergy Paris University have received this prestigious grant.
Mathematics is everywhere. It seems that the same can be said for poetry. With great emphasis, Charles Collot highlights the potential of a "simple" equation and describes the surprising connection between mathematics and reality. A touch of lyricism in mathematics, perhaps enough to charm even the phobic.
From Theory to Practice
Nevertheless, despite a rich history spanning millennia and five continents, mathematics has yet to unveil its secrets. Consequently, this discipline continues to pique the interest of scientists today. This is the case for Charles Collot, a researcher at the AGM (Analyse Géométrie Modélisation) laboratory. He has recently secured significant funding from the European Research Council (ERC Starting Grant program) for his ambitious project in theoretical mathematics, FloWAS (Flows, Waves, and their Asymptotic Stability).
When asked about his work, Charles Collot simply states that he studies wave and flow equations. Then, other terms emerge in the conversation: nonlinear partial differential evolution equations, Keller-Segel system, fluid mechanics, degenerate self-similarity, Prandtl system, concentration and displacement effects. In simpler terms, he studies equations that explain the emergence of specific structures (whose form remains consistent over time, like waves) in various models, whether they originate from biology, physics, or mathematics. He investigates how these structures form and the phenomena they are responsible for (concentration, displacement). These mathematical principles and phenomena can be found and applied in very different contexts, such as waves (the birth of waves and their behaviour when encountering obstacles, the turbulence that forms behind the wings of a flying plane, for instance) or the behaviour (displacement, concentration, propagation) of cells in a given situation.
Charles Collot does not view theoretical mathematics as a separate discipline but as one link in a chain where biology, physics, and mathematics intersect and mutually enrich one another. This is why, although he does not work directly with biologists, theoretical physicists, or applied mathematicians on concrete problems, he regularly collaborates with them to understand better the phenomena his research confronts.
The ERC Grant: A Passport to Research
Upon leaving high school, the researcher envisioned pursuing engineering studies. However, while in preparatory classes, he developed a taste for mathematics. His admission to the ENS (École normale supérieure) confirmed his change of direction: the world of fundamental research opened its doors to him. After completing his PhD at the University of Nice Côte d'Azur, he continued his career at NYU on the Abu Dhabi and New York campuses. He joined CY Cergy Paris University in 2020.
The ERC Starting Grant he has just obtained provides funding for five years. These funds will allow him to expand his research project, FloWAS, for which he plans to establish a research team through the recruitment of two post-doctoral researchers and to organize various collaborative scientific events. The ERC (European Research Council) is a body of the European Union. In the current phase—Horizon Europe—from 2021 to 2027, it is expected that 16 billion euros will be allocated to ERC grants. The sole selection criterion is the excellence of the candidate's research. Since 2018, three researchers from CY Cergy Paris University have received this prestigious grant.
Mathematics is everywhere. It seems that the same can be said for poetry. With great emphasis, Charles Collot highlights the potential of a "simple" equation and describes the surprising connection between mathematics and reality. A touch of lyricism in mathematics, perhaps enough to charm even the phobic.
