Calculus of Varations is the traditional meeting point of geometry with physics. Several of the most exciting avenues of research today continue this tradition: geometrical ideas are used to understand basic physical phenomena; physical insights motivate fundamental advances in differential geometry; nonlinear partial differential equations pervade both fields. This workshop celebrates and exposes the recent fruits of this interplay, presenting a variety of approaches to variational problems and differential equations arising in physics and geometry. Topics are expected to include: pattern formation in fluids and micromagnetics, geometric problems, morphologies of co-polymers, vortices in superconductors, superfluids, and magnetic materials. In addition to invited lectures, time will be set aside for informal discussions and presentations by young researchers.

The conference takes place as part of the 2003-04 Theme Year in Partial Differential Equations hosted by the Fields Institute for Mathematical Sciences in Toronto, Canada.

Invited Participants:

Amandine Aftalion (Paris-VI)
Giovanni Alberti (Pisa)
Patricia Baumann (Purdue)
Fabrice Bethuel (Paris-VI)
Yann Brenier (Nice)
Camillo de Lellis (MPI Leipzig)
Georg Dolzmann (Maryland)
Gero Friesecke (Warwick)
Nassif Ghoussoub (UBC)
Yuri Grabovsky (Temple)
Stephen Gustafson (UBC)
David Kinderlehrer (Carnegie-Mellon)
Michal Kowalczyk (Kent State)
Felix Otto (Bonn)
Etienne Sandier (Paris-12)
Sylvia Serfaty (Courant Institute)
Itai Shafrir (Technion)
Didier Smets (Paris-VI)
Daniel Spirn (Brown)
Peter Sternberg (Indiana)
Gabriella Tarantello (Roma-Tor Vergata)

For more information contact pde@fields.utoronto.ca