International conference on mathematics begins at GCU

LAHORE: An international conference on "Mathematics and its Applications (ICMA 2017)" began at the Government College University Lahore on Monday aiming to provide a platform to scientists, academicians and industrial professionals from all over the world to present their research in the field of Mathematical Sciences.

Eleven foreign and 38 national scientists would present their papers at the three-day conference organised by the University's Mathematics Department in collaboration with the GCU Chawla Mathematical Society, Punjab Higher Education Commission (PHEC) and Higher Education Commission, Pakistan. 

According to a press release, GCU Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Hassan Amir Shah chaired the inaugural session of the conference which was also addressed by University of Malakand, KP Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Gul Zaman, Prof Vasile Berinde from Technical University of Cluj-Napoca Romania, Prof Ljubsia Kocianac from University of Nis Serbia, International Islamic University Islamabad Dean Dr Arshad Zia and GCU Dean Faculty of Science and Technology Prof Dr Islam Ullah Khan.

In his key note address, Prof Vasile Berinde said there were two major objections being raised against mathematiciansthese days; one that they were publishing too much and other was that they were doing less practical and more theoretical research. “I agree with the second that we mostly prefer to generalise and extend the existing theories instead of looking into application of these theories,” he added.

Prof Berinde said he had turned down two invitations, including one from India to attend this conference. “It's because I have seen some extraordinary research work by the students and faculty of GCU Abdus Salam School of Mathematical Sciences in last few years and I want to personally congratulate them,” he added.   Speaking on the occasion, University of Malakand VC Prof Dr Gul Zaman laid a stress on establishing research linkages especially in the fields of science among all the universities of Pakistan, saying that “universities in Pakistan need to pool in their resources for the promotion of research and higher education in the country.”

VC Prof Dr Hassan Amir Shah said that GCU was holding three conferences this week but this conference had a special importance because GC Mathematics Department had been the most elderly place of learning and imparting knowledge of Mathematics in Pakistan. “It was the only centre of teaching Mathematics in this part of the subcontinent until 1920 when Punjab University established its Department of Mathematics,” he added. Prof Shah hoped that the conference would also provide opportunities for the participants to exchange new ideas, share knowledge and experiences to establish research relations and to find global partners for future collaborations. Prof Dr Mujahid Abbas, the conference chairman, said the conference would cover all the major areas of Mathematical sciences and public numerical issues such as Fixed Point Theory and its Applications, Fuzzy logics, Topological Vector Spaces and Nonlinear Operator Theory, Best Approximations, Soft Set Theory, Convex Optimisation Theory. He said that foreign mathematicians from South Africa, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Italy are also participating in the conference spread over technical session.