Jan. 25, 2010
Contact:
Jeremy Craig, 404-413-1357
University Relations
ATLANTA - Georgia State University's Frank J. Hall, a professor of mathematics, will visit the Czech Republic this spring thanks to a U.S. Fulbright Scholar Program award, to collaborate with a renowned mathematician in research in an area that impacts computer science, economics and other fields.
Hall will collaborate with Miroslav Fiedler, an internationally recognized mathematician at the Institute of Computer Science of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic in the field of matrix analysis, an area of math which aids in forming models that illuminate theories of many scientific fields.
"I'm excited and thankful to receive the award, and it is a great opportunity to do further research in the field," Hall said. "It's also a wonderful opportunity to work with Dr. Fiedler, who is an outstanding mathematician."
At its core, the research deals with matrix analysis. In mathematics, a matrix is a rectangular array of numbers. The study of matrices and their applications is a part of the broader area of linear algebra.
Matrices are useful in solving linear equations, and over 75 percent of all mathematical problems encountered in scientific or industrial applications involve solving a linear equation system at some stage.
Fiedler, Hall's colleague, is the recipient of numerous honors, and has published prolifically in the field. He has served as editor of several journals, including the Czechoslovak Math Journal and the Linear Algebra and Its Applications journal.
The Fulbright Program is a flagship international exchange program, sponsored by the U.S. government to increase scholarship and understanding between Americans and people of other countries. Established in 1946, the program has given almost 300,000 participants - who have been chosen for academic merit and leadership potential - the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research. The program awards about 7,500 new grants per year.
Hall is one of 16 faculty recipients from Georgia during 2009-2010. Other Georgia recipients going abroad hail from Emory University, Georgia Tech, Spelman College, the University of Georgia, Georgia College and State University, Georgia Southern University, Mercer University, and Southern Polytechnic State University.
Georgia State is also the recipient of Fulbright students from abroad. During Fall 2009, GSU enrolled 28 participants in the Fulbright Program for Foreign Students in the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Health and Human Sciences, the J. Mack Robinson College of Business, and the College of Education.