1994 - Annual Report

Abstract

During the year under review, the Institute hosted WHEPP3, the Workshop on High Energy Particle Physics, with emphasis on Particle Phenomenology from January 10 - 22, 1994 as a sequel to WHEPP-1 and WHEPP-2 held at Bombay (1988) and Calcutta (1991) respectively. The Workshop analysed the scenerio ill Particle Phenomenology and related developments in other Particle Physics areas and we hope to have the proceedings published as a Pramana supplement. The Fifth Number Theory Conference was held during July 20 - 23, 1993 and attracted a large number of distinguished Indian and French Number Theorists. On 27th and 28th December, in collaboration with the SPIC School of Mathematics, we hosted an intensive Conference on Vector Bundles on Curves - New Dimensions, which followed a ten day workshop on the same topic at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research at Bombay. This year we had done the necessary planning to have an Institute wide network linking the various faculty offices and other wings with the computer centre with its set of sparc- stations, HP supermini workstations, laser and dotmatrix printers and other peripherals. The computers now serve not only as important research tools but also as a very effective communication channel among the members of the Institute as well as with the worldwide academic community. Very effective inter-institutional research collaborations are taking place and thus it enhances our potentials significantly. Library and the office activities will also be upgraded by the use of these networking efforts. Professor- K. Srinivasa Rao has spearheaded a collaborative project on some aspects of Mathematical Physics between our Institute and The University of Gent, Belgium, sponsored by the European Economic Commission. The project commenced during the preceeding year will promote the exchange of visitors between the two Institutions. We like to highlight among the laurels won by our academic staff, that of Professor Rajiah Simon, who won the coveted Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award this year. And to recall on this occasion that on January 3, 1994, Professor R. Vasudevan, one of the prime architechts of the Institute, breathed his last. The Institute is eternally beholden to him for various services he rendered, with single minded devotion and in particular, for his unique role in its build up. This annual report has been compiled through the efforts of Profs. K. Srinivasa Rao, S. Kesavan, R. Ramanujam, R.Jagannathan, Mr. K.S. Santhanagopalan (Librarian) and Mr.G.Venkatesan .