Key Moments in the History of Numerical Analysis

	Special Guest Lectures
	Key Moments in the History of Numerical Analysis
	Michele Benzi, Emory University
	(sponsored by SIAM)
	Johnston Hall 338 August 28, 2009 - 11:00 am
Abstract: The talk will highlight some of the key moments in the evolution of numerical analysis into an independent mathematical discipline. The necessary context and background behind technical developments will be carefully exposed, as well as biographical information about the major figures in the field. The main focus of the talk will be on the early history of matrix iterations.

Speaker's Bio: Michele Benzi received a Laurea degree from the University of Bologna (Italy) and a PhD in Mathematics from North Carolina State University. After holding positions at the University of Bologna, at CERFACS (in Toulouse, France) and at Los Alamos National Laboratory, in 2000 he moved to Emory University where he is a professor in the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science. His research interests include numerical linear algebra (especially preconditioners and iterative methods for large sparse matrices), computational methods for Markov chains, functions of matrices, and the history of numerical analysis and scientific computing.

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