Chennai Mathematical Institute
Encyclopedia
Chennai Mathematical Institute (CMI) is a research and education institute in Chennai
, India
. It was founded by the SPIC
Science Foundation in 1989, and offers undergraduate as well as postgraduate programmes in physics
, mathematics
and computer science
, besides its key strength in the form of high-end research in mathematics. CMI is noted for its research in the field of algebraic geometry
, in particular in the area of moduli bundles
.
CMI was earlier located in T. Nagar
in the heart of Chennai in an office complex. It moved to a new 5 acres (20,234.3 m²) campus in Siruseri in October 2005.
In December 2006, CMI was recognized as a university under Section 3 of the UGC Act 1956, making it a deemed university
. Until then, the teaching program was offered in association with Bhoj Open University
, as it offered more flexibility.
CMI began as the School of Mathematics, SPIC Science Foundation, in 1989. The SPIC Science Foundation was set up in 1986 by Southern Petrochemical Industries Corporation
Ltd (SPIC), one of the major industrial houses in India, to foster the growth of science and technology in the country.
In 1996, the School of Mathematics became an independent institution and changed its name to SPIC Mathematical Institute. In 1998, in order to better reflect the emerging role of the institute, it was renamed the Chennai Mathematical Institute (CMI).
From its inception, the institute has had a Ph.D programme in Mathematics and Computer Science. In the initial years, the Ph.D programme was affiliated to the Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani and the University of Madras. In December 2006, CMI was recognized as a university under Section 3 of the UGC Act 1956.
In 1998, CMI took the initiative to bridge the gap between teaching and research by starting B.Sc. and M.Sc. programmes in mathematics and allied subjects. In 2001, the BSc programme was extended to incorporate two courses with research components, leading to an M.Sc degree in Mathematics, and an M.Sc degree in Computer Science. In 2003, a new undergraduate course was added, leading to a B.Sc degree in Physics.
In 2010, CMI launched a summer fellowship programme whereby they invited about 30 students from all over India
to work under a faculty at CMI on a research project.
The library block and the student's hostel were completed in late 2006 and become operational from January 2007.
In 2006, CMI implemented grey water recycling system on its campus. The system was designed for CMI by Sultan Ahmed Ismail to treat waste water produced after cleaning, washing and bathing to be used for gardening or ground water recharge.
Since 1998, CMI has offered a B.Sc. (Hons) degree in Mathematics and Computer Science. This three-year program also includes courses in humanities and physics. Many students, after completion of the B.Sc. degree, have pursued higher studies in Mathematics and Computer Sciences from universities both in India and abroad. Some students also go into industry while others take up subjects such as finance.
In 2003, CMI offered a B.Sc. (Hons) degree in Physics. This is also a three-year course. The course topics are largely in theoretical physics. CMI now has its own physics laboratory. From the academic year 2007-2008, the Physics students will have regular lab courses right from the first year.
In the academic year 2005-2006, lab sessions for third-year students were conducted at IIT Madras based on an agreement. In the summer following their first year, physics students go to HBCSE (under TIFR) in Mumbai
for practical sessions and in the second year, they go to IGCAR
, Kalpakkam
.
In 2001, CMI began separate M.Sc. degrees in Mathematics and in Computer Science.
Degrees for the B.Sc. and M.Sc. programmes were earlier offered by MPBOU, the Madhya Pradesh Bhoj Open University and doctoral degrees were offered by Madras University. Now that CMI is a deemed university, it gives its own degrees. CMI awarded its first official degrees in August 2007.
The batch sizes typically vary from five to fifteen and the overall strength of CMI is about 60–70 students and 30–40 faculty members.
All the CMI programmes are run in conjunction and coordination with programmes at IMSc, an institute for research in mathematics, theoretical computer science and theoretical physics, located in Chennai
.
Students who have passed the Indian National Mathematics Olympiad get direct admission for the B.Sc. (Hons) in Mathematics course, and those who have passed the Indian National Physics Olympiad are offered direct entry to the B.Sc. (Hons) in Physics Course. However, these students are also advised to fill in and send the application form some time in March.
Students who pass the Indian National Olympiad in Informatics may be granted admission to the B.Sc. (Hons) Mathematics course. Admission is not guaranteed but is decided on a case-by-case basis by the admissions committee.
especially moduli problems
and algebraic groups, stepped down from his Directorship of the Chennai Mathematical Institute (CMI) on Friday, the 31st December 2010. However, he will continue to be a part of CMI as "Director-Emeritus" from 1 January 2011 onwards.
Prof. Rajeeva L. Karandikar assumed charge of the Directorship of CMI beginning 1 January 2011.
in representation theory
, the Donaldson-Uhlenbeck compactification in algebraic geometry
, stochastic games, inductive algebras of harmonic analysis
, etc.
The research activity in computer science at CMI has been primarily in computational complexity theory
, specification and verification of timed and distributed systems and analysis of security protocols. Computer scientist at CMI extended the deterministic isolation technique for reachability in planar graphs to obtain better complexity
upper bounds for planar bipartite matching.
In theoretical physics
, research is being carried out mainly in string theory
, quantum field theory
and mathematical physics
. In mathematical physics, research included developing a path integral approach to quantum entanglement
. CMI string theorists study problems such as Big-bang like cosmological singularities, embeddings of BKL cosmology
, dyon
s in super-Yang-Mills theories etc.
through the Indian Association for Research in Computer Science (IARCS). CMI hosts the official IARCS website. From September 2004, a monthly online programming competition has been conducted by the CMI faculty via the IARCS website.
Two of CMI's faculty members, Madhavan Mukund and Narayan Kumar, lead the Indian team to the International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI). Madhavan Mukund is also the National Coordinator for the Indian Computing Olympiad
.
, Sathyabama University. Fiesta comprises academic and non-academic events.
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. It was founded by the SPIC
SPIC
Southern Petrochemical Industries Corporation Ltd., or SPIC, is an Indian company that makes petrochemicals. Its core competency is its fertilizer portfolio...
Science Foundation in 1989, and offers undergraduate as well as postgraduate programmes in physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
, mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
and computer science
Computer science
Computer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
, besides its key strength in the form of high-end research in mathematics. CMI is noted for its research in the field of algebraic geometry
Algebraic geometry
Algebraic geometry is a branch of mathematics which combines techniques of abstract algebra, especially commutative algebra, with the language and the problems of geometry. It occupies a central place in modern mathematics and has multiple conceptual connections with such diverse fields as complex...
, in particular in the area of moduli bundles
Moduli space
In algebraic geometry, a moduli space is a geometric space whose points represent algebro-geometric objects of some fixed kind, or isomorphism classes of such objects...
.
CMI was earlier located in T. Nagar
T. Nagar
Theagaraya Nagar , popularly known by its abbreviated form T. Nagar, is a neighbourhood in the city of Chennai, India. Though originally conceived as a residential locality, it is presently one of the principal shopping districts of the city....
in the heart of Chennai in an office complex. It moved to a new 5 acres (20,234.3 m²) campus in Siruseri in October 2005.
In December 2006, CMI was recognized as a university under Section 3 of the UGC Act 1956, making it a deemed university
Deemed University
Deemed university is a status of autonomy granted to high performing institutes and departments of various universities in India. This status of ‘Deemed-to-be-University’, is granted by Department of Higher Education, Union Human Resource Development Ministry, on the advice of the University Grants...
. Until then, the teaching program was offered in association with Bhoj Open University
Madhya Pradesh Bhoj Open University
Madhya Pradesh Bhoj Open University, or simply Bhoj University, Hindi: भोज विशवविधालय, is a public university in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India. The university provides higher education mainly through open and distance learning...
, as it offered more flexibility.
History
SPIC
Southern Petrochemical Industries Corporation Ltd., or SPIC, is an Indian company that makes petrochemicals. Its core competency is its fertilizer portfolio...
Ltd (SPIC), one of the major industrial houses in India, to foster the growth of science and technology in the country.
In 1996, the School of Mathematics became an independent institution and changed its name to SPIC Mathematical Institute. In 1998, in order to better reflect the emerging role of the institute, it was renamed the Chennai Mathematical Institute (CMI).
From its inception, the institute has had a Ph.D programme in Mathematics and Computer Science. In the initial years, the Ph.D programme was affiliated to the Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani and the University of Madras. In December 2006, CMI was recognized as a university under Section 3 of the UGC Act 1956.
In 1998, CMI took the initiative to bridge the gap between teaching and research by starting B.Sc. and M.Sc. programmes in mathematics and allied subjects. In 2001, the BSc programme was extended to incorporate two courses with research components, leading to an M.Sc degree in Mathematics, and an M.Sc degree in Computer Science. In 2003, a new undergraduate course was added, leading to a B.Sc degree in Physics.
In 2010, CMI launched a summer fellowship programme whereby they invited about 30 students from all over India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
to work under a faculty at CMI on a research project.
Campus
CMI moved into its new campus on 5 acres (20,234.3 m²) of land at the SIPCOT Information Technology Park in Siruseri in October, 2005. The campus is located along the Old Mahabalipuram Road, which is developing as the IT corridor to the south of the city. The campus was designed by architect K.S. Ranganath.The library block and the student's hostel were completed in late 2006 and become operational from January 2007.
In 2006, CMI implemented grey water recycling system on its campus. The system was designed for CMI by Sultan Ahmed Ismail to treat waste water produced after cleaning, washing and bathing to be used for gardening or ground water recharge.
Educational programmes
Course
CMI has Ph.D programmes in Computer Sciences, Mathematics and Physics. Recently, CMI has introduced the possibility of students pursuing a part-time PhD at the Institute.Since 1998, CMI has offered a B.Sc. (Hons) degree in Mathematics and Computer Science. This three-year program also includes courses in humanities and physics. Many students, after completion of the B.Sc. degree, have pursued higher studies in Mathematics and Computer Sciences from universities both in India and abroad. Some students also go into industry while others take up subjects such as finance.
In 2003, CMI offered a B.Sc. (Hons) degree in Physics. This is also a three-year course. The course topics are largely in theoretical physics. CMI now has its own physics laboratory. From the academic year 2007-2008, the Physics students will have regular lab courses right from the first year.
In the academic year 2005-2006, lab sessions for third-year students were conducted at IIT Madras based on an agreement. In the summer following their first year, physics students go to HBCSE (under TIFR) in Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
for practical sessions and in the second year, they go to IGCAR
IGCAR
The Reactor Research Centre set up at Kalpakkam, India, 80 km south of Chennai in 1971 under the Department of Atomic Energy was renamed Indira Gandhi Center for Atomic Research in 1985. The center is primarily a research facility besides being a nuclear power plant aiding in meeting a...
, Kalpakkam
Kalpakkam
Kalpakkam is a small town in Tamil Nadu, India, situated on the Coromandel Coast 70 kilometres south of Chennai. A conglomerate of two villages and a DAE township, it is about 55 km from Thiruvanmiyur....
.
In 2001, CMI began separate M.Sc. degrees in Mathematics and in Computer Science.
Degrees for the B.Sc. and M.Sc. programmes were earlier offered by MPBOU, the Madhya Pradesh Bhoj Open University and doctoral degrees were offered by Madras University. Now that CMI is a deemed university, it gives its own degrees. CMI awarded its first official degrees in August 2007.
The batch sizes typically vary from five to fifteen and the overall strength of CMI is about 60–70 students and 30–40 faculty members.
All the CMI programmes are run in conjunction and coordination with programmes at IMSc, an institute for research in mathematics, theoretical computer science and theoretical physics, located in Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
.
Admission criteria
The entrance to each of these courses is based on a nation-wide entrance test. The advertisement for this entrance test appears around the end of February or the beginning of March. The entrance test is held in the end of May and is usually scheduled so as not to clash with major entrance examinations. Results are given to students by the end of June.Students who have passed the Indian National Mathematics Olympiad get direct admission for the B.Sc. (Hons) in Mathematics course, and those who have passed the Indian National Physics Olympiad are offered direct entry to the B.Sc. (Hons) in Physics Course. However, these students are also advised to fill in and send the application form some time in March.
Students who pass the Indian National Olympiad in Informatics may be granted admission to the B.Sc. (Hons) Mathematics course. Admission is not guaranteed but is decided on a case-by-case basis by the admissions committee.
Fee structure and other payments
All students, including undergraduate students, are given a stipend to meet their monthly expenses. The tuition fees are waived. Students have to maintain a good academic record for the continuation of their stipend and fee waiver. All students are required to pay hostel and mess fees.The director
The founding director of CMI C.S.Seshadri, who has worked in the area of algebraic geometryAlgebraic geometry
Algebraic geometry is a branch of mathematics which combines techniques of abstract algebra, especially commutative algebra, with the language and the problems of geometry. It occupies a central place in modern mathematics and has multiple conceptual connections with such diverse fields as complex...
especially moduli problems
Moduli space
In algebraic geometry, a moduli space is a geometric space whose points represent algebro-geometric objects of some fixed kind, or isomorphism classes of such objects...
and algebraic groups, stepped down from his Directorship of the Chennai Mathematical Institute (CMI) on Friday, the 31st December 2010. However, he will continue to be a part of CMI as "Director-Emeritus" from 1 January 2011 onwards.
Prof. Rajeeva L. Karandikar assumed charge of the Directorship of CMI beginning 1 January 2011.
Research interests
In mathematics, the main areas of research activity have been in algebraic geometry, representation theory, operator theory, commutative algebra, harmonic analysis, control theory and game theory. Research work includes stratification of binary formsBinary quadratic form
In mathematics, a binary quadratic form is a quadratic form in two variables. More concretely, it is a homogeneous polynomial of degree 2 in two variableswhere a, b, c are the coefficients...
in representation theory
Representation theory
Representation theory is a branch of mathematics that studies abstract algebraic structures by representing their elements as linear transformations of vector spaces, and studiesmodules over these abstract algebraic structures...
, the Donaldson-Uhlenbeck compactification in algebraic geometry
Algebraic geometry
Algebraic geometry is a branch of mathematics which combines techniques of abstract algebra, especially commutative algebra, with the language and the problems of geometry. It occupies a central place in modern mathematics and has multiple conceptual connections with such diverse fields as complex...
, stochastic games, inductive algebras of harmonic analysis
Harmonic analysis
Harmonic analysis is the branch of mathematics that studies the representation of functions or signals as the superposition of basic waves. It investigates and generalizes the notions of Fourier series and Fourier transforms...
, etc.
The research activity in computer science at CMI has been primarily in computational complexity theory
Computational complexity theory
Computational complexity theory is a branch of the theory of computation in theoretical computer science and mathematics that focuses on classifying computational problems according to their inherent difficulty, and relating those classes to each other...
, specification and verification of timed and distributed systems and analysis of security protocols. Computer scientist at CMI extended the deterministic isolation technique for reachability in planar graphs to obtain better complexity
Complexity
In general usage, complexity tends to be used to characterize something with many parts in intricate arrangement. The study of these complex linkages is the main goal of complex systems theory. In science there are at this time a number of approaches to characterizing complexity, many of which are...
upper bounds for planar bipartite matching.
In theoretical physics
Theoretical physics
Theoretical physics is a branch of physics which employs mathematical models and abstractions of physics to rationalize, explain and predict natural phenomena...
, research is being carried out mainly in string theory
String theory
String theory is an active research framework in particle physics that attempts to reconcile quantum mechanics and general relativity. It is a contender for a theory of everything , a manner of describing the known fundamental forces and matter in a mathematically complete system...
, quantum field theory
Quantum field theory
Quantum field theory provides a theoretical framework for constructing quantum mechanical models of systems classically parametrized by an infinite number of dynamical degrees of freedom, that is, fields and many-body systems. It is the natural and quantitative language of particle physics and...
and mathematical physics
Mathematical physics
Mathematical physics refers to development of mathematical methods for application to problems in physics. The Journal of Mathematical Physics defines this area as: "the application of mathematics to problems in physics and the development of mathematical methods suitable for such applications and...
. In mathematical physics, research included developing a path integral approach to quantum entanglement
Quantum entanglement
Quantum entanglement occurs when electrons, molecules even as large as "buckyballs", photons, etc., interact physically and then become separated; the type of interaction is such that each resulting member of a pair is properly described by the same quantum mechanical description , which is...
. CMI string theorists study problems such as Big-bang like cosmological singularities, embeddings of BKL cosmology
BKL singularity
A BKL singularity is a model of the dynamic evolution of the Universe near the initial singularity, described by an anisotropic, homogeneous, chaotic solution to Einstein's field equations of gravitation...
, dyon
Dyon
In physics, a dyon is a hypothetical particle in 4-dimensional theories with both electric and magnetic charges. A dyon with a zero electric charge is usually referred to as a magnetic monopole. Many grand unified theories predict the existence of both magnetic monopoles and dyons.Dyons were first...
s in super-Yang-Mills theories etc.
Other activities
CMI faculty coordinate the training and selection of students to represent India at the International Olympiad in InformaticsInternational Olympiad in Informatics
The International Olympiad in Informatics is an annual computer science competition for secondary school students. The first IOI was held in 1989 in Pravetz, Bulgaria....
through the Indian Association for Research in Computer Science (IARCS). CMI hosts the official IARCS website. From September 2004, a monthly online programming competition has been conducted by the CMI faculty via the IARCS website.
Two of CMI's faculty members, Madhavan Mukund and Narayan Kumar, lead the Indian team to the International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI). Madhavan Mukund is also the National Coordinator for the Indian Computing Olympiad
Indian Computing Olympiad
The Indian Computing Olympiad is an annual computer programming competition that selects four participants to represent India at the International Olympiad in Informatics. ICO is conducted by the Indian Association for Research in Computing Science in coordination with CBSE...
.
Hostel
The on-campus hostel was opened in January 2007. All students are required to stay in the hostel.Fiesta
The undergraduate students of CMI organise an annual inter-collegiate student festival Fiesta, supported by corporate and IT companies. Fiesta enjoys participation from students of several Chennai-based colleges including IIT Madras, SRM UniversitySRM University
SRM University is a co-educational private university from the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It was founded in the year 1985 as SRM Engineering college in Kattankulathur, under Anna University. The university now has four campuses in Tamil Nadu , one in Modinagar, near Delhi...
, Sathyabama University. Fiesta comprises academic and non-academic events.
Arrangements with other institutes
- Till 2006, students received their B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees from MPBOU and their Ph.D. degrees from Madras University.
- CMI conducts its academic programmes in conjunction with IMSc, so students from either institute can take courses at the other.
- CMI has agreements with TIFR (Tata Institute of Fundamental Research) and with the Indian Statistical InstituteIndian Statistical InstituteIndian Statistical Institute is a public research institute and university in Kolkata's northern outskirt of Baranagar, India founded by Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis in 1931...
s in Delhi, Bangalore, and Kolkata, for cooperation on the furtherance of mathematical sciences.
- The physics programmes are run in conjunction with IMSc and IGCARIGCARThe Reactor Research Centre set up at Kalpakkam, India, 80 km south of Chennai in 1971 under the Department of Atomic Energy was renamed Indira Gandhi Center for Atomic Research in 1985. The center is primarily a research facility besides being a nuclear power plant aiding in meeting a...
. The physics students spend one summer in HBCSE (under TIFR) in Mumbai and another in IGCAR, KalpakkamKalpakkamKalpakkam is a small town in Tamil Nadu, India, situated on the Coromandel Coast 70 kilometres south of Chennai. A conglomerate of two villages and a DAE township, it is about 55 km from Thiruvanmiyur....
, garnering practical experience.
- CMI has a Memorandum of Understanding with the École Normale SupérieureÉcole Normale SupérieureThe École normale supérieure is one of the most prestigious French grandes écoles...
in ParisParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. Under this memorandum, research scholars from the ENS spend a semester in CMI. In exchange, three B.Sc. Mathematics students, at the end of their third year, go to the ENS for two months.
- The institute has a similar arrangement with Ecole PolytechniqueÉcole PolytechniqueThe École Polytechnique is a state-run institution of higher education and research in Palaiseau, Essonne, France, near Paris. Polytechnique is renowned for its four year undergraduate/graduate Master's program...
in Paris, whereby top-ranking senior B.Sc. Physics students spend the summer in Paris working with the faculty at Ecole Polytechnique.
- CMI has a Memorandum of Understanding with IFMR, the Institute of Financial Management and Research, located in NungambakkamNungambakkamNungambakkam is one of the wealthiest localities in the heart of Chennai, India's fourth largest metropolitan city. The neighborhood is abound with multi-national commercial establishments, important government offices, foreign consulates, sprawling educational institutions, shopping malls,...
, ChennaiChennaiChennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
. Students from CMI getting a CGPA of more than 8.50 are offered direct admission to IFMR's one year programme in Financial Mathematics, which is sponsored by ICICI BankICICI BankICICI Bank Ltd. is India's second largest financial services company headquartered in Mumbai, India. It offers a wide range of banking products and financial services to corporate and retail customers through a variety of delivery channels and through its specialised subsidiaries in the areas of...
. Faculty from CMI are involved in teaching this programme. In exchange, CMI gets its economics professor from IFMR.
- CMI has had two sponsored research projects with Honeywell Technology Solutions, Bangalore, both in the area of formal verificationFormal verificationIn the context of hardware and software systems, formal verification is the act of proving or disproving the correctness of intended algorithms underlying a system with respect to a certain formal specification or property, using formal methods of mathematics .- Usage :Formal verification can be...
.
Government funding
- DAEDepartment of Atomic Energy (India)The Department of Atomic Energy is a department directly under the Prime Minister of India with headquartered in Mumbai. The department is responsible for nuclear technology, including nuclear power and research....
: CMI receives support for its teaching programme from the Department of Atomic Energy, through the National Board of Higher Mathematics. - ISRO: The Indian Space Research Organization also funds CMI substantially.
- DSTDepartment of Science and Technology (India)The Department of Science and Technology is a department within the Ministry of Science and Technology in India. It was established in May 1971, with the objective of promoting new areas of Science and Technology and to play the role of a nodal department for organising, coordinating and promoting...
and DRDO: For some of its projects, CMI receives funding from the Department of Science and Technology as well as the Defence Research and Development Organization.
Private funding
- The Southern Petrochemical Industries Corporation (SPICSPICSouthern Petrochemical Industries Corporation Ltd., or SPIC, is an Indian company that makes petrochemicals. Its core competency is its fertilizer portfolio...
) was an important founder of CMI during its initial years. In fact, CMI started as the Spic Mathematical Institute. - Sriram Group of Companies is an important funder and also arranges for other funding for CMI.
- Matrix Laboratories has made a major contribution to the new campus.