Center for Computational Quantum Physics’s Ultimate Goal: Design New Materials Such as Superconductors
The Flatiron Institute: A Home for Computational Sciences
Excerpts and salient points ~
+ When the Simons Foundation convened a panel of distinguished scientists at the Buttermilk Falls Inn in upstate New York in June 2012, the goal was to explore the merit of supporting large-scale collaborations in different areas of science. Most panelists described research directions in their own disciplines that seemed ripe for such collaborations. But one attendee — mathematician Ingrid Daubechies of Duke University — proposed something entirely different: an institute dedicated to developing mathematical tools and software to help scientists extract meaning from the gigantic datasets that have become a prominent feature of modern science.
“Any little piece of material has about 1021 electrons, so we’re talking about humongously large quantum systems,” Georges says. “It’s a very challenging problem that has been around for many decades, but computational methods have really changed the game in this field.”
+ The Center for Computational Quantum Physics (CCQ), led by Antoine Georges and Andrew Millis, focuses on the quantum many-body problem, which concerns microscopic systems with many interacting particles. One ultimate goal is to design new materials with desirable properties, such as superconductors.
+ The institute now comprises four centers that focus on different areas of science. Jim Simons took an active role recruiting the leaders of each center. “My experience in building an organization is to find great leadership and let them carry the ball,” he says.
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