Wittgenstein Award Laureate
Wittgenstein Award Laureate 2000 Univ. Prof. Dr. Peter Markowich
Applied Mathematics, Univerity of Vienna
Faculty of Mathematics, University of Vienna 
Wolfgang Pauli Institute (WPI)
Johann Radon Institute for Computational and Applied Mathematics (RICAM)
PUTTING VIENNA ON THE MATHEMATICAL MAP
The Viennese mathematician Peter Markowich is working on the analysis of partial differential equations, which serve for describing dynamic processes regardless of whether these take place on subatomic or on galactic scales. Although his work can be classified as basic research, it produces the models on which practically oriented engineers and natural scientists can build. Even the highly complex relationships between classical and quantum mechanics, which are difficult to grasp for many of his colleagues in the area, can be clarified by Markowich’s analytical models. As Markowich says, since Newton and Leibniz man has been attempting mathematically to describe mechanical processes. Differential equations were found to be the language appropriate for their description. Using them, Maxwell formulated the laws of electrodynamics, Boltzmann the laws of gas dynamics, Schrödinger quantum dynamics and Einstein the general theory of relativity.
Markowich sees his particular contribution in the analysis of the structural properties of this type of equation. ”In mathematics there are absolute truths. Under precisely defined conditions an equation has one, several or no solution. If this can be proved without error it is a fact about the structure of the equation.”
At the moment Markowich does not believe that Vienna is ”on the map” of the leading centres working on applied mathematics. These are in various parts of the world: Germany; Rome; Madrid; America, naturally; even Chile has better centres than Austria; China will be a force to reckon with in the future; but above all Paris. ”In about 20 universities in the area are concentrated about 400 first-rate people performing topquality work on differential equations.”
To enable Vienna to compete, Peter Markowich would like to invest a large proportion of the money associated with his 2000 Wittgenstein Prize in personnel. ”To model and analyse you don’t need expensive computers. Nowadays any decent PC is sufficient. I would like to attract highly qualified people to research and to participate in higher-level teaching, so that students also benefit from them.” The first one is already here – an Italian post-doc is working with Markowich on equations related to stochastic diffusion.
Together with other START and Wittgenstein Prize winners in the field of applied mathematics (see Gottlob, Mauser and Schachermayer), Markowich has made possible the establishment of a nonuniversity Centre of Excellence. It is known as the Wolfgang Pauli Institute, ”so that this Nobel Prize winner, born in Vienna, finally receives the recognition he deserves. The Institute should facilitate synergy between different areas of applied mathematics, physics and information science: in the application for and implementation of large scale projects funded by third parties, such as those supported following rigorous review by the FWF or Brussels; in training young scientists; and in research in these areas.”
