Prof Robert I McLachlan will be visiting us 1-2 October 2013, as part of his LMS Aitken Lectureship tour of the UK. 

Abstract: Geometric numerical integration emerged in the 1990s. Its roots lie in successful and widely used algorithms of computational physics, especially the symplectic leapfrog method, and in the numerical analysis of classical families of numerical integrators such as Runge- Kutta. Combining these two strands has led to better algorithms for physical simulations and also to a better understanding of the process of numerical integration. Today the behaviour of integration algorithms is studied with respect to a range of geometric properties, including preservation of invariant (symplectic and volume) forms and invariant sets, including those that emerge in an asymptotic limit.  The seminar will serve as an introduction to geometric numerical integration, its practical and theoretical successes, and its open questions.