The Jack Carr Lecture 2026
Moustapha Fall, Director of AIMS Senegal, and a renowned analyst working in the broad area of geometric analysis and calculus of variations.
Title: Equilibrium state of some surfaces and their patterns
Abstract: Several physical problems (e.g., soap films, capillary surfaces, electrostatics, copolymers, etc.) are understood using different mathematical models. However, many solutions arising from these different problems share geometric similarities and in fact exhibit similar patterns. In this talk, we discuss some of these problems and focus on the notion of surfaces of constant nonlocal mean curvature (NMC). Like the classical mean curvature, NMC is an extrinsic geometric quantity that is invariant under global reparameterizations of a surface and provides a natural nonlocal extension of the mean curvature. We also survey recent results on surfaces with constant NMC and describe their close connection with problems arising in diblock copolymer theory and the study of overdetermined boundary value problems.
Space is limited: please register as soon as possible to avoid disappointment
The lecture will be followed by a reception.
This annual lecture commemorates the outstanding achievements of the late Professor Jack Carr FRSE, formerly Head of Department of Mathematics at Heriot-Watt University. He was not only an international authority in his field of differential equations and dynamical systems, but was also widely recognised for a selfless commitment to the University, Scottish, and international communities. He had a special interest in fostering mathematics in African and other developing countries. His links with colleagues at the University of Edinburgh helped establish the ICMS and also the Maxwell Institute.
