What do the growth of a bacterial culture, the spread of a coffee stain and the way ice accumulates on a surface during hail all have in common? They are all phenomena described using models that result from mathematical laws.
These and other examples – including the study of tumour evolution – were given by Patrícia Gonçalves, who also described the role of mathematics in different areas of engineering, during the eighth Técnico MasterTalk held on April 11, at the Congress Centre. The audience had the opportunity to learn more about the academic training offered by the Department of Mathematics, and discover the relevance of mathematics to engineering.
“The advantage of mathematics over other sciences is precision, rigour”, says Patrícia Gonçalves at the end of the lecture, noting that these criteria are “very important”. “What mathematicians do is ‘scan’ the result and check that there are no flaws”, she explains – “if it’s right, it’s right. “As for what made her dedicate herself to maths, Patrícia Gonçalves says with conviction, “we try to shape the world as we see it – ‘what intersects? What do I have to fix? What are my parameters here? Our objects are formulas that obey rules and theorems, which then allow us to get results, and I think that’s amazing.”
Tiago Moreira, currently finishing his third year of the Applied Mathematics and Computation Undergraduate Programme, says “I already knew the professor and I wanted to know more about her work”. “I’ve made up my mind about what I want to do. I’m interested in geometry, but I also like functional analysis and formulae”, he explains.
After the MasterTalk, Tiago shared “I would like to stress the educational aspect of this event, which I appreciated. It allowed me to see the human side of professors”. He wanted to pursue ‘pure’ maths since secondary school. Técnico came up as the right choice because of the “wide variety of subjects and topics covered”. He describes his time at Técnico as “challenging, but also enriching”. “It is precisely this challenge that enriches us, not only in terms of knowledge but also on a personal level”, he concludes.
Francisco Carrapa is studying informatics engineering at another institution. Torn between his passion for music and sciences, he confesses having doubts about what he will do next year. He came to the MasterTalk with a friend who is studying Mechanical Engineering at Técnico. He believes that Técnico “is probably the most prestigious engineering school in Portugal”. “I feel that Técnico graduates are better prepared”, he shares.
The Department of Mathematics offers the Master’s Programme in Applied Mathematics and Computation, the Master’s Programme in Data Science and Engineering, and the Master’s Programme in Information Security and Cyberspace Law (in partnership with the Faculty of Law of Universidade de Lisboa and the Portuguese Naval School).
The upcoming MasterTalk on the master’s programmes offered by the Department of Engineering in Mineral and Energy Resources will be led by Leonardo Azevedo, on May 21st.
