2nd Heidelberg Laureate Forum 2014 - Hot Topic Presentation: Peter Benner and Hermann Mena

Hot Topic Presentations
Abel, Fields and Turing Laureates
Meet the Next Generation
2nd Heidelberg Laureate Forum
September 21 - 26, 2014
The Role of Mathematics and Computer Sciences
in Developing Countries
Peter Benner and Hermann Mena
“How herbicides advanced applied math in Ecuador”
September 23, 2014

Mathematics in Ecuador before 2002 A PhD Program in Ecuador First Funded Project Ever Achievements
How Herbicides Advanced Applied
Math in Ecuador
Peter Bener†
Hermann Mena∗
†Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems, D-39106 Magdeburg,
Germany
∗University of Innsbruck, Department of Mathematics, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
Heidelberg Laureate Forum
September 2014
P. Benner & H. Mena MPI Magdeburg/University of Innsbruck
How Herbicides Advanced Applied Math in Ecuador

Outline
1 Mathematics in Ecuador before 2002
2 A PhD Program in Ecuador
3 First Funded Project Ever
4 Achievements

Mathematics in Ecuador before 2002
The Department of Mathematics at Escuela Polit´ecnica Nacional in
Ecuador was founded in 1975
Scientiﬁc production very low.
Until 2003 there were no
research groups.
Mainly no international
cooperations.
Essentially no support from the
goverment/industry.
1975–2003: ∼ 150 graduates in
Mathematics.

Mathematics in Ecuador before 2002
The Department of Mathematics at Escuela Polit´ecnica Nacional in
Ecuador was founded in 1975
Scientiﬁc production very low.
Until 2003 there were no
research groups.
Mainly no international
cooperations.
Essentially no support from the
goverment/industry.
1975–2003: ∼ 150 graduates in
Mathematics.
Perception that studing Math is risking your future!

A PhD Program and DAAD
The ﬁrst PhD Program in Applied Mathematics (PPAM) in Ecuador
was set up with the support of TU Berlin and DAAD
PPAM was a program in Combinatorial and Continuous
Optimization, Control, and Numerical Analysis.
Grants for lecturers from TU Berlin to conduct 2 courses/year at
EPN.
Students chose one of the lectures as supervisor.
Travel grants for students to visit TU Berlin 2 months, twice.
Additional travel grants were support by research groups in
Berlin/Chemnitz.

12/2002: PPAM starts with 8
students, 6 drop out in the
early phase due to diﬃculties
handling the PPAM inside EPN.
08/2007, ﬁrst graduate:
Hermann Mena.
2011: 8 students have
graduated in total. Source: TU Berlin intern 10.2003

12/2002: PPAM starts with 8
students, 6 drop out in the
early phase due to diﬃculties
handling the PPAM inside EPN.
08/2007, ﬁrst graduate:
Hermann Mena.
2011: 8 students have
graduated in total. Source: TU Berlin intern 10.2003
No continuation of the program, how to set up further mathematical
research in Ecuador?

The Glyphosate Spray Drift
at the Ecuador-Colombia border
Glyphosate is a herbicide used by the Colombian government to spray
coca ﬁelds close to the Ecuadorian border
2000 Sprays took place. Negative
impact on health and agriculture∗
.
2005 Ecuador and Colombia signed an
agreement to stop the sprays in a
10 km corridor along the border.
2006 Colombia was under suspect to
not respect the agreement.
2007 A trial in the International Court
of Justice started.
2013 The case was settled.
Source: http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glifosato
∗[Meister 95], [Cox 95], [Avila/Bravo/Breilh/Campaa/Paz-y-Mi˜no/et.al. 07], ...

The Glyphosate Spray Drift
at the Ecuador-Colombia border
PIC-400-2008: Simulation of the Glyphosate Spray Drift at the
Ecuador-Colombia border
Objectives:
Propose a mathematical model.
Perform a numerical simulation
in the sensitive zones.
Evaluate, together with other
research groups, whether the
agreement to not spray in a
10km strip was respected.

Diﬃculties
Models require information about:
1 the aircraft, ﬂight conditions, the nozzles,
2 the drop size distributions,
3 the spray material properties,
4 the ambient meteorology.

Difficulties
In our case ...
× The first three sets of inputs are not available.
× The fourth is difficult to approximate.

Difficulties
In our case ...
× The first three sets of inputs are not available.
× The fourth is difficult to approximate.
Main difficulty was handling the project (2.8 letters/day in 2010).

Sprays at the Border
Aerial spray guidelines
1 use largest droplet size consistent with the standards.
2 spray when wind speeds are between 1.3 and 4.5 ms−1
.
3 avoid spraying in low humidity and high temperature conditions.
4 height of aerial sprays at most 25 m.

Sprays at the Border
Aerial spray guidelines
1 use largest droplet size consistent with the standards.
2 spray when wind speeds are between 1.3 and 4.5 ms−1
.
3 avoid spraying in low humidity and high temperature conditions.
4 height of aerial sprays at most 25 m.
Sprays at Ecuador-Colombia border
× droplet size not according to the standards.
× height of aerial sprays between 40-80 m.
× in practice ambient meteorology easily exceeds the limits.

Sensitive Zones

Simulation in a 2km x 2km domain

Achievements
In 09/2013 the case was settled—Colombia agreed to pay 15 million
US dollars to Ecuador.
A supercomputing Center for the Department of Mathematics at
Escuela Polit´ecnica Nacional was set up.
The Government/Industry decided to invest in research, founded the
MODEMAT.

Achievements
In 09/2013 the case was settled—Colombia agreed to pay 15 million
US dollars to Ecuador.
A supercomputing Center for the Department of Mathematics at
Escuela Polit´ecnica Nacional was set up.
The Government/Industry decided to invest in research, founded the
MODEMAT.
Scientiﬁc production increased.
LAWOC
SEDEM
2014 Ecuador jointed the IMU
YACHAY TECH...

References
Snapshot from Oberwolfach/Imaginary Max Planck Research 1/2014

References
1 P. Benner, H. Mena, J. Lang and R.
Schneider
3D Simulation of the Glyphosate Aerial
Spray Drift at the Ecuador-Colombia
border
in preparation
2 P. Benner, H. Mena and R. Schneider
Modelling of the Glyphosate Aerial Spray
Drift at the Ecuador-Colombia border
submitted 2014
3 P. Benner, H. Mena and R. Schneider
Mathematical model for the glyphosate
aerial sprays at Ecuador-Colombia border
(in Spanish)
Shaker-Verlag, Aachen, Germany, 208
pages, 2014. ISBN: 978-3-8440-3061-7

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2nd Heidelberg Laureate Forum 2014 - Hot Topic Presentation: Peter Benner and Hermann Mena

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