Learn how mathematics can be used to estimate uncertainty in physical and biological systems, like weather patterns, in a lecture to be held this month at Missouri University of Science and Technology.

Dr. Ralph C. Smith, professor of mathematics at North Carolina State University, will present the lecture, titled “Uncertainty quantification for physical and biological models,” at 4:15 p.m. Friday, Nov. 15, in Room G-5 of the Rolla Building. Refreshments will be served starting at 4 p.m. This lecture is free and open to the public.

Smith will examine models that involve geology, nuclear power plant design and biology, and then discuss several global sensitivity techniques for parameter selection, sampling and spectral methods for uncertainty research.

Smith is on the editorial board of the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics/American Statistical Association (SIAM/ASA) Journal on Uncertainty Quantification and the Journal of Intelligent Material Systems and Structures. His research interests include mathematical modeling of smart material systems, numerical analysis and numerical methods for physical systems, uncertainty quantification and Bayesian model calibration.

Smith’s visit is sponsored by Missouri Institute for Computational and Applied Mathematical Sciences’ seminar series, a part of the mathematics and statistics department at S&T. The seminar series was developed to highlight the use of mathematical, statistical and computational methods in multiple areas and give an overview of an application are in which the mathematical sciences have potential to assist in advancing the research area.