February 28, 2025 - 12:00pm
Mathematical algorithms can help art conservators identify minute blemishes in an artwork and create digital maps to guide their restoration efforts.
Award-winning mathematician Ingrid Daubechies from Duke University will share some of these techniques on March 6 in a public talk hosted by the College of Arts and Sciences Mathematics Department.
The guest lecture, which will take place from 6-7:30 p.m. in 229 McKenzie Hall, will explore Daubechies’ collaborative work with art conservators and art historians to develop mathematical algorithms for correcting damaged artwork. A catered reception will follow the lecture, co-sponsored by UO’s Phi Beta Kappa chapter, the Mathematics Department and the student chapter of the Association of Women in Mathematics.
Daubechies, the James Duke Professor of Mathematics and Computer Engineering at Duke University, is well known for her work with wavelets in image compression and for her study of the mathematical methods that enhance image-compression technology. She is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Her research accomplishments have garnered her a MacArthur Fellowship, NAS Mathematics Prize, Steele Prize and Nemmers Prize, to name a few.
Daubechies is a strong supporter of women in science and a leading figure in the mathematics community. For example, she was the International Mathematical Union President from 2011 to 2014 and currently serves on the NAS US National Committee for Mathematics.