Gao earns NSF CAREER award
06-04-2025
Assistant Professor Yuan Gao earned an NSF CAREER Award for her proposed work titled, “Fluctuation estimate, Selection principle and Transition paths for multiscale interacting dynamics on complex structure.”
Developing mathematical theory to predict and control rare, significant events in interactive dynamics on complex configuration spaces is important in fields like biology, physics, materials science, and social sciences.
Interactive dynamics means that individuals or particles influence each other and an overall system. These dynamics often involve rare events that can have large impacts, such as changes in protein structures or genetic evolution.
Yuan Gao, assistant professor in the Department of Mathematics, has received a National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Award for her proposed work titled, “Fluctuation estimate, Selection principle and Transition paths for multiscale interacting dynamics on complex structure.”
“I aim to improve our ability to predict and control these rare but critical events by identifying key patterns in energy landscapes and developing new methods for estimating fluctuations and controlling extreme events in complex spaces,” said Gao.
The insights gained from her research will not only help in predicting extreme events but also improve our understanding of various interactive behaviors in biological processes, drug design, and population dynamics. It also advances the material design and understanding of the dynamics of social opinions and learning strategies. The ultimate goal is to promote interdisciplinary learning and advance the growth of applied mathematics and related fields.
“I will have sufficient funding to develop mathematical frameworks for not only research but also to be integrated into undergraduate and graduate teaching,” said Gao. “It will offer lots of research opportunities for graduate students. It gives me an opportunity to contribute more to the applied math field and build an inclusive and innovative learning environment for the next generation.”
NSF CAREER Awards
NSF CAREER awards are the organization’s most prestigious awards given to junior faculty who embody the role of teacher-scholars through research, education and the integration of those concepts within the mission of their organizations. CAREER awards support promising and talented researchers in building a foundation for a lifetime of leadership. Receiving this award reflects this project’s merit of the NSF statutory mission and its worthiness of financial support.
Gao’s research lies in the field of applied analysis, with expertise in the calculus of variations, control theory, monotone operators, optimal transport, applied stochastic analysis, and numerical simulation. Using these mathematical tools, she develops mathematical theories and properties to address practical scientific problems, including:
- Rigidity, stability and multiscale analysis arising in materials science
- Optimal control and large deviation estimates for rare events and collective behaviors
- Singular dynamics and homogenization in gradient systems.
She is a member of Center for Computational and Applied Mathematics (CCAM) at Purdue University.
“My research field is applied analysis,” said Gao. “I use various mathematical tools to understand and develop mathematical theory to tackle practical scientific questions arising in materials science, fluid dynamics, biochemistry and social sciences.”
About the Mathematics Department at Purdue University
The Department of Mathematics is one of seven departments making up Purdue's College of Science. The Department has an international reputation as an outstanding center for mathematical research and education. Over 70 professors are actively involved in research in many areas of mathematics, including visiting scholars and through a vibrant graduate program. The Department offers Bachelor of Science, Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees. The department is located in the Math Building at 150 N. University Street in West Lafayette, Indiana. Learn more at math.purdue.edu.
Writer: Cheryl Pierce, Purdue University College of Science
Contributor: Yuan Gao, assistant professor of Purdue Mathematics