Butterflies and metaphors - double inaugural lecture

Grønbæk & Baladi

Two newly appointed professors held their inaugural lectures 2013.03.01. Professor Viviane Baladi talked about the butterfly effect: “Butterflies and Hurricanes: A News Update”. That it did not concern insects or meteorology was supported by Professor Niels Grønbæk in his lecture subsequently: "Mathematics as a metaphor - and why is it so hard to understand?".

Viviane Baladi was born and educated in Switzerland, PhD in 1989 from the University of Geneva. The following year she obtained a postdoctoral fellowship at IBM TJ Watson Research Centre, USA and a research position at CNRS, France. This was followed by several years as a teacher and researcher in Switzerland until 1999, when Viviane Baladi returned to CNRS in France. She is now a French citizen. In 2006, Baladi was associated with the IMPA, Rio de Janeiro, for a year.

Viviane Baladi in her inaugural lecture

In August 2012 Viviane Baladi became Professor at our Department. She teaches dynamical systems here at the department and at lectures all over the globe.

Niels Grønbæk has an MSc from the University of Copenhagen, followed by a PhD from UCLA, USA in 1980. Grønbæk taught at Ballerup Gymnasium for five years, until in 1986 he was employed at University of Copenhagen, first as assistant professor and from 1990 as associate professor. In February 2012 he was appointed by the faculty to Professor MSO (With Special Duties).

Niels Grønbæk is doing research into the transition from high school to the life as a mathematics student at the university - and the corresponding transition from student to teacher. He is building a centre for computer-based training to develop teaching programs and implement projects in collaboration with the high schools.

Professor Niels Grønbæk at his inaugural lecture