9600698 Cox This U.S.-Brazil collaborative research project is led by Ted Cox of Syracuse University and Pablo Ferrari of Universidade de Sao Paulo, Brazil. The objective is to bring together many of the U.S. and Brazilian leaders in probability theory, and in particular the theory of interacting particle systems, to work together in small groups over a three-year period. Rather than workshops, the collaborations will be achieved through a series of trips by individuals of both countries: NSF will fund the U.S. scientists, while a counterpart grant from CNPq in Brazil will fund the Brazilian scientists. The main theme of investigation will be systems with many interacting components that evolve with time, including problems in biological and spin models, spatial point processes, metastability and quasi-stationary distributions, and hydrodynamic behavior of particle systems. The interactions promoted through this project will stimulate new directions in an important and active research field. They will also promote new links in the international community and provide opportunities for graduate students at the institutions involved. ***
