This is a grant under the Scientific Computing Research Equipment for the Mathematical Sciences program of the Division of Mathematical Sciences. It is for the purchase of special purpose equipment dedicated to the support of research in the mathematical sciences. In general, this equipment is required by several research projects, and would be difficult to justify for one project alone. Support from the National Science Foundation is coupled with discounts and contributions from manufacturers, and with substantial cost-sharing from the institution submitting the proposal. This is an instance of university, industrial, and government cooperation in the support of basic research in the mathematical sciences. The equipment in this project will be used in the following research projects; (1) Numerical Approximation of Convergence Rates, Invariant Distributions and Absorption Probabilities for Markov Chains in Random Environments; (2) Mathematical and Computational Studies of Particle Channeling in Crystals; (3) Comparison of Measures of Biological Fitness; and (4) Mathematical Modelling and the Analysis of Data on the Interaction of Cells with Their Environment.
