T. M. Dunster and D. A. Lutz are the organizers of the "San Diego Symposium on Asymptotics and Applied Analysis" from January 10 - 14, 2000 at San Diego State University, California. The proposed conference will have talks falling under the following three categories in asymptotics and applied analysis: difference equations, ordinary differential equations, and functions defined by integrals. The first of these would emphasize asymptotic methods involving special functions. Included in the second and third categories would be new results related to exponentially-improved asymptotics and hyperasymptotics, summation of divergent solutions, connection problems, error analysis, and applications to special functions. The following eleven leading experts in the above fields have indicated a willingness to participate as principal speakers in the proposed symposium: F. W. J. Olver (Maryland), R. Askey (Wisconsin), W. Balser (Ulm, Germany), C. Bender (St. Louis), M. Berry (Bristol, UK), B. Braaksma (Netherlands), P. Pham (Nice, France), R. Schaefke (Strasbourg, France), Y. Sibuya (Minneapolis), N. Temme (Netherlands), and R. Wong (Hong Kong). Post-doctoral and graduate students, and especially those from under-represented groups in mathematics, are strongly encouraged to attend.
The broad area of this conference is asymptotics of special functions. Asymptotics is defined to mean, for example, the approximation of a given function in terms of a function whose properties are better understood, or which can be more readily computed. Special functions are solutions of certain equations which appear in many areas of physics, engineering and mathematics. This is a very classical branch of mathematics that has already contributed much to our understanding of the physical world. However, during the past decade there have been a series of new and exciting ideas leading to significant improvements in the accuracy of asymptotic methods, with the main contributors coming from the US, Europe, and the Fareast. But since 1989 (Winnipeg, Canada) and there have been no major conferences in North America on the theme of this symposium, even though there have been many conferences on similar themes in Europe and Asia. This symposium will bring experts and younger researchers together to disseminate these new ideas to a wider audience and lay the groundwork for future studies and collaboration, new applications, and insight into more complex problems to be yet solved.
