Section: Overall Objectives

Overall Objectives

OURAGAN proposes to focus on the transfer of computational algebraic methods to some related fields (computational geometry, topology, number theory, etc.) and some carefully chosen application domains (robotics, control theory, evaluation of the security of cryptographic systems, etc.), which implies working equally on the use (modeling, know - how) and on the development of new algorithms. The latest breakthrough developments and applications where algebraic methods are currently decisive remain few and very targeted. We wish to contribute to increase the impact of these methods but also the number of domains where the use of computational algebraic methods represent a significant added value. This transfer-oriented positioning does not imply to stop working on the algorithms, it simply sets the priorities.

An original aspect of the OURAGAN proposal is to blend into an environment of fundamental mathematics, at the Institut de Mathématiques de Jussieu – Paris Rive Gauche (IMJ-PRG CNRS 7586), and to be cross-functional to several teams (Algebraic Analysis, Complex Analysis and Geometry, Number Theory to name only the main ones), which will be our first source of transfer of computational know-how. The success of this coupling allows to maintain a strong theoretical basis and to measure objectively our transfer activity in the direction of mathematicians (in geometry, topology, number theory, etc.) and to consolidate the presence of Inria in scientific areas among the most theoretical.

We propose two general directions with four particular targets:

• Number Theory

  • Algorithmic Number Theory

• Topology in small dimension

  • Character varieties

  • Knot theory

  • Computational geometry

These actions come, of course, in addition to the study and development of a common set of core elements of

• Basic theory and algorithms in algebra and geometry [Led by Antoine Joux and Fabrice Rouillier].

This core activity is the invention and study of fundamental algebraic algorithms and objects that can be grouped into 2 categories: algorithms designed to operate on finite fields and algorithms running on fields of characteristic 0; with 2 types of computational strategies: the exactness and the use of approximate arithmetic (but with exact results). This mix also installs joint studies between the various axes and is an originality of the project-team. For example many kinds of arithmetic tools around algebraic numbers have to face to similar theoretical problems such as finding a good representation for a number field; almost all problems related to the resolution of algebraic systems will reduce to the study of varieties in small dimension and in particular, most of the time, to the effective computation of the topology of curves and surfaces, or the certified drawing of non algebraic function over an algebraic variety.

The tools and objects developed for research on algorithmic number theory as well as in computational geometry apply quite directly on some selected connected challenging subjects:

• Security of cryptographic systems

• Control theory

• Robotics

These applications will serve for the evaluation of the general tools we develop when used in a different context, in particular their capability to tackle state of the art problems.