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Mikko Salo:
SOLVING INVERSE PROBLEMS
Excellence in Science
UNIV ERSIT Y O F JYV ÄSKY LÄ, FIN LAN D | EXCE LLE N CE IN S CIE N CE
Inverse Problems in Partial Differential Equations and Geometry, 2012–2017, Department of Mathematics and Statistics ACADEMY RESEARCH Fellow and Professor Mikko Salo completed his PhD in Applied Mathematics in 2004. He has received research grants from the Academy of Finland and was given the Academy of Finland Award for Scientific Courage in 2011. The next major step was an ERC Starting Grant in 2012. Salo continued his work at the University of Jyväskylä and chose the Department of Mathematics and Statistics as the host for his ERC grant. The department is well known for its high-quality international research and innovative teaching techniques. Mikko Salo raised the department’s profile by recruiting distinguished postdoctoral researchers from around the world. Inverse problems research concentrates on the mathematical theory and practical interpretation of indirect measurements. Applications are found in virtually every research field involving scientific, medical, or industrial imaging and mathematical modelling. Familiar examples include X-ray computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The method of inverse problems makes it possible to employ important advances in modern mathematics in a vast range of application areas. The applications inspire significant
new mathematical questions and promote close connections with other sciences. This has made inverse problems research one of the most important fields of modern applied mathematics. A major challenge for the project team is Calderón’s problem of inverse conductivity, which forms the basis of electrical impedance tomography (EIT), an imaging modality proposed for early breast cancer detection and non-destructive testing of industrial parts. The geometric version of Calderon’s problem is one of the most significant unsolved questions in the field. It is connected with the recent theory of cloaking devices – structures that would not only make an object invisible but also undetectable to electromagnetic waves. It seems Harry Potter’s invisibility cloak just might become reality one day after all. Salo says that “the five-year grant makes it possible to concentrate on long-term objectives without having to worry about funding for the short term. The possibility to devote more time for research, to recruit people and to invite international experts to Jyväskylä helps the research of the topic vastly”.