WS1213

Maria Stella Gelli (Department of Mathematics, University of Pisa) is a leading specialist in calculus of variations, with a particular emphasis to free-discontinuity problems, passage from discrete systems to continuum models, and on applications to Fracture Mechanics and Science of composite materials.

She received her PhD in 1999 at the renowned SISSA (Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati) in Trieste and held positions at the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Pisa, as well as at the Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa. As a visting professor she was invited to the University of Brest and the Institut Henri Poincaré (France), as well as to the Basque Center for Applied Mathematics (Spain). Currently she maintains scientific cooperations with the Universities of Rome (Italy), Madrid (Spain) and Leipzig (Germany).

She is author of a monograph on the variational approach of 'discrete to continuum' in the UMI Springer Lecture Notes series, and she has published about 20 research papers.

During the winter semester 2012/13, Professor Gelli will give a regular course (with exercises) entitled "An Introduction to Calculus of Variations: Old and Recent Tools" as well as a seminar on "Asymptotics of Variational Models by Gamma Convergence" (see www.mathinfo.uni-wuerzburg.de/vv1213.html). The classes will be taught in English. In view of the interdisciplinary character of Professor Gelli's interests, all classes are addressed equally to mathematicians and physicists (Master Program).