CNR - Istituto per le Applicazioni del Calcolo "M. Picone Information

The Istituto per le Applicazioni del Calcolo "Mauro Picone" (IAC), one of the eldest CNR-Institutes, is a research institute of applied mathematics. It was founded by Mauro Picone in 1927, and since 2002 it has locations in Rome, Bari, Florence and Naples with about 50 researchers. Amazingly enough, its current research policy still reflects many of Picone's original ideas. Indeed, long before the introduction of digital computers, Picone had the intuition of the potential impact on real-life problems of the combination of computational methods with mathematical abstraction. Modern society is becoming increasingly complex, and new technologies are being developed more and more rapidly. In this context mathematics is not merely a language to describe scientific processes and technologies. Its real value lies much more in depth. The high level of abstraction of mathematics does not only increase theoretical insight, it also provides, at low costs, flexible methods, efficient algorithms and more accurate solutions. In other words, a correct and intelligent combination of mathematics and computing power opens up entirely new possibilities to deal with complexity and to design efficient solution techniques which meet with the flexibility requirements which are typical for today's applications. It is in this context that the Institute is working, in the firm belief that the CNR offers the best conditions in Italy for promoting this kind of activities.