The prize was awarded for the paper “Data Driven Problems in Elasticity” in the journal "Archive for Rational Mechanics and Analysis", one of the leading journals for applications of mathematics in mechanics. In the article, the authors analyze novel, so-called data-driven approaches for describing the deformation of elastic materials. Until now, the prevailing and classical scientific paradigm in materials science has been to calibrate empirical material models based on a small amount of empirically observed data and then use the adapted material models for further investigations and simulations. This modeling process inevitably leads to errors and uncertainties in the solutions, especially for systems with high-dimensional phase spaces and complex material behavior. Remarkable advances in experimental sciences - such as digital imaging and microscopy - allow the accumulation of more and more data at different scales and have thus radically changed the nature of materials science. The richness of data suggests the possibility of a new, data-driven scientific approach. The new paradigm is to formulate the classical problems directly from the material data, bypassing the step of empirical modeling.
For Stefan Müller, the award has a special importance, as the award's namesake had an enormous influence on his own research program. “Ericksen's work on the mathematical description of solid-solid phase transitions was absolutely formative for my field of work. My research work is based on the theory developed from this,” explains Stefan Müller. “I therefore consider the award a special honor.” [Zitat von Sergio Cont zur Zusammenarbeit mit Michael Ortiz]
Michael Ortiz held a Bonn Research Chair until the end of last year and spent several months each year conducting research in Bonn in this position.The Bonn Research Chairs were established more than 10 years ago by the Hausdorff Center for Mathematics following the example of the Humboldt Research Award. The scientists appointed in these chairs have the opportunity and at the same time undertake to spend a period of time - usually six months - researching in Bonn each year, in close collaboration with colleagues in their field. Veronique Gayrard (CNRS), Maria Gordina (University of Connecticut), Lillian Pierce (Duke University), Peter Schröder (Caltech) and Alexander Volberg (Michigan State University) currently hold such positions in Bonn.
Established in 2021 in memory of Jerald L. Ericksen, the prize is awarded every five years for the original formulation of a mathematical theory on a significant scientific or technical problem published in the fifteen years preceding the award. The prize recognizes either a theory that enables a novel application of mathematical ideas or an unusual approach that raises entirely new questions in mathematics. The namesake Jerald L. Ericksen (1924-2021) made fundamental contributions at the intersection of physics, mechanics, applied mathematics and engineering, including materials science. He is best known for his work in the 1960s on the mathematical modeling of liquid crystals (“Leslie-Ericksen theory”), which ultimately paved the way for numerous applications such as liquid crystal displays (LCDs). The Jerald L. Ericksen Prize is endowed with around 2,000 dollars.