CONCLUSION
The mathematical statistical sciences have a leading part to play in risingto the challenge of learning to live sustainably on the Earth.
The interaction between humans and the environment create systems ofenormous complexity. Understanding those interactions will require fundamental
advances in the mathematical sciences. We need to understand the basic
principles underlying complex systems. We need to develop new tools to deal
with the vast quantities of high-dimensional data being created. We need better
methods to handle uncertainty, both to wring out the best predictions possible
despite the inherent randomness involved in the interactions between humans
and the environment and to quantify the uncertainty of those predictions. We
need to create models that can function at varying scales of both space and time.
We need to link models of human systems to models of environmental systems
to capture the feedbacks between them. Essentially every significant question in
sustainability science has major unsolved mathematical challenges inherent in its
answer.
As a result, it is critical that more mathematical scientists get involved insustainability research, and it is critical that funding be available to support their
work.
The mathematicians and statisticians at the Mathematical Challenges forSustainability workshop made the following recommendations:
- The Institutes, Centers and Professional Societies should play a leading role in
educating mathematical scientists to the research questions arising in the
science of sustainability. They should be aware of the new research questions
that are arising and communicate them to the mathematical sciences community.
They should organize a series of interdisciplinary activities that will encourage
the leadership of mathematical sciences in research related to sustainability and
will enhance linkages among mathematical sciences and other scientific areas
involved in sustainability. These activities should include workshops aimed at
developing new mathematical theories for specific research areas, but should
also include multi-year activities to develop sustained interactions. The focus
should be both national and international.