Paul Muir
Dr. Paul Muir
Education:
B.Sc. Saint Mary’s University, M.Sc. University of Toronto, Ph.D. University of Toronto
Teaching:
Introduction to Computer Science, Introductory Calculus, Linear Algebra, Numerical Analysis, Algorithm Analysis, and Numerical Software
– Father William Stewart S.J. Medal for Excellence in Teaching, Saint Mary’s University
Research:
Essentially all areas of science and engineering have seen major growth over the last few decades in the use of computer and mathematical based models of complex phenomenon. Typical models that are sufficiently realistic lead to complicated systems of mathematical equations that must be treated using computer based techniques.
Dr. Muir’s research is in numerical computing; it involves the development and analysis of mathematical theory, algorithms and software for the treatment mathematical models of complex phenomenon. His specialties include the numerical solution of ordinary differential equations, with emphasis on boundary value ordinary differential equations and Runge-Kutta methods, and the adaptive method-of-lines solution of partial differential equations.
– Doctoral Dissertation Award, Canadian Applied Mathematics Society
Profile description:
Dr. Muir is the co-author of the software packages MIRKDC and BVP_SOLVER, for systems of boundary value ordinary differential equations, and EPDCOL, BACOL, and BACOLR for the numerical solution of systems of parabolic partial differential equations. Because the software is developed for fairly general classes of mathematical equations, it can often be used in the analysis of complex systems from wide variety of application domains.
Dr. Muir has worked with researchers studying fibre optics and blast dynamics, for example, and has applied his software to models from, e.g., medicine, geology, epidemiology and pharmacokinetics. Dr. Muir has been the recipient or co-recipient of research grants totalling approximately $1,000,000 from granting agencies such as Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, The Canadian Foundation for Innovation, and the Network of Centers of Excellence for the mathematical sciences known as Mathematics and Information Technology for Complex Systems. He has supervised 35 undergraduate summer student researchers, 3 Honours thesis, 10 Master’s thesis, 1 Ph.D. thesis, and 1 post-doctoral fellow.