A mathematical understanding of stochastic processes is essential in communications science, because a large number of users gives rise to an essentially random pattern of calls, emails, or other information sending requests, which a network has to be able to deal with. If we integrate renewable energies, such as wind power, in the electricity grid, there will also be uncertainty, as we don’t know what the wind will be doing tomorrow. This will make planning and scheduling much more challenging and it will take sophisticated mathematics to get it right.
The Isaac Newton Institute provided an ideal meeting ground for experts from different backgrounds, who may not normally have the chance to interact. The Institute provided a way of getting a critical mass of people together who can then concentrate on the problems in the area.
