Recent Trends in Interdisciplinary Research
We shall give here a few examples from the way fundamental sciences have been developing in the recent past.Theoretical Physics and Mathematics:
The quest in Theoretical Physics today is for a theory unifying the
four fundamental forces of nature. One of the most plausible candiates
for such a theory is String Theory. Verification of the
predictions of this theory would require accelerators with power far
beyond modern technological capacity. Hence the guiding paradigms for
String Theory today are not based on experimental evidence, but on
abstract considerations of inner consistency and beauty. These
considerations in turn, have been the motivating principles hehind
mathematics for ages. Thus, at a philosophical level, coming together.
At a more concrete reearch level, too, the last two decades have
witnessed an explosion in the field called mathematical physics.
Physical intuition has played a role in developments in such highly
abstract areas of mathematics a Algebraic Geometry, invariants of 3-
and 4-manifolds of certain aspects of physics. Conversely Quantum Field
Theory has become part and parcel of modern mathematics. Thus, the
interaction of theoretical physics and mathematics is very much a thing
of the present.
Theoretical Computer Science and Mathematics
Theoretical
Computer Science and Mathematics have,
over history, shared a common foundation in Mathematical Logic.
Godel’s Theorem and Turing’s theorem form two of
the most fundamental insights of the twentieth century into the
foundations of mathematics and computer science respectively. It is
worth noting here that these two theorems are intimately related even
in terms of their proofs.
To deal with such issues we need an integral approach with interdisciplinary cross-fertilization of ideas.
With such an aim in mind we hope to initiate research in the fundamental sciences and philosophy. To start off with we would like to have one consolidated department, but allow for a possibility of branching as time goes on.
