Mathematician sums up life at the UT

A math wiz since she was 11 years old, Anna Kolesnichenko joined the Mathematics and Computer Science Department on 1 April after spending time at the University of Groningen, Sweden and Germany.

Born in Volgograd, Russia, Kolesnichenko is now working towards her doctorate in the Design and Analysis of Communication Systems (DACS) group at the UT. She is just starting to explore possibilities for applying mean-field approximations to internet problems. ‘The main reason for applying this method is the large size of computer networks, but also because mean-field approximations require two things,’ she explained in a cozy common room in Zilverling. ‘One, the items you want to approximate need to be identical and, two, they need to be interconnected.’

Communication networks often consist of a large number of relatively simple, autonomous, and interacting nodes, for example, wireless sensor networks for surveillance purposes. Modeling each node explicitly is limiting and Kolesnichenko, along with the other members of the MATMam project, are now tackling the problem by applying mean-field approximations. MATMam stands for Mean-Field Approximation Techniques for Markov Models.

‘For example,’ said Kolesnichenko, ‘once we make a model which shows how a computer virus spreads, we can then look at the components of the model and see how we might be able to stop the virus. As a mathematician, I am not really concerned if it is a computer virus or a virus in the body. It can even be earthquake tremors or nerve impulses. Mean-field approximation models can be applied to many different contexts.’

Kolesnichenko, 25, graduated with a Masters in Applied Mathematics and Computer Science from Volgograd State University and hopes to complete her PhD in 2014. When asked if Volgograd was far from Moscow, she laughed. ‘For Russians it’s not far. Only 1000 kilometers!’

University study in Russia is quite different from Europe. ‘You are only allowed four years to finish your bachelor’s degree and two years to finish your master’s. The time we spend in university is very concentrated with more theory. In some ways, having a strong theoretical background is good, because you only need your imagination and some time to apply your knowledge to any field.’

When Kolesnichenko was 11 years old, she won a competition and was selected by a famous Russian math teacher, Yuriy Lepechin, to join an extra-curriculum math school. ‘We started one hour before school and stayed two or three hours after our normal classes ended. He was wonderful. Normally, as a child you don’t want to go to school, especially so early. But he would give us a problem as a game, and we couldn’t wait to go back the next day.’

Kolesnichenko still remembers everything Lepechin taught her. ‘I visit him every time I go back to Russia,’ she said fondly. While she likes the Dutch language, finds her project interesting, and appreciates being able to speak English in the Netherlands, she misses her family and friends. ‘Russians are more open,’ she reflected. ‘We let people come into our lives more easily. After the intensive week of Dutch lessons this summer, I invited the class over to my house for a meal. In Russia, this is normal. But the Dutch teacher was amazed. She said it was the first time it had ever happened.’

Meanwhile, she is looking forward to the next winter Olympics happening in Sochi which is ‘really in the south of Russia!’ When she isn’t making mean-field approximations, she’s cooking up a storm. ‘One of my favorite Russian dishes is pelmeni, a type of ravioli from Siberia, only more meat and less pasta. We serve it with smetana, a rich yogurt sauce.’ No need to approximate. My mouth was definitely watering!

Kolesnichenko reflected on the summer fires that consumed Russia. ‘We lost many woods and villages all through the south and in Siberia. But I am proud of how many volunteers came together to fight the fires.’ (Photo: Gijs van Ouwerkerk)