Professor
Bill Lionheart from the University of Manchester is visiting DTU Compute as an Otto Mønsted Foundation visiting professor working with professor Per Christian Hansen on Inverse Problems. Rather than taking the plane as usual for academic visitors he took the long way sailing over 2000 km in his own 12m sailing yacht, an Oyster 39 ketch called Tui.
Inverse Problems
Several research groups at DTU Compute and DTU Physics are working on Inverse Problems such as x-ray tomography, neutron imaging, electrical impedance tomography, and image reconstruction. This includes two projects funded by ERC Advanced Research grants at DTU Compute and DTU Physics, respectively, as well as DTU’s Imaging Facility (a joint project between DTU Physics and DTU Compute).
Lionheart says:
"In Inverse Problems we use mathematics to find what is inside an object from measurements taken on the outside". His interests range from abstract mathematical theory using geometry and analysis to the nitty gritty of practical problems in medical imaging, non-destructive testing, security screening and materials science. Hansen is a specialist in the numerical and computational aspects of solving inverse problems with a worldwide reputation. Applied scientists and engineers the world over use his algorithms and have read his books. Hansen says "a visit like this is much more than just working together on a book or paper it is a genuine sharing of different scientific perspectives".
Please note the three seminars on Inverse Problems held by Professor Bill Lionheart at DTU Compute:
Visitor by “hard boat” rather than “EasyJet”
So why did Lionheart sail to Copenhagen, as he put it by "hard boat" rather than "EasyJet"? On his first visit to Denmark he visited the Viking Ship Museum at Roskilde and saw how a reconstructed Viking ship had sailed from Denmark to Dublin. He thought about a kind of “Inverse Viking" expedition, with peaceful collaboration in mind of course rather than a raid! Around Easter this year he set off from Conwy in North Wales, one of the closest ports to his inland University in Manchester. His crew consisted of sailors from the village where he lives. At Fort William the crew of experienced sailors was swapped for the Lionheart family for the inland cruise through the Caledonian Canal and the famous Loch Ness. They did not see the monster but did see some spectacular scenery. Tui waited in Inverness for the more predictable weather in June. It took five days for the 1200 km trip from Inverness to Copenhagen. Bottle nose dolphins played around the boat in the Morray Firth. When they left an Orca Whale came to check them out just after they made their first sight of land off Norway.