International Conference on Mathematics and Computational Methods Applied to Nuclear Science and Engineering (MC 2011)

The latest in a series of biannual conferences sponsored by the Mathematics and Computation Division of the American Nuclear Society was held May 8–12, 2011 at the Rio Othon Palace Hotel in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Since these conferences have not been reviewed previously in this journal, this report will begin with a few words about their purpose and history. Members of the American Nuclear Society (ANS) can belong to two or more technical divisions, which are organized to reflect the members’ specific technical interests. One of these is the Mathematics and Computations (M&C) Division, whose members “promote the advancement of mathematical and computational methods for solving problems arising in all disciplines encompassed by the Society” (http://www.mcd.ans.org). Much of the work done by M&C division members is devoted to the Boltzmann transport equation, which predicts neutron and photon fluxes in nuclear systems. In addition to organizing sessions at annual ANS conferences, the M&C Division sponsors biannual international “topical” conferences, held during odd-numbered years, that focus on topics of interest to members of the division. Because a large