Matteo Croci, Research Associate at the Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences, has been awarded a second prize for the IMA Leslie Fox Prize. This esteemed honor recognizes the exceptional work of young numerical analysts worldwide.
Following the call for papers from researchers under the age of 31, the award committee invites shortlisted candidates to give lectures at the IMA Leslie Fox Prize meeting which takes place every two years. Based on their papers and lectures, first and second prizes are awarded based on “mathematical and algorithmic brilliance in tandem with presentational skills.”
This year marked the 21st IMA Leslie Fox Prize meeting, which was held in conjunction with the Alan Turing Institute at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow on June 26.
Croci’s winning paper and lecture elucidate the concept of mixed-precision algorithms, which employ fewer bits for faster, energy-efficient computations. These algorithms preserve accuracy while accelerating computations and diminishing resource consumption.
As he put it, "While reduced-precision computations have been around since the dawn of computing, this is a new idea. We modified these algorithms to construct their mixed-precision equivalents. The novelty is that we can obtain the same accuracy at a fraction of the cost."
His work in the PECOS and Willcox research groups focuses on the development of new methods as well as their applications to complex simulations. While the winning paper focuses on time integration, Croci has also employed his mixed-precision techniques to accelerate climate forecasting.
His personal journey has converged with his achievements. Two weeks after being awarded the this latest prize, Croci clinched a tenure-track grant from Ikerbasque, the Basque Foundation for Science, aligning with his aspiration to relocate to Spain so as to be closer to his and his wife’s family.
Croci's recent achievements, winning second prize for the IMA Leslie Fox Prize, securing a grant from the Basque Government, and resolving the all-too-common "two-body problem" within a fortnight, encapsulate a remarkable confluence of professional recognition and personal aspirations.
As he transitions to this next stage of his career, Croci affirms his fond appreciation for his colleagues and friends at the Oden Institute and looks forward to continuing the work he began here.
About the prize: Established in 1985 by the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications, the biennial prize pays homage to the legacy of mathematician Leslie Fox. Founder of the Oxford University Computing Laboratory (which would become the Department of Computer Science at the University of Oxford) and Professor of Numerical Analysis at Oxford from 1963 to 1983, Fox was an active member of the IMA from its beginnings.