FALLING IN LOVE...❤️ (PART 3)

Salam to all,

2001...I arrived at the Albuquerque Airport, New Mexico, USA (late at night) and was greeted by Prof Steinberg. I spent the night at his house and met Rascal, Prof Steinberg's playful dog that kept sniffing at my shoes...he2.

Prof Steinberg introduced me to Dr Michael Wester, his former phd student. Later Michael took me to his house to meet his father, James, an 83 year old man but still healthy and strong. I remember him telling me (when I allowed him to drive me home after dinner at his house)..."Do you trust an old man like me to drive you home"...he2. He passed away 5 yrs ago😒.

I spent about 3 months with Prof Steinberg and Michael discussing the area that I would like to venture for my phd thesis. Finally we decided to look into Cylindrical Algebraic Decomposition (CAD) algorithms with substantial enhancement that suit a targeted industry (in this case, I chosed education industry).

Note: CAD algorithms can also be applied to other industries as well for various purposes...for more information refer to Yuzita Profile (ScFnd project).

2003...I went to the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) (Kulliyyah of Engineering) to further my phd studies in computer algebra (application of vector analysis in engineering problems using CAD algorithm) in "informal" collaboration with The University of New Mexico, USA...why informal? Becoz I didn't pay Prof Steinberg and Michael for their services...not a single sen...he2

Eventually I had to admit that I needed to have a grant to suport my phd research. So after a discussion with Prof Ahmad Faris Ismail (my phd supervisor) about my intention, I went to see madam Asnili, IIUM research management officer and began to work on applying for a research grant. Alhamdulillah...I succeeded in getting a SciFnd grant (RM100+K) with Prof Hamzah from the Kulliyyah of Engineering, IIUM as the project leader.

I used this ScFnd grant to go abroad to attend conferences, Applications of Computer Algebra (ACA) meetings and trainings, bought softwares, hardwares, books, etc. Alhamdulillah...😀 !!!

Again..."No money, no research"...he2.

Yuzita

FALLING IN LOVE...❤️ (PART 2)

Salam to all,

2004...The two master students under this IRPA grant, Noraini and Khairina Atika, completed their master thesis...alhamdulillah. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Prof Tengku Muhammad Tengku Sembok for being my "malim" (mentor) and for his guidance and advice to ensure the success of this project. 

We produced some papers from the outcome of this project and contributed some new stuff to a Computer Algebra System (CAS) namely Mathematica. For example, Noraini and Khairina Atika in their work succeeded in developing step by step technique which a user can do the input in a pop up box using Mathematica linked to Visual Basics.

I presented this new technique in a conference at the University of Vienna, Austria where the representatives from Wolfram Research Inc, USA  (developer of Mathematica) were present. Wolfram Research Inc. later incorporated this technique in their latest version of Mathematica (without link to Visual Basics) and produced Mathematica's own pop up box (2003).

2020...Khairina Atika is currently doing her phd thesis under my supervision, inshaAllah. We are now looking for a research grant...(again!!!)...like some people say: "No money no research"...he2!

Yuzita

FALLING IN LOVE...❤️ (PART 1)

Salam to all,

1999....Prof Abdul Rahman Abdullah, head of Industrial Computing dept, called me to see him in his office. He wanted me to look into the area of "symbolic computation" for my phd thesis. I said to myself: "Apa kebendanya tu...🤔"...never heard of it before ...

So i began to do some searching and found out that mathematicians called this area "symbolic computation" but computer science people called it "computer algebra". But actually it is about the same...

This area is a combination of maths and computer science. I love to call it computer algebra...maybe becoz of my educational background (i.e., Bsc in maths, Bsc in computer science, Msc in maths with minor in computer science...and later Phd in engineering (computer algebra).

So i started to read papers (scientific) in computer algebra and most of the time got stuck...and asked around (mostly lecturers in the local universities) for guidance. But nobody could help me...sob2.

I decided to seek help from oversea lecturers and started to contact them via emails but i didnt receive any reply. Until finally, alhamdulillah....Prof Stanley Steinberg from The University of New Mexico, USA responded to my email and clarified to me the problems that i got stuck with (...which i have now forgotten what it was all about...he2).

I asked him if he was willing to supervise me on my phd thesis in computer algebra and he agreed.
He said: "So far none of my phd students have failed". My reply: "I might be your first one"...he2.

He invited me to go USA to discuss further this matter. But i didnt have any research grant
to support my going there...sob2.

So what to do???
I applied IRPA grant and was successful...alhamdulillah. I received RM 256K and hired 2 master students by research in Computer Algebra System (CAS)...and off i go to USA !!!😀

What happened next???
Stay tuned....🙂

Yuzita