Vishal Vasan, an applied mathematician at the International Centre for Theoretical Sciences in Bangalore, India, thinks of himself as a “mathematical salesman”, who uses his mathematical tools and expertise to help potential collaborators in other fields. Vishal’s particular interest are problems involving partial differential equations,
their properties and behavior, and methods for solving them, whether on paper or on the computer.

“This is at least my personal view of applied math. It’s a service. I help other people. I helped people with their homework problems when I was a kid. And I help my colleagues with their math problems now. And if that’s what this leads to, helping other people with their problems, then sure. If I can help I’ll help.”

His eagerness to apply mathematics to real-world problems has led Vishal to work on a wide range of topics: condensed matter physics, optics, water waves  –
especially, tsunamis – and recently also the Indian monsoon. Apart from solving mathematical and scientific problems, Vishal also likes to think and talk about political and societal issues, particularly those that concern his home country:

“I think a lot of India’s problems are not sexy. Which is we don’t require grand solutions. We require things that most of the world has figured out. Toilets. Sewage treatment plants. Garbage disposal plants. I don’t think our problems for now are sexy.”

Having moved back and forth between India, the UK, and the US, Vishal is a perfect example of the internationality of science. Given his own global life trajectory, he is deeply interested in the question of how to form an identity and a sense of belonging in the midst of a tsunami of cultural influences, and in this interview he talks about that as well.

The interview with Vishal Vasan was recorded in December 2019. Image credit: ICTS