During the last week of July, world experts on groups, rings, and group rings will call Brock University home.

The rings, in this case, refer to fundamental mathematics, specifically an algebraic structure that generalizes the arithmetic operations of addition and multiplication. A group is an algebraic system consisting of a set, an identity element, one operation and its inverse operation.

Mathematics Professor Yuanlin Li says the aim of the July 28- Aug. 1 Brock International Conference on Groups, Rings and Group Rings event is for group ring experts to present and discuss the latest advances in these areas with experts in closely related areas.

Li, who is one of the conference’s organizers, says the gathering will enable graduate students and postdocs to present their own results, to meet with world-class scholars in these areas, and to appreciate the scope and depth of the theories of groups, rings and group rings by attending this conference.

“This is the biggest math research conference ever held at Brock University,” says Li. “We have over 70 participants from 15 countries and four continents.

“Holding the conference at Brock will enhance Brock ‘s international reputation while promoting our research to an international audience. A corollary benefit will be the draw of graduate and undergraduate students to Brock University.”

In addition to Brock University, sponsoring the upcoming conference is the Fields Institute, named after the Canadian mathematician John Charles Fields (1863-1932). Fields was a pioneer and visionary who recognized the scientific, educational and economic value of research in the mathematical sciences.

Among other things, he established the International Medal for Outstanding Discoveries in Mathematics, commonly known as the Fields Medal, which is the Nobel Prize in mathematics. The prize is awarded once every four years.