History of CMAP
Creation of CMAP in 1974
When the Ecole Polytechnique moved from central Paris to Palaiseau, the decision was taken to reorganize research, leading to an overhaul of existing laboratories and the creation of new ones. There was already a fundamental mathematics laboratory, led by Laurent Schwartz, but no applied mathematics laboratory, despite the fact that new computer-aided design and simulation methods were becoming increasingly important in many industrial applications (nuclear, aeronautics, oil research, space, automotive, etc.). In 1974, the decision was taken to create the Centre de Mathématiques Appliquées (CMAP), thanks to the initial impetus of three Ecole professors: Laurent Schwartz (Professor of Mathematics and Director of the Mathematics Laboratory which later became CMLS), Jacques-Louis Lions (Professor of Numerical Analysis and Director of LABORIA, the forerunner of INRIA) and Jacques Neveu (Professor of Probability). Jean-Claude Nédélec was the laboratory's first director, and the first cohort of associate researchers included P.A. Raviart, P. Ciarlet, R. Glowinski, R. Temam, J.M. Thomas and J.L. Lions. Most of the early theses dealt with the numerical analysis of partial differential equations. The Probability component of the center was strengthened in 1976, with the appointment of Michel Métivier as full-time Professor.
A second phase of development began in 1983-85. It was also at this time (in 1985) that the Ecole Polytechnique obtained the right to award doctoral degrees and to run DEA (now Master M2) courses on its site. For several years, CMAP also hosted the forerunner of LIX, following Patrick Cousot's appointment as Professor of Computer Science in 1984. It also hosted the SMAI for several years, from its creation in 1983 until its move to the IHP. It was also at this time that CMAP became a joint Ecole Polytechnique-CNRS unit. This enabled CNRS research fellows/directors to be assigned to the center, including Vincent Giovangigli, who headed the center for several years.
The first start-up to emerge from CMAP was IMACS, founded by Toufic Abboud in 1994. It specializes in finite element and integral equation calculation codes for industrial applications in wave propagation.
From 1995 onwards, CMAP diversified its research activities. In 1996, Stéphane Mallat, a specialist in image processing, was recruited as Professor. In 2001, he founded the start-up Let It Wave with some of his students. This startup was sold to Zoran Corporation in 2008. Another very important diversification was the recruitment in 1997 of Nicole El Karoui as Professor of Probability, who set up a financial mathematics team at CMAP. Her expertise in financial mathematics, both in research and training, enabled her to play an international role in the development of this discipline.
Historique adapté d’un texte rédigé par Jean-Claude Nédélec
CMAP key figures and people:
Number of theses defended at CMAP :
232 theses between 1974 and 2014, including :
36 theses between 1974 and 1986
88 theses between 1987 and 1999
108 theses between 2000 and 2014
List of CMAP directors :
Jean-Claude Nédélec: 09/1974 → 1996,
Pierre-Arnault Raviart: 1996 → 05/1998,
Vincent Giovangigli: 03/1997 → 05/1998 (deputy director) then 06/1998 → 03/2006,
Kamel Hamdache: 03/2006 → 12/2008,
Antonin Chambolle : 01/2009 → 12/2014
Anne de Bouard : 01/2015 → 12/2019
Thierry Bodineau : 01/2020 → 08/2022
Grégoire Allaire: 09/2022 →
deputy director: Aline Lefebvre-Lepot 09/2022 → 08/2023
deputy director: Alain Durmus 09/2023 →