The perennial subject of a "brain drain" is still much around in the media: Russia's youth is no longer showing interest in research, while the most talented of the lot, our "Lomonosovs" and "Kulibins", are pulling up stakes and emigrating to the West. There is certainly a grain of truth in such statements. Yet the newspaper Nauka v Sibiri ("Science in Siberia") is not so pessimistic. It has carried a report on the latest International Conference of Young Scientists (2002) which was dealing with mathematical modeling and information technologies. Such get-togethers, now held annually since 2000, are sponsored by the Novosibirsk - based Institute of Computational Technologies (Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences).

The conferences are getting ever more representative. While the very first forum ten years ago had young guests from only five Siberian cities, the latest one-in 2002- brought together budding talents from far and wide-from Moscow, Ufa, Sterlitamak, and from the Ural and the Far Eastern Branches of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Taking part were more than 100 young scientists from 14 Russian cities. Some are already full-fledged researchers (nine have the academic degree of Master, or Candidate of Sciences), while others are but taking their first steps in science-15 undergraduates and graduate students. Most of the reports- about 60 in all-were presented by post-graduates of Siberia's academic (RAS) colleges and from colleges and universities elsewhere in Russia.

Now mathematical modeling and computing mathematics figured prominently in such reports and communications. The range of subjects was very broad indeed-from methods of equations analysis to program complexes designed for hands-on problem solving.

Quite interesting results were reported by 3 young specialists of Novosibirsk State University- R. Bushmanov, Ye. Ovechkin and V. Dorovsky-on the absolute stability of equilibrium state in a hydro-dynamic model of charge transfer in semiconductors and on the instability of shock waves in layer structures. Another young researcher, A. Chesnokov of the M.A. Lavrentiev Institute of Hydrodynamics (RAS Siberian Branch), reported his data on the characteristic properties and precise numerical solutions of the kinetic equation of vesicular (bubble) liquid. And Yu. Chernyshev of Yekaterinburg proved there was but one possible solution to the problem of nonshock compression of unidimensional and two-dimensional layers of heat-conducting nonviscous gas.

Some delegates spoke of computational algorithms they had developed. O. Nechayeva and O. Komchenovskaya of Novosibirsk State Technical University acquainted the conference with their works on finite elemental approximations with the use of vector basis functions. Their colleagues from the same University, M. Gelbert and A. Gelbert, came up with a communication on the possibility of using such approximations in an electromagnetic field modeling for flaw detectors in oil and gas wells.

Other works drew attention as well, specifically, those on the numerical solution of hydrodynamics problems related to generators. S. Sharov of the Institute of Computational Technologies presented a communication on flow modeling in turbo- generators relative to rotor/stator interaction, and his colleague, V. Lapin, reported on the effect of a clearance between the blades and body of a Kaplan turbine on flow characteristics. A. Proskurin of Altai State University and his college mate, A. Popov, modeled a laminar-turbulent transition of two-phase flows in this clearance.

Several reports dealt with data on wave processes in liquid. Ye. Berezin of Kemerovo State University car-

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ried out a numerical modeling of the problem of an isolated wave interacting with a partially submerged solid body. A. Amsimov of the Institute of Computing Mathematics and Mathematical Geophysics (RAS Siberian Branch) suggested a new method for calculating the force of tsunami wave run-up on an arbitrary profile shore. Another young scientist, A. Bocharov of the S.S. Kutateladze Institute of Thermal Physics, made a numerical study of ionospheric waves at the bilayer liquid interface.

More than 40 young scientists from the Institute of Computational Technologies (RAS Siberian Branch) made communications at the information technologies workshop. Here are some of the subjects: "An Integrated Information System of the Scientific Community" (V. Barakhnin); "Fundamentals of Information Systems" (A. Guskov); "An Objective Approach to Information System Construction" (Yu. Leonova); "Computerized Classification of Internet Resources" (G. Yegorov)...

Thus, the Novosibirsk get-together was a nice opportunity to budding scientists to show what they can do even at the rope-learning stage and air their views in scientific discussions.

Nauka v Sibiri ("Science in Siberia "), 2002

Prepared by Yaroslav RENKAS.

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