Curriculum Vitae

Peter Dragnev
Department of Mathematical Sciences
Indiana-Purdue University
2101 E. Coliseum Blvd.  
Fort Wayne, IN 46805
Tel: (260) 481-6382
E-mail: dragnevp@ipfw.edu

Education:

Ph.D. – 1997 (mathematics) Department of Mathematics, University of South Florida,
MS – 1989, Department of Mathematics, Sofia University, Sofia, Bulgaria.
BS – 1987, Department of Mathematics, Sofia State University, Sofia, Bulgaria.

Teaching Experience:

08/03 – present: Associate Professor, Department of Mathematical Sciences, IPFW, Fort Wayne, IN.
07/98 – 08/03: Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematical Sciences, IPFW, Fort Wayne, IN.
08/97 – 06/97: Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematical Sciences, IPFW, Fort Wayne, IN.
08/92 – 08/97: Teaching Assistant, Department of Mathematics, University of South Florida, Tampa.
08/90 – 08/92: Assistant, Department of Mathematics, Plovdiv University, Bulgaria.

Research Interests:

Real and Complex Analysis; Approximation Theory; Potential Theory; Orthogonal Polynomials;
    minimal energy problems, logarithmic potentials, asymptotics of discrete orthogonal polynomials;
    Lebesgue function; points on the sphere;
Mathematics Subject Classification Numbers: 26, 31, 33, 41, 43

Academic Activities:

Member of AMS, MAA, and Sigma Xi Research Society.
IPFW Chapter President of Sigma Xi Research Society for 2004, 2007.
Mini-Symposium Organizer, 12th International Conference in Approximation Theory, San Antonio, TX – March, 2007

Research Grants:

Research in Pairs, Oberwolfach Institute, Germany – May, 2009
    "Minimal Energy Problems with Applications"
PRF Summer Research Award – 2003, PU
    "Geometry of Polynomials and Electrostatics"
PRF Summer Research Award – 2001, PU
    "The Extremal Support in the Presence of External Field"
IPFW Summer Research Grant – 2000, IPFW
    "Minimal Discrete Energy on Closed Surfaces"
IPFW Summer Research Grant – 1999, IPFW
    "Constrained energy problem and electrostatics of semiconductors"

Awards:

IPFW Research Fellow – Spring 2004
PRF Pippert Science Research Scholar – 2003
Researcher of the Year Award – 2002, IPFW Sigma Xi Chapter 

Travel Grants:

NSF Supplemental Travel Grant – 2001, 2007, NSF
PRF International Travel Grant – 2001, Purdue University
NATO Advanced Study Institute Local Grant – 2000, NATO ASI Organizing committee
FoCM Organizing Committee Local Grant – 1999, City University of Hong Kong
IPFW International Supplemental Travel Grant – 1999, 2001, 2007, 2009, IPFW
IU Overseas Conference Fund Grant – 1999, 2007, 2009, Indiana University 

Research papers:

1.       Peter Dragnev and Erwin Mina-Diaz, Asymptotic Behavior and Zero Distribution of Carleman Orthogonal Polynomials, submitted.

2.       J. S. Brauchart, P. D. Dragnev, and E. B. Saff, Riesz extremal measures on the sphere for axis-supported external fields – JMAA, 356, no. 2, (2009), 769-792.

3.       J. S. Brauchart, P. D. Dragnev, and E. B. Saff, Minimal Riesz energy on the sphere for axis-supported external fields. Oberwolfach Preprint Series, OWP 2009-04 (2009), 1-44. http://www.mfo.de/publications/owp/2009/OWP2009_04.pdf

4.       P. D. Dragnev, J. S. Brauchart, and E. B. Saff, On an energy problem with Riesz external field, Oberwolfach reports, Volume 4, Issue 2 (2007), 1042-1044.

5.       P. D. Dragnev and E. B. Saff, Riesz spherical potentials with external fields and minimal energy points separation, Potential Anal. 26 (2007), 139-162.

6.       D. Benko, S. B. Damelin and P. D. Dragnev, On the support of the equilibrium measure for arcs of the unit circle and for real intervals, ETNA 25 (2006), 27-40.

7.       P. D. Dragnev, D. A. Legg, and D. W. Townsend, Polynomial Approximation of the Checkmark Function, in Advances in Constructive Approximation, M. Neamtu and E. B. Saff (edts), (2004), 149-164.

8.       P. D. Dragnev, On the Separation of Logarithmic Points on the Sphere, in Approximation Theory X: Abstract and Classical Analysis, Charles Chui, Larry L. Schumaker, and Joachim Stoeckler, (eds.), (2002), 137-144.

9.       P. D. Dragnev, D. A. Legg, and D. W. Townsend, Discrete Logarithmic Energy on the Sphere, Pacific J. Math. 207, no. 2 (2002), 345-358.

10.    S. B. Damelin, P. D. Dragnev, and A. B. J. Kuijlaars The support of the equilibrium measure for a class of non-convex external fields on a finite interval, Pacific J. of Math. 199, no. 2 (2001), 303-320.

11.    D. Coroian and P. D. Dragnev, Constrained Leja points and numerical solution of the constrained energy problem, J. Comp. and Appl. Math. 131, no. 1-2 (2001), 427-444.

12.    P. D. Dragnev and E. B. Saff, A problem in Potential theory and zero asymptotics of Krawtchouk polynomials, J. Approx. Theory 102, (2000), 120-140.

13.    A.B.J. Kuijlaars and P. D. Dragnev, Equilibrium problems associated with fast decreasing polynomials, Proceedings of Amer. Math. Soc. 127, no. 4 (1999), 1065-1074.

14.    P. D. Dragnev, D. A. Legg and D. W. Townsend, Generalized Bernstein-Erdos Conjecture, Approximation theory IX, Volume 1: Theoretical aspects, Charles K. Chui and Larry Schumaker (eds.), (1998), 119-126.

15.    P. D. Dragnev and E. B. Saff, Constrained energy problems with applications to orthogonal polynomials of a discrete variable, Journal Anal. Math., 72 (1997), 223-259.

16.    P. D. Dragnev and E. B. Saff, Open problems in Approximation theory, Tampa – 96, East Journal of Approx. 2, no. 4 (1996), 499-517

Invited Presentations:

 

Computational Methods and Function Theory 2009, Turkey– June, 2009

“Axis-Supported External Fields on the Sphere”

Western Kentucky University Math Symposium, Bowling Green, KY – October, 2008

“School Districts on Mars, Fuel Depots on Jupiter, Inimical Dictators on Neptune?! Or How to Arrange Points on the Sphere”

Technical University Colloquium, Graz, Austria – October, 2008

”Iterative balayage algorithm - applications to Riesz and logarithmic potentials”

University of South Alabama Math Circle, Mobile, AL – October, 2008

“School Districts on Mars, Fuel Depots on Jupiter, Inimical Dictators on Neptune?! Or How to Arrange Points on the Sphere”

University of Mississippi Colloquium, Oxford, MS – October, 2008

“Electrons, Buckyballs, and Orifices: Nature’s Way of Minimizing Energy”

Western Kentucky University Colloquium, Bowling Green, KY – January, 2008

“Balayage Iteration and Minimal Energy Problems”

Modern Approaches in Asymptotics of Polynomials, BIRS, Banff, Canada – November, 2007

“Iterative Balayage Techniques with Applications to Riesz and Logarithmic Potentials”

Geometric Measure Theoretic Approaches to Potentials on Fractals and Manifolds, Oberwolfach Research Institute, Germany – April, 2007

"Minimal Energy Problems with Riesz External Fields and Applications"

12th International Conference in Approximation Theory, San Antonio, TX – March, 2007

"On an Energy Problem with Riesz External Field"

Sofia University Colloquium, Sofia, Bulgaria – June, 2006

“Riesz energy points distribution”

Western Kentucky University Colloquium, Bowling Green, KY – April, 2006

“Minimal Energy Points on the Sphere”

Special Session, 2005 AMS Sectional Meeting, Bowling Green, KY – March, 2005 

“Separation of minimal $s$-energy points on the sphere”

Constructive Functions Tech-04, International Conference in Georgia Tech, Atlanta, GA – November, 2004

“Riesz spherical potentials with external fields and minimal energy points separation”

Special Session AMS National meeting, Phoenix, AZ – January, 2004

“On a class of classical polynomials, uniformly approximating the checkmark function”

Vanderbilt University Seminar, Nashville, TN – October, 2003

"On a discrete Zolotarev problem with applications to the Alternating Direction Implicit (ADI) method"

Troy University Colloquium, Troy, AL – September, 2003

“Minimal Arrangements on the Sphere”

Advances in Constructive Approximation 2003, Nashville, TN – May, 2003

"Polynomial Approximation of the Checkmark Function”

Sigma Xi Brown Bag talk, IPFW – December, 2002

"The Science of Spherical Arrangements - Fulerenes, Electrons, and Soccer Ball Designs

Constructive Function Theory 2002, Varna, Bulgaria – June, 2002

"Optimal Point Configurations on the Sphere

AMS regional meeting -- Special Session, Chattanooga, TN – October, 2001
"Logarithmic Points on the Sphere"
Computational Methods and Function Theory 2001, Portugal – June, 2001
"Minimal Discrete Energy on the Sphere"
Texas A&M Colloquium – March, 2001
"The support of the equilibrium measure"
University of Houston Colloquium- Downtown – March, 2001
"Soccer ball design and energy problems"
Indiana-Purdue University – April, 2000, Pi Math Club
"Chemistry, Physics, and Mathematics behind the Soccer Ball Design – Or How to Distribute Dictators on a Planet"
Plovdiv University Colloquium, Plovdiv, Bulgaria – March, 2000
"Minimal problems and their applications to orthogonal polynomials"
FoCM International Workshop on Minimal Energy Problems, Hong Kong – November, 1999
"Constrained energy problem and applications"
University of Akron Colloquium– September, 1998
"Constrained energy problem and discrete orthogonal polynomials"
Katolieke Universiteit Leuven Colloquium, Belgium – July, 1998
"Constrained Leja points and numerical solution of the constrained energy problem"
Ohio State University Seminar – November, 1997
"Constrained energy problem and zero asymptotics of discrete orthogonal polynomials"

Contributed Presentations:

11th International Conference in Approximation Theory, Gatlinburg, TN – May, 2004

"On a discrete Zolotarev problem and its applications to the Alternating Direction Implicit (ADI) method"

Sigma Xi National Meeting, Galveston, TX – November, 2002
"Spherical Arrangements with Minimal Energy”

10th International Conference in Approximation Theory, St. Louis, MO – March, 2001
"Discrete Logarithmic Energy on the Sphere"
NATO ASI and International Conference on Special Functions 2000, Tempe, AZ – June, 2000
"The support of the equilibrium measure for a class of external fields on a finite interval"
AMS regional meeting – Contributed Papers Session, Buffalo, NY – April, 1999
"Constrained Leja Points and Applications"
9th International Conference in Approximation Theory, Nashville, TN – January, 1998
"Generalized Bernstein-Erdos conjecture"