New institute is set to push the boundaries of information science

The University of Cambridge and Cantab Capital Partners LLP are launching a new institute which is set to push the boundaries of information science.

Established through philanthropic support of £5m from Cantab Capital Partners, a multi-billion dollar systematic hedge fund manager based in Cambridge, the Cantab Capital Institute for the Mathematics of Information will sit within the University’s renowned Faculty of Mathematics.

The new institute will draw on fundamental techniques from mathematical sciences to tackle head on the challenge of deciphering meaning in the reams of data which surround us. Bringing together some of the world’s leading academics in various related disciplines to advance understanding on multiple fronts, the Institute will ultimately help ensure all available information is used when, for example, doctors make clinical diagnoses, financial institutions make sensible evaluations of risk, or planners build the cities of the future.

The University of Cambridge has been at the forefront of the study of mathematics and its benefits to society for many centuries. Today Cambridge stands as a world leader in mathematics and its applications across government, education, health, science, business and finance, and in particular in the development of advanced techniques for data gathering and information extraction.

Dr Ewan Kirk, CIO of Cantab Capital Partners, said: “Mathematics is the foundation of all sciences and, in the 21st Century, information and data plays an increasingly vital role in a diverse range of fields. Now more than ever, using mathematical and statistical techniques to understand vast information sets can have a huge impact on our daily lives. Cantab is immensely proud to be supporting the research which will be at the forefront of this information revolution. The Institute aims to galvanise and accelerate progress in the mathematics of information and become a centre of excellence for innovative research both in the UK and internationally.”

Professor Nigel Peake, Head of the University’s Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, said: “Many institutions currently working in this space focus their efforts on incremental advances on what is now a well-established discipline of financial mathematics. At Cambridge, we are looking to build on the world-leading expertise available to us to develop a broader and more enduring approach, reflecting the very latest insights into the mathematics of information. We are naturally delighted that Cantab has provided us with such a substantial donation, enabling us to turn this vision into a reality.”

Image: Dr Nigel Peake. Credit: Dr Ed Brambley.