Energy minimization problems, both discrete and continuous, arise naturally in many areas of mathematics and science: discrete geometry, mathematical physics, approximation theory, signal processing etc. A number of interesting and unexpected phenomena in such problems have been studied recently: universal optimality, discretization of minimizers, condensation and phase transitions, to name just a few. It turns out that the behavior of such minimizers is much more subtle than one would naturally expect. The aim of this mini-workshop is to bring together a multifaceted group of researchers working in potential theory, approximation, special functions, point configurations, lattices, and numerical analysis who have recently made important contributions to energy minimization and polarization problems to report on their work and to collaborate in trying to resolve some of the fundamental questions in the field.

Organizers:

• Dmitriy Bilyk, University of Minnesota, US
• Peter Grabner, Technische Universität Graz, Austria
• Edward Saff, Vanderbilt University, US
• Maya Stoyanova, Sofia University, Bulgaria
• Local organizer: Peter Boyvalenkov (Institute of Mathematics and Informatics, BAS)

Primary participants (speakers):

1. Dmitriy Bilyk, University of Minnesota, US
2. Sergiy Borodachov, Towson University, US
3. Peter Boyvalenkov, Institute of Mathematics and Informatics, BAS, Bulgaria
4. Johann Brauchart, Graz University of Technology, Austria
5. Matthew de Courcy-Ireland, Stockholm University, Sweden
6. Peter Dragnev, Purdue University Fort Wayne, USA
7. Peter Grabner, Technische Universität Graz, Austria
8. Douglas Hardin, Vanderbilt University, USA
9. Jordi Marzo, Barcelona University
10. Ryan Matzke, Vanderbilt University, USA
11. Geno Nikolov, Sofia University, Bulgaria
12. Edward Saff (organizer), Vanderbilt University, US
13. Stefan Steinerberger, University of Washington, USA
14. Tetiana Stepaniuk, Institute of Mathematics, NAS of Ukraine
15. Maya Stoyanova, Sofia University, Bulgaria
16. Frank Vallentin, Koeln University, Germany
17. Robert Womersley, University of New South Wales, Australia