Prof. Petros Koumoutsakos: Computational Science

Petros Koumoutsakos studied at the National Technical University of Athens, Greece, where he received his Diploma in Naval Architecture and Mechanical Engineering in 1986. He obtained a master's degree in Naval Architecture from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor in 1987. He continued his studies at the California Institute of Technology where he obtained another master's degree in Aeronautics in 1988, followed by a PhD in Aeronautics and Applied Mathematics in 1992 and by a two year US National Science Foundation postdoctoral fellowship in parallel supercomputing. Between 1994-1997 he was a research scientist at the Center  for Turbulence Research  and the Center for Computational Astrobiology at NASA Ames/Stanford University.

In 1997 Petros Koumoutsakos came to ETH Zurich as Assistant Professor in Computational Fluid Dynamics before becoming Full Professor of Computational Science in July 2000. An interview with Katja Abrahams.

October 2007

What is your main research area?

My research area is computational science. Computational science implies validated, verifiable and efficient simulations of real world problems. The subject is relatively new and I need to specify further this description. Computation is an organizing principle for the natural sciences and engineering. There are recurring computing patterns that the different disciplines use and define in different ways - but the patterns are the same. Computational scientists try to develop these common themes on a sound scientific basis and to collaborate with disciplinary scientists to tackle the differences that are unique to each problem.

The common patterns that I research are in multiscale modeling, simulation, design and optimization and high performance computing as applied to problems in nanotechnology, fluid mechanics and life sciences. Research problems in our group range from the design of nano syringes, to tumor induced angiogenesis and aircraft wakes.

What are currently the most challenging issues in Computational Science?

We need to harness advances in computer hardware and software with effective computational methods to solve specific engineering and scientific problems. In this context, multiscale modeling and simulation and the effective treatment of large data sets are challenging topics in Computational Science. This view stems from the fact that any foreseeable increase in hardware computing power will not succeed alone in solving problems of engineering and scientific interest. Humans and machines need to work together. Another challenge is to convince people that without validation and verification, simulations have no value in the context of (computational) science.

Which courses are you teaching this fall semester?

This semester I teach two advanced courses. One is "Multiscale Modeling and Simulation" in which we identify some important paradigms and fundamentals of multiscale modeling. A new course that I introduced this semester is "Biological Physics of the Cell". The course aims to put biologists and computer scientists on a level basis of scientific understanding by emphasizing fundamental physical principles and focusing on the way these principles dictate/explain the structure and function of cells.

Are there any topics you would like to teach but just can't fit into the course catalog?

I think that ETH students are overloaded so adding more courses would perhaps be too bold… Many of our courses have large redundancies. Therefore, it would be important to condense common themes in different classes. We, professors, should coordinate better to develop fewer courses with more effective content. If you twist my arm for a topic, I would go back to my Naval Architecture roots and prepare a course in Design as it permeates all fields of science and industry - and art!

What do you like about teaching?

It is a great privilege to have the possibility to affect the minds of future generations - it is an everyday miracle to see science moving forward beyond ourselves. At the same time it is a formidable task to stand in front of smart people and try to teach the. It helps me to structure my own knowledge of a topic and to put my thoughts into perspective. The feedback from students makes teaching a learning experience and I find this aspect very exciting.

You studied Naval Architecture, Mechanical Engineering and Aeronautics. How did you find your way to Computer Science?

"Not all those who wander are lost!". I am fortunate to have wandered into Computer Science. I have always been interested in ships and mathematics and computing came to me through computational fluid dynamics. The realization that some computing concepts were recurring came from "wandering" in interdisciplinary environments during my education and by meeting colleagues like Guzzella, Helenius, Hierold, Kinzelbach, Oettinger and Poulikakos, through ETHZ projects that inspired and challenged me with new problems. I traveled between fluid mechanics, biology and nanotechnology using computing as a vehicle. The way to computer science was evident as in the last century a number of big impacts in science and everyday life has come from computer science, the principal component of computational science. Then, in ETHZ my colleagues Gander and Jeltsch had initiated the idea of Computational Science and I was given the possibility to shape the field.

In summary, I have been very fortunate that my background and the forces that affected my career made it possible for me to be exposed to different departments – If I paraphrase a quote from Saint Augustine: "Science is a book - those who do not travel between departments read only one page!"

What do you think of ETHZ as a research center?

ETHZ has high quality people at all levels. We are very privileged as professors of this school because we have tremendous freedom and resources. I think that given these great ingredients, we could be the best university in the world, in every measure of the word "best". What might be missing however is a certain kind of "hunger". In the US people get rewarded for trying even when they fail. Perhaps in Europe, people may still be more skeptical about taking risks.

Is there anything special you would like to say to our students or future students?

My wish is that they learn first to appreciate and then challenge existing knowledge. The quest of humanity to unravel the mysteries of science and life requires that the younger generations develop a healthy disrespect for authority and that they probe all boundaries.