Numerical Analysis in Mathematics and Computer Science creates, analyzes, and implements algorithms for solving the problems of continuous mathematics numerically. These problems occur throughout natural sciences, social sciences, medicine, engineering, and business. Numerical Analysis, which heavily leans on computer science, has grown in importance today, especially in tackling emerging challenges such as climate change, erosions, and natural disasters. 

AIMS Cameroon envisions preparing Cameroon’s future generation of Mathematicians to master Numerical Analysis and help in decision-making. Dr. Jake Leonard Nkeck, our Alumnus from 2015, was appointed Lecturer in the Mathematics Department at the University of Buea in February 2018, specializing in Numerical Analysis for Partial Differential Equations and Calculus. 

Dr. Jake’s journey in Mathematical Sciences was incredible, with AIMS Cameroon serving as a turning point. “When I obtained my Baccalaureate, choosing a field of study was quite a challenge because of the different opportunities and difficulties I had in front of me,” he recalls.

In 2011, Jake obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics at the University of Yaounde and a Higher Teacher Training Diploma at the Higher Teacher Training College (Ecole Normale Supérieure) Yaounde in 2013. Later on, he pursued a Master’s in Mathematical Sciences at the African Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Cameroon Centre.

While at AIMS, Jake has introduced the general theory of elliptic curves over a general field. He proved geometrically and algebraically the group law on elliptic curves by using some classical theorems like the Riemann-Roch theorem. He has also shown how to bound the order of a set of rational points of an elliptic curve by Hasse’s Theorem and even how to compute it by Weil’s Theorem.

“I left AIMS-Cameroon to pursue a Doctorate in Applied Mathematics at the University of Buea,” he says. “AIMS gave me a lot of confidence in my programming skills and significantly increased my ability to research, find information and use it in my project. AIMS introduced me to other branches of Mathematics, Physics and Computer Science.”

Jake’s Doctorate was partially funded by the Government of Canada’s International Development Research Center (IDRC) as part of the ‘AIMS Research for Africa’ project in 2016 for travel expenses to an International Conference in Senegal. After being appointed Lecturer at the University of Buea in 2018, he completed his Doctorate in 2020 on the Numerical Processing of Maxwell’s Equations in Polygonal Domains.

Jake is a Lecturer in the Mathematics Department at the University of Buea (Cameroon) since February 2018.