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Professor Diane Donovan

Professor

Mathematics
Faculty of Science
dmd@maths.uq.edu.au
+61 7 336 51354

Overview

Professor Diane Donovan received her PhD from The University of Queensland in 1987 and has been an integral member of the Discipline of Mathematics and assoicated Schools since that time.

She has two main research streams.

1) The application of polynomial chaos expansions for the modeling of physical problems involving uncertain parameters. We are developing methods to accurately and efficiently explore subsurface geometry. The current work is focussed on problems related to groundwater levels, gas extraction and storage. This work is joint with the Centre for Coal Seam Gas at the University of Queensland.

2) The study of mathematics structures, both discrete and continuous, and their applications to problems in science and engineering. Of particular interest is the development and testing of methods for robust sampling techniques. This interests is supported by a long history of publishing on experimental design, block designs, latin squares and associated algebraic structures.

Research Interests

  • Applications of Continuous Mathematical Structures
    Computer simulations are being developed based on mathematical models that seek to forecasts natural processes, such as rainfall patterns or capacity of subsurface water/gas reservoirs. Scientifically two problems arise: It is hard to build computer simulations that capture the full complexity of physical processes. For instance, how do we model the movement of water through interconnecting aquifers deep underground? In addition, often there is a shortage of field data, which can vary across regions. For instance, can we accurately quantify local rainwater runoff rates, seepage rates and penetration depths? Traditional scientific methods struggle to capture the uncertainty in these natural processes. My research takes an alternate approach. Using polynomial chaos expansion technqiues I use a smallish amount of field data, couple it with a few implementations of the complex model, and construct “approximate” forecasting tools. The interplay of the mathematical theory results in fast and accurate forecasting tools.
  • Applications of Discrete Mathematical Structures
    Discrete structures, such as latin squares, have many diverse applications, some of the best known being in the design of experiments, in biotechnology and in information security. One area of interest is the identification of defining sets (or critical sets) for these structures; that is, a minimal subset of entries which uniquely defines the structure. One of the most fundamental and interesting questions relating to defining sets is that of the spectrum or the set of allowable sizes. Other areas of research interest involve applying combinatorial techniques to problems in information security, and to applications in biotechnology, energy markets and cognitive reasoning.

Research Impacts

Collaborative research with Australian energy companies developing techniques for production forecasting

Collaborative research with Plant geneticists studying environmental effects on plants in agriculture and nature.

Qualifications

  • Fellow, Australian Mathematical Society
  • FTICA
  • PhD, The University of Queensland
  • Bachelor of Arts (Honours), La Trobe University
  • Diploma of Education, La Trobe University

Publications

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Grants

View all Grants

Supervision

  • A study of combinatorial problems and their applications

    Doctor Philosophy

  • Pure and Applied Applications of Combinatorial Mathematics

    Doctor Philosophy

  • Latin Squares and Related Structures

    (2016) Doctor Philosophy

View all Supervision

Available Projects

  • Topics in Combinatorics

    Modelling and simulation problems for water/gas reservoir estimation

    Experimental design for problems in geosciences and petroleum engineering

    The study of orthogonal designs for enhanced computer experiments, with particular the study of quasigroups, orthogonal latin squares and orthogonal arrays

    The study of trades and their use in establishing existence results for discrete structures

    The studey of networks in plant genetics

View all Available Projects

Publications

Book

  • Shamir's scheme says it all

    Dawson, Ed and Donovan, Diane (1993). Shamir's scheme says it all. Publ by Elsevier Science Publishers B.V..

Book Chapter

  • Defining sets in combinatorics: a survey

    Donovan, D. M., Mahmoodian, E., Ramsay, C. and Street, A. P. (2003). Defining sets in combinatorics: a survey. Surveys in Combinatorics 2003. (pp. 115-174) edited by C.D. Wensley. UK: Cambridge University Press.

  • On minimal defining sets in AG( D, 3)

    Donovan, D. M., Khodkar, A. and Street, A. P. (2003). On minimal defining sets in AG( D, 3). Designs 2002: Further Computational and Constructive Design Theory. (pp. 103-131) edited by W.D. Wallis. Massachusetts, USA: Kluwer Academic Press. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4613-0245-2_6

Journal Article

Conference Publication

  • Constructing and embedding mutually orthogonal Latin squares: reviewing both new and existing results

    Donovan, Diane M., Grannell, Mike and Yazici, Emine S. (2020). Constructing and embedding mutually orthogonal Latin squares: reviewing both new and existing results. International Conference on Loops, Budapest Hungary, Jul 07-13, 2019. Prague: Charles University, Faculty of Mathematics & Physics. doi: 10.14712/1213-7243.2021.003

  • Impacting factors on horizontal coal seam gas well production and proxy model comparison

    Wang, Qian, Donovan, Diane, Thompson, Bevan, Rodger, Iain, Zhou, Fengde, Su, Xianbo and Yazici, Emine Şule (2019). Impacting factors on horizontal coal seam gas well production and proxy model comparison. SPE/AAPG/SEG Asia Pacific Unconventional Resources Technology Conference, Brisbane, QLD Australia, 18-19 November. Brisbane, QLD Australia: Unconventional Resources Technology Conference (URTEC). doi: 10.15530/AP-URTEC-2019-198251

  • Combinatorial questions: how can graph labelling help?

    Donovan, Diane and McCourt, Thomas A. (2018). Combinatorial questions: how can graph labelling help?. 28th International Workshop on Combinational Algorithms, IWOCA 2017, Newcastle, NSW, Australia, 17-21 July 2017. Cham, Switzerland: Springer Verlag. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-78825-8_2

  • Populations of models, experimental designs and coverage of parameter space by Latin Hypercube and Orthogonal sampling

    Burrage, Kevin, Burrage, Pamela, Donovan, Diane and Thompson, Bevan (2015). Populations of models, experimental designs and coverage of parameter space by Latin Hypercube and Orthogonal sampling. International Conference On Computational Science, ICCS 2015, Reykjavik, Iceland, 1-3 June 2015. Amsterdam, Netherlands: Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.procs.2015.05.383

  • Estimates on the coverage of parameter space using populations of models

    Burrage, Kevin, Burrage, Pamela M., Donovan, Diane, McCourt, Thomas A. and Thompson, Harold B. (2014). Estimates on the coverage of parameter space using populations of models. 5th IASTED International Conference on Modelling and Simulation, AfricaMS 2014, Gaborone,, September 1, 2014-September 3, 2014. ACTA Press. doi: 10.2316/P.2014.813-013

  • Planar difference functions

    Hall, Joanne L., Rao, Asha and Donovan, Diane (2012). Planar difference functions. ISIT 2012: IEEE International Symposium on Information Theory, Cambridge, MA, USA, 1-6 July, 2012. Piscataway, NJ, United States: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. doi: 10.1109/ISIT.2012.6283019

  • Professional development for teaching in higher education

    Wood, Leigh N., Vu, Tori, Bower, Matt, Brown, Natalie, Skalicky, Jane, Donovan, Diane, Loch, Birgit, Joshi, Nalini and Bloom, Walter (2011). Professional development for teaching in higher education. Volcanic Delta 2011: The 8th Delta Conference on Teaching and Learning Undergraduate Mathematics and Statistics, Rotorua, New Zealand, 27 November-2 December, 2011. Abingdon, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom: Taylor & Francis. doi: 10.1080/0020739X.2011.608864

  • A discussion of constrained binary embeddings with applications to cryptanalysis of irregularly clocked stream ciphers

    Donovan, D. M., Lefevre, J. G. and Simpson, L. (2008). A discussion of constrained binary embeddings with applications to cryptanalysis of irregularly clocked stream ciphers. International Conference on Discrete Mathematics (ICDM 2006), Bangalore, India, 15-18 December 2006. Bangalore, India: Ramanujan Mathematical Society.

  • Change detection through clustering and spectral analysis.

    Donovan, Diane, Loch, Birgit, Thompson, H. B and Thompson, Jayne (2008). Change detection through clustering and spectral analysis.. 18th International Workshop on Combinatorial Algorithms (IWOCA 2007), Newcastle, NSW, Australia, 5-9 November 2007. London, United Kingdom: College Publishing.

  • Permutation Representation of 3 and 4-Homogenous Latin Bitrades

    Lefevre, J. G., Donovan, D. M. and Drapal, A. (2008). Permutation Representation of 3 and 4-Homogenous Latin Bitrades. Netherlands: IOS Press.

  • Change detection through clustering and spectral analysis

    Donovan, D. M., Loch, B., Thompson, H. B. and Thompson, J. (2007). Change detection through clustering and spectral analysis. 18th International Workshop on Combinatorial Algorithms 2007, Lake MacQuarrie, New South Wales, 5-9 November, 2007. Newcastle, New South Wales: Newcastle University.

  • A discussion of constrained binary embeddings with applications to cryptanalysis of irregularly clocked stream ciphers

    Donovan, D M, Lefevre, J G and Simpson, L (2006). A discussion of constrained binary embeddings with applications to cryptanalysis of irregularly clocked stream ciphers. International Conference on Discrete Mathematics 2006 (ICDM 2006), Banglaore, India, 15-18 December 2006. Bangalore: Indian Institute of Science.

  • Gibbs equilibrium in interacting particle systems with coordination constrained bonding on Bethe lattices

    Vladimirov, I G, Donovan, D M and Thompson, H B (2006). Gibbs equilibrium in interacting particle systems with coordination constrained bonding on Bethe lattices. AWOCA 2006, Uluru & Kings Canyon, Central Austraila, July 13 - 19 2006. Australia: Ballarat University.

  • Are there three MOLS of Order 10?

    Cavenagh, N. J., Donovan, D. M. and Hamalainen, C. (2005). Are there three MOLS of Order 10?. Australasian Workshop on Combinatorial Algorithms, Ballarat, 18 - 21 September 2005. Ballarat, Australia: University of Ballarat.

  • On greedy critical sets in latin squares

    Donovan, D. M., Hamalainen, C. and Khodkar, A. (2004). On greedy critical sets in latin squares. Fifteenth Australasian Workshop on Combinatorial Algorithms (AWOCA 2004), Ballina, N.S.W., Australia, 6-9 July 2004. Alexandria, N.S.W., Australia: National Information and Communications Technology Australia.

  • Visualising energy data

    Donovan, Diane, Pickett, Trevor and Wilson, Richard (2004). Visualising energy data. Australia: Australian Mathematical Society.

  • An investigation of 2-critical sets in Latin squares

    Donovan, D. M., Fu, C.-M. and Khodkar, A. (2002). An investigation of 2-critical sets in Latin squares. AWOCA 2002, Fraser Island, Queensland, 7-10 July, 2002. Brisbane, Queensland: The University of Queensland.

  • Premature partial Latin squares and critical sets

    Donovan, D. M. and Khodkar, A. (2002). Premature partial Latin squares and critical sets. AWOCA 2002, Fraser Island, Queensland, 7-10 July, 2002. Brisbane, Queensland: The University of Queensland.

  • A discussion of 2-critical sets in Abelian 2-groups

    Donovan, D. M., Fu, C.-M. and Khodkar, A. (2001). A discussion of 2-critical sets in Abelian 2-groups. Australasian Workshop on Combinatorial Algorithms, Bandung, Indonesia, 14 July - 17 July 2001. Bandung, Indonesia: Dept. of Mathematics, Institut Teknologi Bandung.

  • Interactive Discrete Mathematics

    Donovan, D. M. (2000). Interactive Discrete Mathematics. 4th Biennial Engineering Mathematics & Applications Conference EMAC 2000, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Melbourne, 10-13th September 2000. Melbourne Australia: Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University.

  • Steiner trades that give rise to completely decomposable latin interchanges

    Bean, R., Donovan, D. M., Khodkar, A. and Street, A. P. (2000). Steiner trades that give rise to completely decomposable latin interchanges. Eleventh Australasian Workshop on Combinatorial Algorithms, Hunter Valley, NSW, Australia, 20th July - 1st August 2000. Newcastle, Australia: The University of Newcastle.

  • Methods for sharing cryptographic keys

    Dawson E., Donovan D. and Rahilly A. (1992). Methods for sharing cryptographic keys. Conference on Communication Technology, Services and Systems - COMMUNICATIONS '92, Sydney, Aust, October 20, 1992-October 22, 1992.

Other Outputs

  • Topics in balanced ternary designs

    Donovan, Diane Margaret (1987). Topics in balanced ternary designs. PhD Thesis, School of Physical Sciences, The University of Queensland. doi: 10.14264/uql.2015.44

Grants (Administered at UQ)

PhD and MPhil Supervision

Current Supervision

Completed Supervision

Possible Research Projects

Note for students: The possible research projects listed on this page may not be comprehensive or up to date. Always feel free to contact the staff for more information, and also with your own research ideas.

  • Topics in Combinatorics

    Modelling and simulation problems for water/gas reservoir estimation

    Experimental design for problems in geosciences and petroleum engineering

    The study of orthogonal designs for enhanced computer experiments, with particular the study of quasigroups, orthogonal latin squares and orthogonal arrays

    The study of trades and their use in establishing existence results for discrete structures

    The studey of networks in plant genetics

This staff member is a UQ Expert for media in the following fields:

Puzzles - mathematics, Cryptology - mathematics, Mathematics education, Education - mathematics, Games - mathematics, Combinatorial designs - mathematics, Cryptology - mathematics, Mathematics education, Education - mathematics, Games - mathematics, Combinatorial structures - mathematics, Code - mathematics, Number combinations and mathematics, Mathematics and number combinations, Games and number combinations, Sudoku - mathematics, Puzzles - mathematics

They are happy to lend their expertise to your articles or broadcasts and share their research discoveries and insights with the community via media channels.

For additional assistance with story ideas, general advice and information or help with seeking further experts, please email the UQ Media Team or telephone (07) 3365 1120.

Links

ResearcherID: D-8840-2013

ORCID: 0000-0002-1329-3514

Scopus ID: 36739809700

Personal Profile: Link

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