Brian Spencer 
   
Professor 
Department of Mathematics
Mathematics Building, Room 319 
University at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY 14260-2900 

email: spencerb buffalo.edu
web: www.math.buffalo.edu/~spencerb
tel: (716) 645-8805

office hours

Fall 2023 Teaching:
MTH446/546  Stochastic Processes

Spring 2024 Teaching:
MTH412/512  Intro to Statistical Inference
MTH463/563  Topics in Applied Math: Mathematics and Climate


Research: applied mathematics of materials science phenomena

Professor Spencer's research interests are in the applied mathematics of materials. The research combines physics-based mathematical models with asymptotic, analytic and numerical methods to describe growth processes, instabilities and microstructure formation in materials.  Specific research programs include: 
  • shape transitions in faceted quantum dots
  • liquid drop shapes during VLS nanowire growth
  • corner regularizations in crystal growth models
scientific areas of interest: crystal growth, elasticity, phase transformations, chemical thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, strained solid films, solidification, diffusion, contact angles, dendrites, surface energy effects, anisotropy, faceting.

mathematical areas of interest: free boundary and moving boundary problems, continuum mechanics, morphological instability, pattern formation, differential equations, integral equations, perturbation methods, singular perturbations, numerical methods, spectral methods, finite difference methods, numerical stability, bifurcation and stability, energy minimization, variational calculus.
Publications