International Association for Mathematics and Computers in Simulation (IMACS)

Activities and publications

IMACS organizes regular conferences and workshops where participants present original research, review applications and discuss software tools. Proceedings from these meetings are distributed to the community and form an archival record of advances in the field. The association also supports the publication of peer-reviewed journals and special issues that focus on algorithmic development, validation of models and comparative studies of simulation methods.

Structure and membership

IMACS operates through an international network of national affiliates and working groups. It maintains administrative offices in multiple countries and encourages local chapters to run symposia and training activities. Membership typically includes individual researchers, university departments and research laboratories who participate in committees, refereeing and editorial activities.

History and locations

Established to improve links between mathematics and computational practice, IMACS has grown to have formal presence in the United States and Belgium, with partner organizations and affiliated groups in other regions. Its history reflects the broader expansion of simulation as a central tool across disciplines, and the increasing need for standards, reproducibility and cross-border collaboration.

Scope and relevance

The association covers topics such as simulation theory and methodology, numerical analysis, computational fluid dynamics, stochastic modelling, and software development for large-scale computing. IMACS events and publications serve as venues to present benchmarks, compare numerical methods, and discuss best practices for validating models against experimental or observational data.

Distinguishing features

• Emphasis on the interplay between mathematical theory and practical computation.
• International collaboration through conferences, proceedings and editorial efforts.
• Support for both foundational research and applied case studies across many disciplines.

For researchers and practitioners interested in simulation and numerical methods, IMACS provides networking opportunities, publication channels and a forum for addressing community challenges such as reproducibility, software sustainability and education in computational methods.