Algebra and geometry are  very active fields of mathematical research. More and more often, software makes it possible to compute examples, or visualize phenomena.  The importance of geometry and algebra in applications to various domains including protection of information, biology, optimization, is more and more visible. This evolution, noticed everywhere in developed countries is not sufficiently known in developing countries, particularly in Africa. There are even  subregions of Africa where algebra and geometry are currently very little studied.  That is why in 2003, August 10, during a meeting in ICTP at Trieste, we decided to create the African network of geometry and algebra applied to development (RAGAAD).

The scientific Council
President : Pr. Akry Koulibaly (Burkina Faso)
Members : Pr. Cherif Badji (Senegal), Pr. Augustin Banyaga (Penn State Univ, USA), Pr. Fabrizio Broglia (Rammed, Italy), Pr. Julien Cassaigne (Marseille, France), Pr. Michel Coste (Rennes, France), Pr. David Eisenbud (MSRI, USA), Pr. Alberto Elduque (Zaragoza, Spain), Pr. Abdelhafed El Khadiri (Morocco), Pr. Nouzha El Yacoubi (Morocco), Pr. Jean-Pierre Ezin (Univ Abomey-Calavi - Benin), Pr. Cyprien Gnanvo (Univ Abomey-Calavi - Benin),  Pr. Laureano Gonzalez Vega (Santander, Spain), Pr. Christer Kiselman (Uppsala, Sweden), Pr. Akry Koulibaly (Burkina Faso), Pr. Aderimi Kuku (MSRI, USA), Pr. Salah Laballah (Morocco),  Pr Le Dung Trang (ICTP), Pr. Henri Lombardi (Besançon, France), Pr. Maurice Mignotte (Strasbourg, France), Pr Moussa Ouattara (Burkina), Pr; Claudio Procesi (Roma, Italy), Pr. Marie-Françoise Roy (Rennes, France), Pr Saliou Toure (Ivory Coast),  Pr. Salamon Sambou (Senegal), Pr. Daouda Sangaré (Ivory Coast), Pr. Mamadou Sangharé (Senegal), Pr. Oumarou Sie (Burkina Faso),  Pr. Michel Waldschmidt, Pr Yoro (Mali).

Coordination of the network
Coordinators :in the South Marcel Tonga tongamarcel@yahoo.fr, in the North - Marie-Françoise Roy (France)
Marie-francoise.roy@univ-rennes1.fr
Local coordinators : Fatima Boudaoud (Algeria), Léonard Todjihounde (Benin), Gerard Kientega (Burkina Faso), Etienne Romuald Temgoua Alomo (Cameroon), Omporo Mathias (Congo), Youssof Diagana (Ivory Coast), Momo Bangoura (Guinea), Karim Samake (Mali), Lessiad (Mauritania), M'hamed El Kahoui (Morocco), Issoufou Katambe (Niger), Cheik Thiecoumba Gueye (Senegal), Abdeljaoued Jounaidi (Tunisia)
Secretariat : Chantal Halet, chantal.halet@univ-rennes1.fr, IRMAR, Campus of Beaulieu, 35042 Rennes, France

At the moment the network has about a hundred and seventy-five members.

Goals and objectives

• To federate and develop the research capacity of groups in algebra and geometry in Africa.

• To develop RAGAAD's links with the international mathematical community.

• To increase the number and to improve the level of publications of African mathematicians in the field.

• To support the orientation of research towards themes of current scientific importance and their applications.

• To emphasise and reinforce the contribution of algebra, geometry and computer science in the search for the solutions to concrete problems encountered in the process of development.

• To organise a scientific meeting of the RAGAAD network at least every two years.

• To contribute to contacts between mathematicians of Africa, in particular by improving the linguistic abilities of researchers.

• To train young African mathematicians, in particular in anglophone countries (Ghana, Nigeria ...) in algebra and geometry.

• To set up new doctoral programmes in Africa and to develop those which already exist.

• To raise the quality of teaching whilst reforming and creating new curricula order to respond more effectively to the requirements of development in Africa.

• To help senior african mathematicians which are active in research to become research advisors, in order to make possible their promotion as full professors.

• To promote complementarity of the various Master's programmes (DEA) in algebra and geometry in Africa and  to support student exchanges.

• To support joint supervision of South-South and North-South theses as well as Master's programmes (DEA) projects.

• To encourage mobility through research visits by members of the network.

• To organise the training of members of the network in the use of the software tools of computer algebra and visualisation.

• To support access by members of the network to traditional or electronic mathematical documentation

• To ensure the visibility of the network by the development of an Internet site

Principal current scientific topics of the network

A Differential geometry and applications
B Algebraic theories and applications (biology, protection of information...)
C Algebraic geometry, real algebraic geometry and computer algebra
D Discrete mathematics and computer science

Activities carried out in 2003-2004

1. Launching of RAGAAD on 10 August 2003 at ICTP (Trieste, Italy).

2. Workshop "Mathématique discrètes et biologie (Discrete mathematics and biology)" in Bobo Dioulasso (Burkina Faso) (10 to 14 November 2003),  30 participants from Benin, Burkina Faso, France, Ivory Coast,  Niger, Senegal.

3. "Ecole de recherche sur les codes correcteurs d'erreur" «(Research school on error correcting codes) (23 February - 4 March 2004) and meeting of RAGAAD,  55 participants from Benin, France, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Niger, Mali, Mauritania, Russia, Senegal.

4. Meeting "Géométrie algébrique et analytique réelle" (Real algebrauc and analytic geoletry) in Morocco in September 2004, 40 participants from Algeria, France, Germany, Guinea, Italy, Mali, Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal.

Activities carried out in 2004-2005

1. Launching of a Master's (DEA) of Mathematics and Applications with an international option in algebra, geometry and theory of algorithms at Niamey (Niger), 6 students from Niger, Mali, Chad and Guinea

2. Meeting "Structures géométriques et applications" (Geometric structures and applications, November 19-26, Dakar (Senegal), with lecturers invited from Benin, Brazil, Cameroon, Congo, France, Ivory Coast, Niger, Senegal, and the USA

3. Starting of the Master's "Data Transmission and Information Security" in Dakar in December 2004. 25 registrations, professionals undergoing training or students.

4. Organisation of a workshop "Algèbre géométrie et algorithmes pour les jeunes mathématiciens africains" (Algebra, geometry and algorithims for young african mathematicians) (program), from the 21 to 25 February 2005 in Niamey (Niger). 65 participants, mainly young people, from 14 countries in Africa (Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Congo, Ivory Coast, Guinea, Mali, Morocco, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Tunisia), and from 4 other countries (France, Italy, Sweden, the USA).

Activities carried out in 2005-2006

1. At the end of 2005, starting of the research option of the Masters "Data transmission and information security" in Dakar.

2. Meeting on commutative algebra and error correcting codes from 18 to 25 November 2005 in Bamako (Mali). At this occasion, meeting of the coordonators of RAGAAD, general assembly of RAGAAD, reelection for two years of the general coordonators of RAGAAD and adoption of a text defining RAGAAD's internal rules.

3. Computer algebra school in Marrakech Morocco from 14 to 17 December 2005.

4. Symplectic geometry school from 17 to 27 January 2006 in Brazzaville (Congo). 

5. Workshop Algèbre et Logique sur les aspects algébriques des systèmes de transitions from 4 to 8  April 2006 in Yaoundé  Cameroon

Activités carried out in 2006-2007

1. New group starting doctoral studies in Niamey (DEA de Niamey).

2. Workshop on scientific english for mathematicians in Niamey (Niger), January 2007.

3. Research school on Geometry and applications in Niger (Niger) from 29 Januray to 5 February 2007.

4.  Meeting GAP Geometry and Physics in Dakar from 14 to 19 May 2007.

5. Summer school in computer algebra and number theory in Tunisia from  27 August to 7 September 2007. At this occasion, meeting of the coordonators of RAGAAD, general assembly of RAGAAD, election for two years of the general coordonators of RAGAAD.
6. First West African Training School in Algebra and Geometry in Abidjan (Ivory Coast)

Activities carried out  in 2007-2008

1. AfricaCrypt2008 in Casablana (Morocco)

2. Workshop in Algebra and Logic in Yaounde (Cameroon).

3. West African Training School in Algebra and Geometry in Abidjan (Ivory Coast)

Activities planed  in 2008-2009

1. CIMPA/ICPAM school in Yaounde (Cameroon) from August 17 to August 28, 2009 on "Software tools for algebra, geometry and logic".

Supporting the network: ICTP, CIMPA, AUF (Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie), SARIMA, Universities and African states (Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Congo, Senegal, Mali, Morocco, Niger, Tunisia), French Universities (Marseille, Rennes, Besançon), ISP, Fondation Schlumberger, NSF.