Abstract:

The 50th birthday of multigrid computational methods is just around the
corner. This largely nontechnical talk, intended for a general
mathematical/science/engineering audience, will illustrate the fundamental
concepts underlying multigrid methods, retrace their evolution over the
years, cast a spotlight on a selection of multigrid milestones, survey
recent and current developments, and ponder the future of the field. 

No prior knowledge of multigrid methods is assumed.