Dr J.E. Frank (1970) has been named professor, by special appointment, of Numerical Analysis and Dynamic Systems at the University of Amsterdam's Faculty of Science. The chair was designated on behalf of the Stichting Hoger Onderwijs in de Toegepaste Wiskunde (Foundation for Higher Education in Applied Mathematics).

Jason Frank researches dynamical aspects of numerical algorithms for solving differential equations that describe time-dependent processes in the natural sciences. Continuum models exhibit dynamical behaviour that can best be understood using tools of applied analysis. However, numerical methods for attaining mathematical solutions in these models exhibit an individual dynamics that may or may not correspond with that of the continuum. One important example is the conservation of energy in mechanical systems; algorithms that preserve energy tend to produce better results than algorithms lacking this property. This is especially important in applications involving extended simulations for the purpose of generating data to be subjected to statistical analysis, as inconsistent dynamic behaviour leads to structural deviations in the statistics of these data. Frank's research is applied in atmospheric and oceanic sciences as well as in the production and distribution of energy.

Frank studied aerospace engineering at the University of Kansas (USA) and obtained his PhD in mathematics from Delft University of Technology with a thesis entitled Efficient Algorithms for the Numerical Solution of Differential Equations. Frank has worked at the National Research Institute for Matematics and Computer Science( Centrum Wiskunde en Informatica, CWI) since 2000, where he has headed the Dynamical Systems and Numerical Analysis research group since 2007. He has been a member of the editorial board of SIAM Journal on Scientific Computing since 2008.