Seminars and Colloquia

Tuesday, September 19 at 4:40 pm in Berndt 234
Speaker: Vesta Coufal and Carl Lienert

Title: What do mathematicians do anyway?

Tuesday, October 10 at 4:40 pm in Berndt 234
Speaker: Aaron Gordon

Title: Representation and Problem Solving
Tuesday, October 17 at 4:40 pm in Berndt 234
Speaker: Kathy Merrill

Title: Irrationality and Trancendence

Abstract: Irrational and transcendental numbers are everywhere, but it is often

difficult to prove that a suspect is guilty. This talk will look at some

techniques for determining the nature of a given number and survey what is

known about some of our favorites.

Tuesday, October 24 at 4:40 pm in Berndt 234
Speaker: Carl Lienert

Title: Quadratic Forms

Abstract: The origin of the study of quadratic forms is probably the question: "What positive integers can be represented as the sum of 2 squares?" We'll answer this question as well as another, similar classic question. We'll also use a special case of quadratic forms to illustrate two modern techniques used in the study of quadratic forms.
Tuesday, October 31 at 4:40 pm in Berndt 234
Speaker: Pam Smith

Title: An Introduction to Fathom

Abstract: We will use many of Fathom's tools to investigate a statistical problem.

Thursday, November 9 at 4:40 pm in EBH 55 (note the special time and place)
Speaker: Dr. Veronika Furst from the University of Arizona

Title: Basic Wavelets

Abstract: Although their roots go back as far as 1873 (Weierstrass) or at least 1909 (Haar), it has only been in the last twenty-some years that wavelets reached the huge popularity they enjoy today. From thin air, we will construct a multiresolution analysis, and use it to build a wavelet. This is the celebrated method of Mallat and Meyer. We will discuss the advantages of using wavelets, both computationally and theoretically. Intuition and pictures will replace mathematical rigor in our presentation, which follows the work of Mulcahy as well as Stollnitz, et al. Fear not: no background in Fourier analysis is required; familiarity with linear algebra is helpful, but a working knowledge of the operations of division and subtraction is all that is necessary.
Tuesday, November 14 at 4:40 pm in Berndt 234
Speaker: Vesta Coufal

Title: The Euler Characteristic

Abstract: In 1736 Euler solved the Konigsberg bridge problem. This, in some ways, led to his definition of an invariant for polyhedra now called the Euler Characteristic. This characteristic has been defined for many different topological objects in many different ways, and is to this day an important topological invariant. We will define the Euler Characteristic for surfaces, and use it to gain some understanding of the classification of surfaces.

Tuesday, November 28 at 4:40 pm in Berndt 234
Speaker: Erich McAlister

Title: Wallpaper groups and 2-orbifolds

Abstract: In this talk we will discuss a geometric interpretation of the Euler characteristic that motivates a definition of the Euler characteristic for orbifolds. We will then discuss the Euler characteristic of orbifolds arising from planar crystallographic groups. All technical terms will be explained.