Seminars & Colloquia
2007 - 2008

Thursday, March 10 at 4:30 pm in EBH 107

Speaker: Erich McAlister

Title: Games and Strategies: Continued

Abstract: In this talk we will discuss optimal strategies for some of the games from the 1/24 colloquium

Tuesday, February 12 at 4:30 pm in EBH 107

Speaker: Molly Fenn

Title: The Platonic Solids and the Four Color Theorem: An Introduction to Planar Graphs

Abstract: Graph theory is an area of mathematics that requires very little introduction before some cool problems can be understood and solved.  We will start from the basic definitions and examine proofs (and false proofs!) of two historically interesting problems, classifying all regular polyhedra and coloring maps with as few colors as possible.

Tuesday, February 5 at 4:30 pm in EBH 107

Speaker: Anne McCarthy

Title: The Dynamics of Group Actions on the Circle

Abstract: We will introduce definitions, examples, and central ideas pertaining to the study dynamical systems. We will then introduce group actions, and see how the language of dynamical systems can be used to give a visual description of how one particular group can act on the circle.  

Thursday, January 31 at 4:30 pm in EBH 107

Speaker: Laura Scull

Title: What is half a point?  An introduction to orbifolds and moduli spaces.

Abstract: A moduli space describes a class of geometric objects, and how these can be deformed into one another. These are increasingly showing up in physics (via string theory) and mathematics (via algebraic geometry). In studying  moduli spaces, mathematicians have recognized that  these are not ordinary spaces but rather  `orbifolds', which contain fractions of points. I will discuss the elementary example of finding a moduli space to classify triangles, and show how natural geometric questions lead us to the more general orbifold setting. I will mention various  ways of describing and understanding these, including my own recent work connecting these to spaces with symmetries. Only basic knowledge of the geometry of triangles will be needed as background.

Thursday, January 24 at 4:30 pm in EBH 107

Speaker: Erich McAlister

Title: Games and Strategies

Abstract: We will be playing games of a mathematical nature. It will be fun! In a talk to follow, we will discuss the mathematical strategies (with proofs!) for playing these games in an optimal way. This will be even more fun!!

Thursday, November 29 at 4:30 pm in EBH 065

Speaker: Veronika Furst

Title: The Opposite of Derivative

Abstract: What would happen if we defined a new kind of "derivative" -- one that is a long-term rate of change instead of an instantaneous rate of change? What kind of properties would this new "derivative" have? And what would we call it? Someone already thought up a meaning for the term "antiderivative," so we'll have to come up with something else. Will we join the ranks of Newton and Leibniz or retreat quietly and pretend the whole incident never happened? Come find out!

Thursday, November 8 at 4 pm in EBH 065

Speaker: Kathy Merrill

Title: Tilings in Wonderland

Abstract: Tilings, such as those that appear in M.C. Escher's art or in the Alhambra, have long been of interest to mathematicians, artists and scientists.  The tiles we usually see have the property that identical copies of them can be moved around to cover the plane without overlap.  This talk will focus on shapes that not only tile the plane by copies moved around, but also tile by copies expanded and contracted (like Alice nibbling the mushroom).  Such a shape is called a wavelet set, and is related to the mathematical theory of image compression.

Thursday, September 27 at 4 pm in EBH 065

Speaker: Erich McAlister

Title: What do mathematicians do anyway?

Abstract: In this talk I will explore the answers to the question of what exactly mathematicians do, from a philosophical point of view. We will basically learn the answers from the Greeks through modern times.