Algebra / Number Theory / Combinatorics Seminar

An elliptic curve $ E: y^2 + a_1 \, x \, y + a_3 \, y = x^3 + a_2 \, x^2 + a_1 \, x + a_6 $ is a cubic equation which has two curious properties: (1) the curve is nonsingular, so that we can draw tangent lines to every point $ P […]

The existence of a set $A\subset \N_0$ of positive upper Banach density such that $A-A:=\{m-n:m, n\in A, m>n\}$ does not contain a set of the form $S-S$ with $S$ a piecewise syndetic is in essence the content of a popular result due to K\v r\'{i}\v z in 1987. Since then at least four different proofs […]

An arithmetical structure on a finite, connected graph G without loops is given by an assignment of positive integers to the vertices such that, at each vertex, the integer there is a divisor of the sum of the integers at adjacent vertices, counted with multiplicity if the graph is not simple. Alternatively,  an arithmetical structure […]

This talk discusses a puzzle called “Spinning Switches,” based on a problem popularized by Martin Gardner in his February 1979 column of “Mathematical Games". This puzzle can be generalized to a two-player game on a finite wreath products. This talk will provide a classification of several families of these generalized puzzles, including a full classification […]