Applied Math Seminar

Title: Pareto optimization of resonances and optimal control methods Abstract: First successes in fabrication of high-Q optical cavities two decades ago led to active applied physics and numerical studies of optimization problems involving resonances. The questions is how to design an open resonator that has an eigenvalue as close as possible to the real line […]

Title: Connections between Iterative Methods for Linear Systems and Consensus Dynamics on Networks Abstract: There is a well-established linear algebraic lens for studying consensus dynamics on networks, which has yielded significant theoretical results in areas like distributed computing, modeling of opinion dynamics, and ranking methods. Recently, strong connections have been made between problems of consensus […]

Title: Viscoelastic Effects of Spontaneous Oscillations of Elastic Filaments in the Follower-Force Problem. Abstract: It is well know that microorganisms, such as bacteria and eukaryotes, often move in intricate environments experiencing mechano-chemical dynamics. These environments consist of rheologically complex substances such as mucus and other biofilms that are more complicated than water.  Spermatozoa (sperm), for […]

During this student-centered Applied Math Seminar, there will be discussion and presentation about upcoming courses in applied mathematics to help students make their enrollment choices for Fall 2022 and beyond.

Title: Data science and applications in dynamic topic modeling Abstract: The shockwaves of the big data boom have thrown into sharp relief the critical need for domain-driven, large-scale data analytic techniques across the fields of, among others, finance, political science, economics, psychology, and medicine. It is not simply the size of data sets that contributes […]

Title: What is the best shape? Geometric problems arising in aggregation models Abstract: How do pair interactions shape the large-scale behaviour of a cloud of particles (animals, social agents ...) ?  In the most basic models, the shape of the cloud is determined by minimizing an attractive-repulsive interaction energy under suitable geometric constraints. When can […]

Title: Computational Approaches to Optimization Problems in Inhomogeneous Rods and Plates Abstract: In this talk, we will show the experiments of the vibration of plates to generate Chladni's figures and discuss computational approaches to optimization problems of inhomogeneous rods and plates. We consider both optimization of eigenvalues and localization of eigenfunctions. These problems are motivated by physical problems […]

Title: Understanding scientific fields with network analysis and topic modeling Abstract: As scientific disciplines get larger, it becomes impossible for an individual researcher to be familiar with the entire body of literature, which forces them to specialize in a sub-field. Such insulation can hinder the birth of ideas that arise from new connections, eventually slowing down […]

Title: Approximating Quasi-Stationary Distributions with Interacting Reinforced Markov Chains Abstract: An important question in ecology is what conditions must be met for a population of interacting species to coexist. In realistic models of such populations, after a large enough amount of time has passed, one or more of the species are sure to face extinction. […]

Title: Kolmogorov, Onsager and a Dyadic Model for Turbulence Abstract: We will briefly review Kolmogorov’s ( 41) theory of homogeneous turbulence and Onsager’s ( 49 ) conjecture that in 3-dimensional turbulent flows energy dissipation might exist even in the limit of vanishing viscosity. Although over the past 70 years there is a vast body of […]

Title: Mathematical modeling of polymerization processes in physiology Abstract: Polymerization, or aggregation, is essential for many physiological systems. For example, the emergence of a fibrin polymer mesh during the formation of a blood clot is required for a stable clot and long-term, sustained intracellular transport in neurons rely on persistent yet dynamic polymers that comprise the […]

Title: Randomized Sums of Graph Spectra Abstract: The adjacency matrix of an Erdős-Rényi-Gilbert graph is a random symmetric matrix whose entries are Bernoulli random variables. These entries, modulo the constraints imposed by symmetry, are independent. We aim to understand the asymptotic behavior of randomized sums of the spectra and singular spectra of these matrices. In […]