We will examine the multiplicative structure of two skein algebras--- the usual Kauffman bracket skein algebra of a surface (generated by loops) and a generalization of it due to Roger-Yang (generated by loops and arcs). In joint work with Chloe Marple, we found a homomorphism between the usual skein algebra for a closed torus and […]
CCMS Colloquium invites you to a talk by Teal Witter (CMC) Title: Exactly Computing do-Shapley Values Abstract: Causal questions lie at the heart of scientific inquiry, from evaluating economic policies to determining medical treatments. Yet, observational data alone is often insufficient due to the fundamental problem of causal inference: we cannot observe the counterfactual world […]
This GEMS session will be facilitated by Professor Teal Witter from Claremont McKenna College. Title: Who Can Write Down the Bigger Number? Abstract: If you had fifteen seconds to write the largest distinct whole number possible on an index card, what would you write? While most would look to the physical world for inspiration—counting the […]
Abstract: The three-dimensional incompressible Euler equations describe the motion of an ideal fluid, yet the mechanisms that govern the possible loss of regularity of smooth solutions remain only partially understood. A classical result of Beale, Kato, and Majda shows that if a smooth solution breaks down in finite time, then the time integral of the […]
Abstract: In general, the objective of algebraic topology is to classify spaces using some algebraic invariants or up to some notion of equivalence. In the area of equivariant homotopy theory, the goal is the same but now spaces equipped with a group action are considered and algebraic invariants of choice are homotopy groups. It turns […]
CCMS Colloquium invites you to a talk by Sofia Martinez Alberga (Bryn Mawr College) Title: Stay in the Loop and Fun Group Abstract: In this talk, we will discuss the goal of algebraic topology. After we will discuss a topological space that can be associated with any topological space, say $X$, and base point, $b \in X$: […]
Abstract: Existing tools for explaining complex models and systems are associational rather than causal and do not provide mechanistic understanding. We propose a new notion called counterfactual explainability for causal attribution that is motivated by the concept of genetic heritability in twin studies. Counterfactual explainability extends methods for global sensitivity analysis (including the functional analysis […]
This is a talk in two parts covering two projects that the speaker mentored over the summer of 2025. The first project deals with the study of polytopes that arise from the convex hulls of stack-sorting on particular permutations. The second project deals with the study of symmetric edge polytopes of a finite simple graph, […]
Abstract: Let C be a compact convex set (in a locally convex topological vector space). By Choquet’s theorem, every point in C is the barycenter of a probability measure supported on the extreme points. When this representing measure is unique, C is called a simplex. Simplices arise naturally in various fields of mathematics: the space […]
CCMS Colloquium invites you to a talk by Mary Lou Zeeman (Bowdoin College) Title: A new framework for studying transient reactivity in two-dimensional systems. Abstract: Even if a linear system of ordinary differential equations (ODEs) has a globally attracting equilibrium, solutions of the ODEs may grow arbitrarily large in the short-term before returning to the equilibrium […]
CCMS Colloquium invites you to a talk by Harrison Li (HMC) Title: Precise analysis of blocked randomized experiments Abstract: I recently finished a multi-year project with collaborators analyzing a blocked randomized experiment to evaluate the effectiveness of a government job training program for unemployment insurance (UI) recipients in Rhode Island. In presenting the results, I will focus […]
Abstract: We present a new approach for deriving structure-preserving numerical discretizations of Fokker-Planck equations by establishing a connection between the Fokker-Planck equation and its semi-discrete master equation at the level […]
