BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Claremont Center for the Mathematical Sciences - ECPv6.15.17.1//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-WR-CALNAME:Claremont Center for the Mathematical Sciences X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://colleges.claremont.edu/ccms X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Claremont Center for the Mathematical Sciences REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/Los_Angeles BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0800 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:PDT DTSTART:20230312T100000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0800 TZNAME:PST DTSTART:20231105T090000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0800 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:PDT DTSTART:20240310T100000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0800 TZNAME:PST DTSTART:20241103T090000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0800 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:PDT DTSTART:20250309T100000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0800 TZNAME:PST DTSTART:20251102T090000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0800 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:PDT DTSTART:20260308T100000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0800 TZNAME:PST DTSTART:20261101T090000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20241111T080000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20241111T170000 DTSTAMP:20260404T104454 CREATED:20241112T043753Z LAST-MODIFIED:20241112T043753Z UID:3607-1731312000-1731344400@colleges.claremont.edu SUMMARY:No CCMS Colloquium on November 27th! Happy Thanksgiving! DESCRIPTION: URL:https://colleges.claremont.edu/ccms/event/no-ccms-colloquium-on-november-27th-happy-thanksgiving/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20241112T121500 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20241112T131000 DTSTAMP:20260404T104454 CREATED:20240118T205450Z LAST-MODIFIED:20241028T192316Z UID:3341-1731413700-1731417000@colleges.claremont.edu SUMMARY:Traces of Partition Eisenstein series (Ken Ono\, University of Virginia) DESCRIPTION:Integer partitions are ubiquitous in mathematics\, arising in subjects as disparate as algebraic combinatorics\, algebraic geometry\, number theory\, representation theory\, to mathematics physics. Many of the deepest results on partitions have their origin in the work of Ramanujan. In this lecture\, we will describe a completely new and unexpected role for partitions that also arises from the mysterious “lost notebook” of Ramanujan. We discover and explain the role of new q-series called “partition Eisenstein series”. These functions magically pop up as the key device for solving a conjecture of Andrews and Berndt\, for studying symmetric functions of 2-dimensional lattice sums\, for determining the properties of Andrews-Garvan “crank statistic”\, and for representing the Taylor coefficients of virtually every interesting Jacobi automorphic form. This talk will tell the story of the recent discovery of these functions\, and will offer a brief tour of these applications. URL:https://colleges.claremont.edu/ccms/event/antc-seminar-ken-ono-university-of-virginia/ LOCATION:Estella 2113 CATEGORIES:Algebra / Number Theory / Combinatorics Seminar END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20241112T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20241112T160000 DTSTAMP:20260404T104454 CREATED:20240928T045117Z LAST-MODIFIED:20241109T013611Z UID:3553-1731423600-1731427200@colleges.claremont.edu SUMMARY:Claremont Topology Seminar: Claudio Gomez-Gonzales (Carleton College - UC Irvine) DESCRIPTION:We welcome all undergraduate/graduate students and faculty to attend the Topology Seminar! \nSpeaker: Claudio Gomez-Gonzales (Carleton College – UC Irvine) \nTitle: How hard could it be? A tour of resolvent degree \nAbstract: Solving algebraic equations are among the oldest problems in mathematics. In this talk\, we offer a concrete\, visual\, and historical introduction to resolvent degree (RD)\, an invariant that aspires to quantify just how hard these problems are. The lineage of this theory includes the origins of topology\, Klein’s “hypergalois” program\, and centuries-old exploits in reducing numbers of coefficients\, which dare us to push beyond the solvable/unsolvable dichotomy. We will build towards the notion of versality central to Klein’s vision\, with a nod to our general framework implemented in joint work with Alexander Sutherland and Jesse Wolfson\, that permits us to address resolvent questions via classical invariant theory. We will conclude by reflecting on the past and future of resolvent problems\, along with what we do and don’t know about RD. This talk is designed to be accessible for undergraduates—let’s do some math! URL:https://colleges.claremont.edu/ccms/event/claremont-topology-seminar-claudio-gomez-gonzales-carleton-college-uc-irvine/ LOCATION:Estella 2099 CATEGORIES:Topology Seminar ORGANIZER;CN="Bahar Acu":MAILTO:Bahar_Acu@pitzer.edu END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20241113T161500 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20241113T173000 DTSTAMP:20260404T104454 CREATED:20240905T023653Z LAST-MODIFIED:20241108T224555Z UID:3490-1731514500-1731519000@colleges.claremont.edu SUMMARY:CCMS Colloquium: Molecular Pasta\, Complex Entanglement in Biopolymers (Dorothy Buck\, Duke Uni.) DESCRIPTION:Speaker: Dorothy Buck\, Professor of Mathematics\, Duke University \nTitle: Molecular Pasta: Complex Entanglement in Biopolymers \nAbstract: If you’ve cooked spaghetti\, you’ve probably noticed how the pasta becomes entangled in the pot (especially in a small volume of water) or in your bowl afterwards.  This is a macro example of what I like to think about: entanglement in biopolymers.  Like linguine in a boiling pot of water\, our own DNA is a (group of) long skinny molecule(s) in the confined volume of an active\, energetic cell.  Unlike fettuccine though\, it’s life-or-death important to organize\, access and groom these long skinny DNA molecules.  So there’s a host of small machines (proteins) to do this\, in ways we’ve yet to fully understand.  Part of the complication is that we don’t yet have the precise experimental tools yet to watch (through microscopes) this dynamic process.  So instead we use the shape of these DNA molecules — before\, during and after their grooming — to back solve the precise processes that must be happening within the cell. \nIn this talk\, I’ll give an overview of some of these molecular biological questions\, why we care about them (as humans\, biologists and mathematicians) and some of my answers to these.  In particular I’ll highlight some more recent work on understanding DNA spatial graphs\, including those that look the the Greek letter theta\, and the exciting new mathematics we’ve developed to accurately model DNA during cell division \nBio: Dorothy Buck is an alumna of Pomona College\, and credits the Pomona Math department — including Professors Shahriar Shahriari\, Richard Elderkin and especially Erica Flapan — for igniting a love of both math and academia. Her 20+ years of research has worked to characterize entanglement – in circles\, linear segments and graphs – and to explore how biomolecular entanglement affects cellular structure and function. She investigates this molecular entanglement using a combination of topological (3-manifold) techniques and occasionally biochemical experiments. \nShe’s currently a professor at Duke\, after faculty positions in the US (Brown and Johns Hopkins) and the UK\, and much earlier an NSF postdoc and PhD with advisors in both Math and Molecular Biology.  After many years at the bench\, she now collaborates with experimental and computational experts.  She’s been the recipient of over $5M in grants\, which has funded both her own research and her large team\, as well as projects with architects and an Artist in Residence. URL:https://colleges.claremont.edu/ccms/event/molecular-pasta/ LOCATION:Argue Auditorium\, Pomona College\, 610 N. College Ave.\, Claremont\, CA\, 91711\, United States CATEGORIES:Colloquium ORGANIZER;CN="Bahar Acu":MAILTO:Bahar_Acu@pitzer.edu GEO:34.0999157;-117.7142668 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Argue Auditorium Pomona College 610 N. College Ave. Claremont CA 91711 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=610 N. College Ave.:geo:-117.7142668,34.0999157 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20241115T110000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20241115T110000 DTSTAMP:20260404T104454 CREATED:20241114T222501Z LAST-MODIFIED:20241114T222501Z UID:3615-1731668400-1731668400@colleges.claremont.edu SUMMARY:Claremont History and Philosophy of Mathematics Seminar: Iris Clever (UChicago) DESCRIPTION:Speaker: Iris Clever\, University of Chicago \nTitle: The Making of the Modern Statistical Identity: From Skull Science to Biometrics \nAbstract: In this presentation\, I uncover an overlooked genealogy of biometrics\, tracing it back to early 20th-century race science and the rise of statistical thinking about human identity. Before biometrics became a technology of controlling human identity\, it was a science aimed at understanding human diversity\, specifically racial diversity. I examine the emergence of craniometry in the 19th century and how its methodologies paved the way for a novel approach to racial anthropology driven by mathematical statistics in the early 20th century. Finally\, I explore the postwar development of computerized anthropology. \nFMI (or zoom link): jlorenat [at] pitzer.edu URL:https://colleges.claremont.edu/ccms/event/claremont-history-and-philosophy-of-mathematics-seminar-iris-clever-uchicago/ LOCATION:Founders Room\, Pitzer College CATEGORIES:History and Philosophy of Mathematics Seminar END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20241118T161500 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20241118T171500 DTSTAMP:20260404T104454 CREATED:20240924T161201Z LAST-MODIFIED:20241117T175021Z UID:3541-1731946500-1731950100@colleges.claremont.edu SUMMARY:Applied Math Seminar: Shriya Nagpal (Pitzer College) DESCRIPTION:Title: Designing Robust Networks of Coupled Phase Oscillators with Applications to the High-Voltage Electric Grid \nAbstract: A network is any collection of objects\, called nodes\, in which some pairs of these objects are connected by links\, called edges. In a network of coupled phase-oscillators\, each node represents a phase-angle (or an angle with periodicity) whose long-term dynamics is determined by a differential equation governed by the node’s connectivity to the rest of the network and the phase-angle’s inherent natural frequency. Networks of coupled phase-oscillators have been of great interest to the scientific community in the last decade because of their ability to model a broad array of applications including circadian rhythms\, flashing fireflies\, and high voltage electric grids. In many of these applications\, synchronization is a coordinated behavior that emerges over time and is of interest to optimize for. To this end\, we introduce a mathematical framework for designing robust networks of coupled phase-oscillators. Robustness\, in this context\, denotes the ability of the phase-oscillators to maintain synchronized behavior despite minor system perturbations. We then apply this mathematical framework to address challenges impacting the functionality of high voltage electric grids\, particularly in the context of integrating renewable energy. URL:https://colleges.claremont.edu/ccms/event/applied-math-seminar-shriya-nagpal-pitzer-college/ LOCATION:Emmy Noether Room\, Estella 1021\, Pomona College\,\, 610 N. College Ave.\, Claremont\, CA\, 91711\, United States CATEGORIES:Applied Math Seminar END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20241119T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20241119T160000 DTSTAMP:20260404T104454 CREATED:20240928T045216Z LAST-MODIFIED:20241015T011845Z UID:3554-1732028400-1732032000@colleges.claremont.edu SUMMARY:Claremont Topology Seminar: Heather Lee DESCRIPTION:We welcome all undergraduate/graduate students and faculty to attend topology seminar! \nSpeaker: Heather Lee \nTitle: Some examples of homological mirror symmetry \nAbstract: Mirror symmetry is a duality phenomenon between symplectic geometry and complex geometry. The homological mirror symmetry (HMS) conjecture was originally formulated by M. Kontsevich in 1994 to fully capture this phenomenon for mirror pairs of compact Calabi-Yau manifolds. Since then\, it has been extended to cover a much wider range of manifolds. For example\, in 2 real dimensions\, among the compact Riemann surfaces\, the torus is Calabi-Yau\, the sphere is Fano\, and all others are of general type; in addition\, there are punctured Riemann surfaces which are not compact. In this talk\, I will present a few illustrative examples of HMS\, including ones worked out by others and from my own research. URL:https://colleges.claremont.edu/ccms/event/claremont-topology-seminar-heather-lee/ LOCATION:Estella 2099\, Pomona College\, 610 N. College Ave.\, Claremont\, CA\, United States CATEGORIES:Topology Seminar ORGANIZER;CN="Bahar Acu":MAILTO:Bahar_Acu@pitzer.edu END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20241120T041500 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20241120T173000 DTSTAMP:20260404T104454 CREATED:20241111T183115Z LAST-MODIFIED:20241116T023348Z UID:3606-1732076100-1732123800@colleges.claremont.edu SUMMARY:CCMS Colloquium: Sound Information is All You Need (Kobi Abayomi\, Seton Hall University) DESCRIPTION:Speaker: Kobi Abayomi\, Head of Science\, Gumbel Demand Acceleration \nTitle: Sound Information is All You Need \nAbstract: It turns out that affinity for a song is predictable from its sound. We explore the statistical predictability of aggregate song demand from an informational representation. \n___________________________ \nBio: Dr. Abayomi is the Head of Science for Gumbel Demand Acceleration – a Software as a Service (SaaS) company for digital media. Dr. Abayomi was the first and founding SVP of Data Science at Warner Music Group (WMG). He has also served as a Professor of Industrial Engineering\, Probability\, and Statistics & Environmental Science at Georgia Tech\, Universidad de Cuenca\, and Binghamton University. He holds a Ph.D. in Probability and Statistics from Columbia University and Post-Doctorates from Duke and Stanford Universities. \nDr. Abayomi serves on the Data Science Advisory Council at Seton Hall University\, where he holds an appointment in the Mathematics & Computer Science Department. He serves on the Advisory Council at the Ivan Allen College at the Georgia Institute of Technology\, the Faculty Council at Barnes & Noble Education\, the advisory council for Modal Education\, and he is a chapter advisor for AI 2030. URL:https://colleges.claremont.edu/ccms/event/sound-info/ LOCATION:Argue Auditorium\, Pomona College\, 610 N. College Ave.\, Claremont\, CA\, 91711\, United States CATEGORIES:Colloquium ORGANIZER;CN="Bahar Acu":MAILTO:Bahar_Acu@pitzer.edu GEO:34.0999157;-117.7142668 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Argue Auditorium Pomona College 610 N. College Ave. Claremont CA 91711 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=610 N. College Ave.:geo:-117.7142668,34.0999157 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20241127T041500 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20241127T173000 DTSTAMP:20260404T104454 CREATED:20241112T043927Z LAST-MODIFIED:20241112T044017Z UID:3611-1732680900-1732728600@colleges.claremont.edu SUMMARY:No CCMS Colloquium. Happy Thanksgiving! DESCRIPTION: URL:https://colleges.claremont.edu/ccms/event/no-ccms-colloquium-on-november-27th-happy-thanksgiving-2/ CATEGORIES:Colloquium END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20241203T121500 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20241203T131000 DTSTAMP:20260404T104454 CREATED:20240906T182729Z LAST-MODIFIED:20241118T192728Z UID:3497-1733228100-1733231400@colleges.claremont.edu SUMMARY:Variations of oddtown and eventown (Jason O'Neill\, Cal State LA) DESCRIPTION:The classical oddtown and eventown problems involve a collection of subsets of a finite set with an odd (resp. even) number of elements such that all pairwise intersections contain an even number of elements. In this talk\, we will discuss these results as well as the following variants: \n\nWe consider set sizes and pairwise intersection restrictions given modulo m as opposed to even/odd (mod 2).\nWe allow very “few” pairwise intersections in collections of subsets.\nWe impose further conditions on 3-wise and 4-wise intersections of our collection of subsets.\n\nAlong the way\, we will sprinkle in a few open problems. URL:https://colleges.claremont.edu/ccms/event/antc-talk-jason-oneill-cal-state-la/ LOCATION:Estella 2113 CATEGORIES:Algebra / Number Theory / Combinatorics Seminar END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20241203T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20241203T160000 DTSTAMP:20260404T104454 CREATED:20240928T045355Z LAST-MODIFIED:20241202T162645Z UID:3555-1733238000-1733241600@colleges.claremont.edu SUMMARY:Claremont Topology Seminar: Rhea Palak Bakshi (University of California\, Santa Barbara) DESCRIPTION:We welcome all undergraduate/graduate students and faculty to attend topology seminar! \nSpeaker: Rhea Palak Bakshi (University of California Santa Barbara) \nTitle: The skein module of the connected sum of two copies of L(0\,1) \nAbstract: Abstract: Skein modules were introduced by Jozef H. Przytycki\, and independently by Vladmimor Turaev\, as generalisations of the Jones\, Kauffman bracket\, and HOMFLYPT polynomial link invariants in the 3-sphere to arbitrary 3-manifolds. The Kauffman bracket skein module (KBSM) is the most extensively studied of all. However\, computing the KBSM of a 3-manifold is known to be notoriously hard\, especially over the ring of Laurent polynomials. Marche conjectured that over the ring of Laurent polynomials\, the KBSM of closed oriented 3-manifolds splits into the sum of free and torsion modules. The counterexample to this conjecture is given by the connected sum of two copies of the real projective space. With the goal of finding a definite structure of the KBSM over this ring\, we compute the skein module of S^1 x S^2 # H_1 and S^1 x S^2 # S^1 x S^2. We show that it is isomorphic to the KBSM of a genus two handlebody modulo some specific handle sliding relations. Moreover\, these handle sliding relations can be written in terms of Chebyshev polynomials. We also discuss whether the KBSM of these manifolds splits into the sums of free and torsion modules. This is joint work with Seongjeong Kim\, Shangjun Shi\, and Xiao Wang. URL:https://colleges.claremont.edu/ccms/event/claremont-topology-seminar-rhea-palak-bakshi-university-of-california-santa-barbara/ LOCATION:Estella 2099 CATEGORIES:Topology Seminar ORGANIZER;CN="Bahar Acu":MAILTO:Bahar_Acu@pitzer.edu END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20241204T153000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20241204T173000 DTSTAMP:20260404T104454 CREATED:20241125T183109Z LAST-MODIFIED:20241202T232529Z UID:3623-1733326200-1733333400@colleges.claremont.edu SUMMARY:CCMS Colloquium with Pre-Colloquium Reception:  Shahriar Shahriari (Pomona College) DESCRIPTION:We will conclude the CCMS Fall Colloquium Series with a Pre-Colloquium Reception followed by a talk (details below). \nPre-Colloquium Reception will begin at 3:30pm with foods and drink in the Estella Atrium. \nFollowing the reception\, the colloquium talk will start at 4:30pm (Notice the change in time.) \n_____________________ \nSpeaker: Shahriar Shahriari\, Professor of Mathematics and Statistics\, Pomona College\, Claremont\, CA \nTitle:  Combinatorial Connections: HyperCubes & Vector Spaces Over Finite Fields \nAbstract: Abstractions allow us to see connections between familiar objects. In extremal set theory\, often the aim is to find the largest or smallest collection of subsets with a specific property. Using the lens of partially ordered sets\, one can investigate vector spaces over finite fields using vaguely similar techniques. If V is an n-dimensional vector space over a finite field\, then how many k-dimensional subspaces can you find so that your collection does not include three distinct subspaces A\, B\, and C with A = (A\cap B) \oplus (A \cap C)? How many subspaces of any dimension can you find so that your collection does not include three distinct subspaces A\, B\, and C with either $A  \subseteq B \cap C$ or $B+C \subseteq A$? These puzzles will illustrate the connections between combinatorics of finite sets and of vector spaces. \nBio:  Shahriari is the William Polk Russell Professor of Mathematics at Pomona College. He has had the privilege of teaching/mentoring generations of talented students\, many of whom are now teaching in universities and colleges across the country. \nIn 2015\, Shahriar Shahriari received a Mathematical Association of America Deborah and Franklin Tepper Haimo Award for Distinguished Teaching in Mathematics for his commitment to bringing more students from underrepresented groups into the field of mathematics — widely considered the nation’s top prize for teaching mathematics. He is a five-time winner of Pomona College’s Wig teaching award. Known for classes that encourage student-driven discovery\, he published the materials for his honors Calculus class as a textbook\, titled Approximately Calculus\, which won the American Library Association’s Choice Award for Outstanding Academic Title in 2007. Shahriari has published three texts: “Approximately Calculus”\, “Algebra in Action”\, and “An Invitation to Combinatorics”\, and over 50 articles\, many coauthored with undergraduate students. URL:https://colleges.claremont.edu/ccms/event/shahriar-shahriari-ccms-fall-2024/ LOCATION:Argue Auditorium\, Pomona College\, 610 N. College Ave.\, Claremont\, CA\, 91711\, United States CATEGORIES:Colloquium ORGANIZER;CN="Bahar Acu":MAILTO:Bahar_Acu@pitzer.edu GEO:34.0999157;-117.7142668 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Argue Auditorium Pomona College 610 N. College Ave. Claremont CA 91711 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=610 N. College Ave.:geo:-117.7142668,34.0999157 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20241207T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20241207T120000 DTSTAMP:20260404T104454 CREATED:20241006T034917Z LAST-MODIFIED:20241108T001201Z UID:3569-1733565600-1733572800@colleges.claremont.edu SUMMARY:GEMS December 7th Session DESCRIPTION:This GEMS session will be facilitated by Professor Lenny Fukshansky from Claremont McKenna College. \nTitle:  From Knapsacks and Changing Coins to Geometry\n\nAbstract:  Suppose you have a bag that can hold a fixed amount of weight\, and you are trying to fill it with several types of objects of different weights and prices. The goal is to maximize the value of your bag. How do you do it? This is a notoriously difficult optimization problem\, which often arises in resource allocation with financial constraints. Another famous optimization problem asks what amount of change can you give with coins of prescribed denominations? Surprisingly\, not only are the two closely related to each other\, they both can be restated in the geometric language of polygons\, points with integer coordinates\, and their higher-dimensional generalizations! We will discuss these important problems and their beautiful connection to a classical problem in geometry: how can we count the number of integer points in a fixed polygon? The answer is given by the celebrated 19th century theorem of Georg Alexander Pick\, who proved a remarkable formula for this number in terms of the area and perimeter of the polygon. We will talk about Pick’s theorem and perform a hands-on exploration of this fascinating area of geometry. URL:https://colleges.claremont.edu/ccms/event/gems-december-7th-session/ LOCATION:Shanahan 1480\, Harvey Mudd College\, 301 Platt Blvd.\, Claremont\, CA\, 91711\, United States CATEGORIES:GEMS END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250129T161500 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250129T173000 DTSTAMP:20260404T104454 CREATED:20250112T013725Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250129T042907Z UID:3630-1738167300-1738171800@colleges.claremont.edu SUMMARY:CCMS Colloquium: Math as the Gateway for STEM Achievement and Access: The Bridge to Enter Advanced Mathematics (BEAM) Program (Dan Zaharopol\, CEO BEAM) DESCRIPTION:Speaker: Daniel Zaharopol\, Founder of Bridge to Enter Advanced Mathematics (BEAM)\, (AoPSI) The Art of Problem Solving Initiative\, Inc. \nTitle: Math as the Gateway for STEM Achievement and Access: The Bridge to Enter Advanced Mathematics (BEAM) Program \nAbstract: Knowing facts is not enough to drive success in STEM fields: one also needs strong problem solving\, rigorous reasoning\, comfort with abstraction\, and the insight to navigate broad spaces of open problems. However\, before college\, access to challenge and rigor is often limited to those from privileged backgrounds\, relying on paying for special programs or having strong community knowledge to find the right programs. \nHow\, then\, can we enhance access to high-quality preparation in STEM? In this talk\, I will share some reflections on the work to be done\, and how we are approaching that work at Bridge to Enter Advanced Mathematics (BEAM). BEAM creates pathways for students from low-income and historically marginalized communities to become scientists\, mathematicians\, engineers\, and computer scientists. What we’ve seen is clear: many more students can thrive with the right combination of support and access. With a thoughtful approach\, we can make real progress. \nBio: Dan Zaharopol is the Founder and CEO of Bridge to Enter Advanced Mathematics (BEAM). An award-winning teacher and nonprofit entrepreneur\, Dan’s work at BEAM has been featured in the New York Times\, Education Week\, the Notices of the American Mathematical Society\, and the Atlantic Monthly\, among others\, and he’s shared his work through articles and talks in a variety of settings.  But more importantly (at least to him)\, Dan loves math\, sharing math\, and mentoring and supporting students\, and he’s worked with enrichment programs supporting students from all backgrounds across the country. Dan is himself a product of STEM pathways; he received his undergraduate degree in math from MIT and masters’ degrees in both mathematics and teaching mathematics from the University of Illinois URL:https://colleges.claremont.edu/ccms/event/ccms-colloquium-dan-zaharopol/ LOCATION:Argue Auditorium\, Pomona College\, 610 N. College Ave.\, Claremont\, CA\, 91711\, United States CATEGORIES:Colloquium ORGANIZER;CN="Bahar Acu":MAILTO:Bahar_Acu@pitzer.edu GEO:34.0999157;-117.7142668 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Argue Auditorium Pomona College 610 N. College Ave. Claremont CA 91711 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=610 N. College Ave.:geo:-117.7142668,34.0999157 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250201T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250201T120000 DTSTAMP:20260404T104454 CREATED:20250125T112344Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250127T220052Z UID:3655-1738404000-1738411200@colleges.claremont.edu SUMMARY:GEMS February 1st Session DESCRIPTION:This GEMS session will be facilitated by Professor Qidi Peng and William Wu from Claremont Graduate University.\n\n\nTitle: The Beauty of Fractal Geometry\n\n\n\nAbstract:  We will introduce fractal geometries\, which are described in continuous but nowhere differential functions. We will tell the students where to find these geometries in the nature and how to describe them using mathematical tools\, such as box-counting dimension and self-similarity index. We will host small games to let students feel the beauty of fractal geometry. URL:https://colleges.claremont.edu/ccms/event/gems-february-1st-session/ LOCATION:Shanahan 1480\, Harvey Mudd College\, 301 Platt Blvd.\, Claremont\, CA\, 91711\, United States CATEGORIES:GEMS END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250204T121500 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250204T131000 DTSTAMP:20260404T104454 CREATED:20250123T065341Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250123T065341Z UID:3639-1738671300-1738674600@colleges.claremont.edu SUMMARY:Quandle cohomology quiver representations (Sam Nelson\, CMC) DESCRIPTION:Quandles are algebraic structures encoding the motion of knots through space. Quandle cocycle quivers categorify the quandle cocycle invariant. In this talk we will define a quiver representation associated to quandle cocycle quivers and use it to obtain new polynomial invariants of knots. URL:https://colleges.claremont.edu/ccms/event/quandle-cohomology-quiver-representations-sam-nelson-cmc/ LOCATION:Estella 2113 CATEGORIES:Algebra / Number Theory / Combinatorics Seminar END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250205T161500 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250205T173000 DTSTAMP:20260404T104454 CREATED:20250125T041206Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250129T061036Z UID:3643-1738772100-1738776600@colleges.claremont.edu SUMMARY:CCMS Colloquium: (Hrushikesh Mhaskar\, Claremont Grad Uni.) DESCRIPTION:Speaker: Hrushikesh Mhaskar\, Distinguished Research Professor of Mathematics\, Claremont Graduate University \nTitle: Local Analysis Of Global Data \nAbstract: For a periodic integrable function f\, the definition of Fourier coefficients requires the values of f on the entire period.\nWe refer to such data as “global” data. Even though the sequence of Fourier coefficients determines f uniquely\,\nthey do not reveal by themselves local features such as the locations of discontinuities of f (whose definition requires\nthe values of f locally near the point of discontinuity). We will describe our work for extracting such local features\nfrom global data. We will discuss some modern applications such as the separation of blind source signals\, and\nmachine learning problems\, classification and regression in particular. \nBio: Hrushikesh Mhaskar is a research professor of mathematics. He holds a PhD in mathematics\, MS in computer science\, and MS in mathematics from Ohio State University\, and an MSc in mathematics from Indian Institute of Technology\, Mumbai. \nMhaskar’s area of research is approximation theory and harmonic analysis. He has done pioneering work in the theory of weighted polynomial approximation on the real line\, making deep contributions in the areas of orthogonal polynomial expansions and applications of potential theory to the study of orthogonal polynomials\, now known as Freud polynomials. This work is recognized through such terms as Mhaskar-Rahmanov-Saff number and Mhaskar-Saff functional. Since 1990\, he has been interested in machine learning and signal processing\, making pioneering contributions to the theory of approximation capabilities (expressive power) of shallow and deep neural networks\, kernel-based methods\, and manifold learning. He has published two books\, five edited volumes\, and over 150 refereed papers. His research is supported currently by the National Science Foundation\, and previously by the U.S. Air Force\, U.S. Army\, and Office of the Director of National Intelligence (U.S.A.). \nMhaskar serves on the editorial boards of Applied and Computational Harmonic Analysis\, Journal of Approximation Theory\, Frontiers in Applied Mathematics and Statistics\, Jaen Journal of Approximation\, and Mathematical Foundations of Computing. Currently\, he has an affiliation with the University of California\, Santa Barbara. His honors include the Alexander v. Humboldt fellowship (5 times)\, John von Neumann distinguished professorship at Technical University in Munich in 2011\, and August-Wilhelm Scheer visiting professor at TUM (postponed due to the pandemic). URL:https://colleges.claremont.edu/ccms/event/ccms-colloquium-hrushikesh-mhaskar-claremont-grad-uni/ LOCATION:Argue Auditorium\, Pomona College\, 610 N. College Ave.\, Claremont\, CA\, 91711\, United States CATEGORIES:Colloquium ORGANIZER;CN="Bahar Acu":MAILTO:Bahar_Acu@pitzer.edu GEO:34.0999157;-117.7142668 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Argue Auditorium Pomona College 610 N. College Ave. Claremont CA 91711 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=610 N. College Ave.:geo:-117.7142668,34.0999157 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250211T121500 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250211T131000 DTSTAMP:20260404T104454 CREATED:20250206T203702Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250206T203729Z UID:3689-1739276100-1739279400@colleges.claremont.edu SUMMARY:On the illumination problem for convex sets (Lenny Fukshansky\, CMC) DESCRIPTION:Let K be a compact convex set in the Euclidean space R^n. How many lights are needed to illuminate its boundary? A classical conjecture of Boltyanskii (1960) asserts that 2^n lights are sufficient to illuminate any such set K. While this is still open\, an earlier observation of Hadwiger (1945) guarantees that if K has smooth boundary\, then n+1 lights are sufficient: we only need to position these lights at the vertices of a simplex containing K in its interior. In fact\, this observation allows us to estimate how far from K these lights need to be. A more delicate problem arises if we insist on placing the lights at points of a fixed lattice L: how far from K must the lights be then? We discuss this problem\, producing a bound on this distance\, which depends on certain orthogonality and symmetry properties of the lattice in question. Interestingly\, for some nice classes of lattices\, a bound independent of L can be produced. URL:https://colleges.claremont.edu/ccms/event/on-the-illumination-problem-for-convex-sets/ LOCATION:Estella 2113 CATEGORIES:Algebra / Number Theory / Combinatorics Seminar END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250212T161500 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250212T173000 DTSTAMP:20260404T104454 CREATED:20250125T041900Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250204T061130Z UID:3644-1739376900-1739381400@colleges.claremont.edu SUMMARY:CCMS Colloquium: Stochastic Agent-Based Models in Mathematical Biology (Nabil Fadai\, University of Nottingham) DESCRIPTION:Speaker: Nabil Fadai\, Professor of Mathematical Biology\, University of Nottingham \nTitle: Stochastic Agent-Based Models in Mathematical Biology \nAbstract: In the last decade\, there has been a movement to describe biological and social systems via agent-based models\, which track individual agents (organisms\, cells\, people) and their environment through a set of deterministic and probabilistic rules. In this talk\, we examine how these local individual-based mechanisms translate into global population dynamics. In particular\, we will consider the Allee effect in population models\, which were originally proposed to describe population dynamics that cannot be explained by exponential and logistic growth models. Using stochastic individual-based models\, we can obtain a modelling framework that translates particular global Allee effects to specific individual-based mechanisms. This modelling framework is then extended to applications in the social sciences\, including the modelling of sports riots and panic-buying. \nBio: Nabil  Fabir is an assistant professor at the University of Nottingham\, whose research focuses on employing reaction-diffusion equations and agent-based modelling to describe physical phenomena in a variety of applications. Originally from the west coast of Canada\, Nabil completed his PhD in the Industrially Focused Mathematical Modelling doctoral training centre at the University of Oxford in 2018. He worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane\, Australia\, and has been at Nottingham since 2020. In addition to his research in industrial mathematics and mathematical biology\, Nabil is passionate about inclusive curriculum and accessible teaching to undergraduate students. \n  URL:https://colleges.claremont.edu/ccms/event/ccms-colloquium-nabil-fadai-university-of-nottingham/ LOCATION:Argue Auditorium\, Pomona College\, 610 N. College Ave.\, Claremont\, CA\, 91711\, United States CATEGORIES:Colloquium ORGANIZER;CN="Bahar Acu":MAILTO:Bahar_Acu@pitzer.edu GEO:34.0999157;-117.7142668 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Argue Auditorium Pomona College 610 N. College Ave. Claremont CA 91711 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=610 N. College Ave.:geo:-117.7142668,34.0999157 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250215T090000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250215T170000 DTSTAMP:20260404T104454 CREATED:20250117T153752Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250211T005046Z UID:3632-1739610000-1739638800@colleges.claremont.edu SUMMARY:"The alchemy of mixing mathematics" a one-day workshop in the history and philosophy of mathematics DESCRIPTION:This one-day workshop assembles diverse perspectives from the history and philosophy of mathematics to examine ways in which mathematics is applied and impure. Topics will range from applications of mathematics in the natural and social sciences to impure proofs that transcend a single mathematical domain.  \nPlease RSVP here by Monday\, February 10th to attend the workshop and identify any dietary restrictions. \nLocation: Avery 201\, Pitzer College \n\nSchedule of talks\n9:35 Welcome and opening remarks \n9:40 E. A. Hunter (University of Chicago) on “Tradition at Play: Reassessing Archimedes’ Measurement of the Circle” \n10:30 Coffee/tea break \n10:50 Erich Reck (UC Riverside) on “Structuralist Understanding in Mathematical Practice” \n11:50 Lunch break \n1:00 Patrick Ryan (Chapman University) on “Impurity\, Simplicity\, and Explanatory Proof” \n2:00 Claudio Gómez-Gonzáles (Carleton College) on “Plants of slow growth: reducing coefficients and sustaining mathematics” \n3:00 Coffee/tea break \n3:20 Emrys King (Pomona College) on “The Mixing of Eugenics and Statistics in English-Language Pedagogy Across the 20th Century” \n3:50 Ainslee Archibald and Jane Panangaden (Pitzer College) on “A Close-Reading of ‘Sterilization for Human Betterment'” \n4:40 (snack) mix post-conference reception \n\nAbstracts\nE. A. Hunter (University of Chicago) on “Tradition at Play: Reassessing Archimedes’ Measurement of the Circle“ \nabstract: No other text in the Archimedean corpus has a richer history than Measurement of the Circle. Such richness comes at a price\, however\, as many scholars doubt the authenticity of the extant text\, citing its seemingly negligent argumentation and the triviality of the second proposition\, which also relies on the third’s approximation of pi. These qualities are at odds with our image of Archimedes\, leading modern editors to modify the text: E.J. Dijksterhuis relegates proposition two and Thomas Heath omits it entirely. This presentation challenges the assumption that the primary aim of ancient Greek mathematicians was axiomatic-deductive rigor. Instead\, it situates Measurement of the Circle within its broader literary and intellectual context—one with its own traditions and textual conventions. Through a close analysis of the rhetorical techniques and structural features of the propositions\, this presentation reevaluates the text’s authenticity and demonstrates how the propositions function within this framework. While the authenticity of any ancient work will always remain open to debate\, a key takeaway is the playfulness present in Archimedes’ mathematical writing. The presentation concludes by reflecting on the fragility of our connection to ancient Greek mathematics and the ways in which modern expectations shape the evaluation of historical sources. \nErich Reck (UC Riverside) on “Structuralist Understanding in Mathematical Practice” \nabstract: When it comes to structuralism in the philosophy of mathematics\, the focus is often on metaphysical issues\, sometimes supplemented by basic epistemological questions.  But as I have argued elsewhere\, mathematical structuralism had its origins primarily in certain methodological developments\, from the late 19th century on\, that added up to “modern mathematics”.  This brings “methodological structuralism” into the center of attention.  As a next step\, I will now consider how these developments brought with them several distinctive levels or kinds of mathematical understanding.  For illustration I will go through a number of examples\, ranging from Dedekind through Hilbert\, Noether\, and Bourbaki to recent mathematics.  In doing so\, I will attempt to clarify the sense in which certain kinds of “understanding” are important goals in mathematical practice. \nPatrick Ryan (Chapman University) on “Impurity\, Simplicity\, and Explanatory Proof” \nabstract: In this talk\, I will argue for an association between impure proofs and explanatory proofs in contemporary mathematics. Broadly speaking\, a proof of a theorem ϕ is said to be impure if it draws on what is “extrinsic\,” “distant\,” or “foreign” to the content of ϕ. In a similarly broad fashion\, a proof π of ϕ is said to be explanatory if the proof shows why ϕ is true\, thereby distinguishing π from other proofs merely showing that ϕ is true. My earlier work has aimed to show how it is even possible for an impure proof to be explanatory. Here\, I aim to show how an impure proof can actually generate explanatory power. My contention is that this often occurs because the impure resources produce a particular kind of simplicity that I call “conceptual speed-up.” I justify my philosophical claims via an examination of two central number-theoretic results\, Szemerédi’s theorem and the Prime Number Theorem\, and various of their proofs. Finally\, I conclude by discussing what my analysis shows about the nature of explanation in mathematics. \nClaudio Gómez-Gonzáles (Carleton College) on “Plants of slow growth: reducing coefficients and sustaining mathematics” \nabstract: In this talk\, we offer a concrete\, visual\, and historical introduction to resolvent degree (RD)\, an invariant that aspires to quantify just how hard solving algebraic equations can be. This overview makes contact with the origins of topology\, miracles of classical algebraic geometry\, and Klein’s “hypergalois” program\, which dare us to push beyond the solvable/unsolvable dichotomy. Throughout the talk\, we will reflect on the past and future of resolvent problems\, institutional processes that shape mathematical consensus\, and what we do and do not know about RD. Ultimately\, we seek a deeper understanding of how mathematical institutions sustain themselves\, particularly in the context of accelerating environmental\, economic\, and geopolitical crises. \nEmrys King (Pomona College) on “The Mixing of Eugenics and Statistics in English-Language Pedagogy Across the 20th Century” \nabstract: Today\, we find ourselves surrounded by statistics and data. However\, the omnipresence of statistical methods is a new phenomenon. The first extension of the method of least squares as a means to characterize non-observational error was by Sir Francis Galton\, in studies of heredity in the pursuit of eugenics. The initial studies published by Galton were soon extended by Karl Pearson\, a professor of statistics and professed eugenicist. I argue that the eugenic beliefs of these men fueled their pioneering studies of linear regression and thus influenced the statistical tools themselves. This merits a further evaluation of the presence of eugenic ideology statistical pedagogy post-Galton. To begin tackling this evaluation\, I present a preliminary review of statistics textbooks from 1880-1970\, assessed for their citation and/or approval of eugenic ideology\, or lack thereof. \nAinslee Archibald and Jane Panangaden (Pitzer College) on “A Close-Reading of ‘Sterilization for Human Betterment'” \nabstract: The Human Betterment Foundation was a pro-eugenic sterilization think-tank and propaganda organization that operated in Pasadena between 1928 and 1942. At the end of 1929 its founder Ezra Gosney and employee Paul Popenoe published a short booklet entitled “Sterilization for Human Betterment: A Summary of results of 6000 Operations in California\, 1909-1929” in which they lay out their case for the necessity\, safety\, and desirability of eugenic sterilization. In this talk we explore differences between the published version of this booklet  and an earlier draft with handwritten edits which is located in the Gosney Papers collection of the Caltech archives. We pay special attention to the authors’ use of data and statistics in their arguments while using a variety of archival documents to track their sources and methods of analysis. URL:https://colleges.claremont.edu/ccms/event/the-alchemy-of-mixing-mathematics/ CATEGORIES:History and Philosophy of Mathematics Seminar END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250217T161500 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250217T171500 DTSTAMP:20260404T104454 CREATED:20250130T002710Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250210T172352Z UID:3665-1739808900-1739812500@colleges.claremont.edu SUMMARY:Applied Math Seminar: Denis Gaidashev (Uppsala University) DESCRIPTION:Title: Renormalization and wild attractors for Fibonacci maps \nAbstract: A Fibonacci map is a piecewise defined map of a subset of an interval I onto I with a unique critical point of order d whose orbit undergoes nearest returns at Fibonacci times. It has been shown by Bruin\, Keller\, Nowicki and van Strien that such maps exhibit “wild” attractors: Cantor sets of zero Lebesgue measure whose basin of attraction is meager but has positive Lebesgue measure. We will discuss real renormalization\, and a trichotomy for Fibonacci maps\, similar to the Avila-Lyubich trichotomy for Feigenbaum Julia sets\, which\, in particular\, allows us to show that Fibonacci maps admit wild attractors for d=5.1\, and do not for d=3.9 (and\, conjecturally\, for 2