Title: Math as Art and Recreation Speaker: Peter Kagey, HMC Abstract: Recreational Mathematics is an area of math which is rooted in exploration and playfulness, and includes puzzles, games, art, and more. This talk takes a closer look at these ideas, emphasizing how a foundation of curiosity and play can lead to insightful connections with various […]
Title: Shrinkage Estimation for Causal Inference and Experimental Design Speaker: Evan T. R. Rosenman, Assistant Professor of Statistics, Claremont McKenna College Abstract: Passive collection of observational data -- in settings such as medicine, insurance, and e-commerce -- is a ubiquitous feature of modern life. For statisticians, these ever-proliferating datasets are both promising and perilous. Observational […]
We welcome all undergraduates and graduate students to attend topology seminar! Speaker: Luya Wang (Stanford) Title: Deformation inequivalent symplectic structures and Donaldson's four-six question Abstract: Studying symplectic structures up to deformation equivalences is a fundamental question in symplectic geometry. Donaldson asked: given two homeomorphic closed symplectic four-manifolds, are they diffeomorphic if and only if their […]
Title: Mirror Symmetry and Zeta Values Speaker: Sheel Ganatra, University of Southern California Abstract: Mirror symmetry is a conjectural correspondence, born out of ideas in string theory, between two geometries of very different nature. In its earliest mathematical appearance, mirror symmetry was used to make predictions for certain numerical measurements of one space in terms of […]
We welcome all undergraduates and graduate students to attend topology seminar! Speaker: Puttipong Pongtanapaisan (Arizona State University) Title: Building Knotted Objects Efficiently Abstract: Knotted objects can be constructed by gluing together standard pieces called handles. Understanding the minimum number of handles required for construction and their sequential attachment provides valuable insights into the complexity of entanglement. […]
Title: Evolution of an Intriguing Recreational Math Problem Speaker: Shawn McMurran, California State University San Bernardino Abstract: Besides being popular and entertaining, recreational mathematics problems are often of historical interest. In this presentation we will highlight the origin and evolution of one such simply stated yet deep problem. The problem emerged during the eighteenth century […]
The 14th Symposium for Women and Gender Minorities in Mathematics in Southern California WiMSoCal returns to SoCal after a four-year-hiatus due to pandemic. The symposium will provide an opportunity for women and gender-nonconforming individuals in mathematics in the Southern California area to get to know each other on a personal as well as professional level. […]
No Seminar
Title: A Group-Theoretic Ax-Katz Theorem Speaker: Pete L. Clark, University of Georgia Abstract: The Chevalley-Warning Theorem is a result from 1935 asserting that the number of solutions to a low degree polynomial system over a finite field is divisible by the characteristic of the field. It is an important result -- it includes a conjecture […]
We welcome all undergraduates and graduate students to attend topology seminar! Speaker: Adam Yassine (Pomona College) Title: A Structural Approach to Classical Mechanics Abstract: A structural approach to the study of classical mechanics clarifies the physical heuristics that physicists use in constructing mathematical models of classical mechanical systems. The focus of our current program is to develop […]
Title: Teaching Equity-minded Active Mathematics: A model for Instructional Change Speaker: Amelia Stone-Johnstone, Department of Mathematics, California State University, Fullerton Abstract: Active learning has been championed as a mechanism for greater student learning and participation in STEM. However, recent studies have demonstrated how active learning without an explicit equity focus may harm students from historically […]
This talk has been cancelled. We welcome all undergraduates and graduate students to attend topology seminar! Speaker: Iris Yoon (Wesleyan College) Title: A generalized Dowker complex for multi-way Relations Abstract: Given a relation between two sets X and Y, one can construct two simplicial complexes, one having X as its vertex set and the other […]
