Calendar of Events
Calendar of Events
Fall 2007 Events
Wednesday, Nov 28, 2007
7:30pm in the Lancaster Lounge in Moulton Union, Bowdoin College
Mary Lou Zeeman, R. Wells Johnson Professor of Mathematics, Bowdoin College
R. Wells Johnson Inaugural Lecture & CBB Mathematical Biology Seminar
Title: Mathematical Modeling in Biology: What is it? And How is it Useful?
Abstract: We will describe some of the ways that math can be harnessed to dive into biological mysteries. For example: What happens when three species compete for the same resources? Why do diseases come in cycles? And how is ovulation triggered?
*The Lunchtime Mathematics Seminar is a series of short talks throughout the semester covering fun and unusual mathematical topics These have included cryptography, optimization, elliptic curves, error detecting curves, statistics, non Euclidean geometry, number theory and mathematical biology. Speakers in the Lunchtime Mathematics Seminar include visitors from other institutions as well as Bowdoin's own faculty.
Previously
Monday, Sept. 17, 2007
7:30-8:30pm,
Prof. Nathan Dunfield, University of Illinois
Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2007
12:00-12:45pm
Prof. Adam Levy, Bowdoin College
Title: Numerical Analysis for Dummies (and smarties)
Lunchtime Seminar
October 12, 2007
CBB Algebra-Topology Colloquium Series
Speaker: James Cannon, BYU
4:30 in Searles 217. Reception at 4:00.
Title: Random 3-Manifolds
Abstract:
Every 3-manifold can be obtained by identifying faces in pairs on the boundary of a 3-cell with cellulated boundary. However, the probability of obtaining a closed 3-manifold by such a face-pairing, chosen randomly, is 0, according to a theorem of Dunfield and Thurston. Typically, one obtains instead a 3-dimensional pseudo-manifold having at least one vertex whose link is a closed 2-manifold that is not a 2-sphere.
I will outline a proof of the Dunfield and Thurston theorem, then describe the simple bitwist operation which starts with a random face-pairing and mechanically yields a parametrized, infinite collection of closed 3-manifolds. (The construction generalizes our earlier twisted-face-pairing construction.)
The advantages of the bitwist operation are these: (1) One obtains every closed, orientable 3-manifold in this manner. (2) If the original face-pairing is simple, even trivial, the resultant face-pairings are also relatively simple. (3) The bitwist face-pairings yield elegant presentations for the fundamental groups involved. (4) The parametrized fundamental groups yield beautiful families for study by the methods of geometric group theory.
Tuesday, Oct. 16, 2007
12:00-12:45pm
Prof. Jennifer Taback, Bowdoin College
Tuesday, Oct 23, 2007
4:15 in Searles 217
Mary Lou Zeeman, Bowdoin College
Department Seminar
Title: The State of the Planet: How can we help?
Abstract: This seminar is aimed at a very broad audience. There are, of course, many ways to answer the question posed in the title. For those of us who enjoy solving quantitative problems, ranging from pure mathematics to computer science, economics, biology, etc., I will discuss some of the mathematical challenges facing climate modeling, and report on a recent white paper on this topic produced at MSRI (the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute, in Berkeley). For those of us who are educators, I will describe a course that I have helped to develop and run at Cornell University called, simply, The State of the Planet. The theme of the course is: Whatever your talent, whatever your passion, you can use them to help the planet; Student feedback has been extremely positive, and the course has been written about in Nature, the Sierra Club, and elsewhere. It would be easy to run a similar course at any school.
Friday, Oct. 26, 2007
CBB Algebra-Topology Colloquium Series
There will be a reception at 4:00 in Mudd 412A.
Prof. Michael Hopkins, Harvard University
Time: 4:30pm
Location: Mudd 405, Colby College
Abstract: I'll discuss the notion of a topological field theory and some of the many ways that it forces topologist to re-examine some of the oldest assumptions in topology. I'll also discuss recent joint work with Jacob Lurie giving a complete characterization of topological field theories in (very) low dimensions.
Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2007
7:30-8:30 pm
Prof. Adam Piggott, Tufts University
How Michael met Jessica: romance and error detecting codes
Lunchtime Seminar*
and he will present a Department Seminar
Automorphisms of graph products of abelian groups
4:15 in Searles 217
Thursday, Nov. 8, 2007
4:00-5:00 in Druckenmiller 20
3:30 Refreshments in Druckenmiller 110
CBB Mathematical Biology Seminar Series
Prof. Liam O'Brien, Colby College
Title: The Ins and Outs of Diagnostic and Screening Tests
Abstract: Not all diagnostic or screening tests are created equally. We will discuss how the basic properties of these tests tell us how well they perform in certain circumstances. We will also describe what the differences are between a test designed to diagnose a condition versus one that designed to screen for a condition. Lastly, some new methods for choosing the best single screening test out of several candidate tests will be shown.
Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2007
12:00-12:45,
Prof. Helen Wong, Bowdoin College
Lunchtime Seminar*
Tuesday November 13, 2007
4:15 - 5:15 in Searles 217
4:00 Reception in Searles 214
Prof. Tom Pfaff, Ithaca College
Department Seminar
Title: Peak Oil, CAFE Standards, & a Modeling Problem
Come and hear Tom Pfaff talk about the simple ways he has brought real data about the planet into his calculus classroom, and the positive impact it has had on the depth of understanding and the motivation to learn about math and about sustainability. All you need are some data sets (available on Tom’s website at www.ithaca.edu/tpfaff/sustainability.htm) and excel.
Abstract: This talk will begin with a brief look at peak oil (the point at which the amount of oil that can be extracted from the earth begins to decline) and CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) Standards. Given this background we then work towards creating models to assess the impact of raising CAFE Standards. In particular, we are interested in what would be needed to reduce the overall fuel consumption of our vehicle fleet as opposed to simply slowing the increase of our fuel consumption. The simpler models that we will study in some detail will use curve fitting and maximization of functions.
Wednesday November 14, 2006
6:30 -7:30 in Druckenmiller 016
6:00 Reception in Druckenmiller Atrium
Prof. Tom Pfaff, Ithaca College
Charles F. Adams Lecture
Title: Education about Sustainability while Enhancing Calculus
Abstract: The Joint Science Academies and the United Nations have called for increased education in sustainability. After an overview on sustainability, we will discuss ways of achieving this sustainability education in a calculus course. As we go through some examples we will also learn about some of the issues facing our society (Note: Knowledge of calculus while helpful is not necessary to gain from this portion of the talk.). These examples will not only show how to incorporate sustainability into calculus, but also how we can get students to think about larger systems and improve quantitative literacy. Further, we will see how it can become natural for calculus courses to work in an interdisciplinary way making calculus more relevant to the number of non-majors taking the course. Finally, we end by providing evidence from some assessment showing that these examples improve student engagement and learning.