This talk will be given by Jason Siefken!

The hallway problem considers adjacent parallel hallways of unit width each with a single doorway (aligned with integer lattice points) of unit width. It then asks: what are the properties of lines that pass through each doorway? Configurations of doorways closely correspond to Sturmian words, and so properties of these configurations may be lifted to properties of Sturmian words. This talk will explore lines of sight, lines that pass through each doorway, for both the case for both a finite number of parallel hallways and an infinite number, and their consequences for Sturmian words. We then produce a metric on configurations with an infinite number of hallways that preserves the property of admitting a line of sight under limits.

Refreshments will be served at 4:30pm in the graduate lounge on the 6th floor of Bahen.

Many practical optimization problems require integer solutions. For example, it doesn’t make sense to give 8.4 dimes in change, to assign 1.3 workers to a shift, or to produce 6.71 chairs. In this talk, we will explore a recently discovered method for attacking this type of optimization problem that uses tools originally developed to understand collections of polynomials. Along the way, we will see why our usual methods for solving optimization problems do not work when integer solutions are required, exchange coins with computational algebra, and explore connections between polynomials and geometry.

Refreshments will be served in the graduate lounge on the 6th floor of Bahen before the talk, at 4:30pm!

Find the event on Facebook here.

https://www.facebook.com/events/1417764968295754/

We will explore the areas of knot theory and graph theory, and then show how these two theories can be combined to prove a property of Jones Polunomial. In the end, we will discuss recent discoveries about what the underlying graph structure can tell us about a knot.

Refreshments will be served at 4:30 in the mathematics graduate lounge on the 6th floor of Bahen.

Join Dr. Brendan Kelly on Friday for the Math Union’s first MUGS Talk of the semester! Refreshments, as always, will be provided.

The ability to pose good questions is critical in the problem solving process. This talk will begin with a simple question that will frame a conversation on mathematics, education, and your college experience. The mathematical enterprise of digging deeper will send us down the rabbit hole as we investigate variations of the title question. We will explore the importance of asking good questions and techniques to empower students to ask good questions. The only prerequisite for this talk is an inquisitive mind and a willingness to actively participate.