Talks in the Department of Mathematical Sciences (Spring 2005)

• Dept. of Math Sciences Seminar
  "Experimental Mathematics: Discovering New Formulas and Theorems"
  David H Bailey, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory
  Tuesday, May 3 at 2:00-3:00pm in RI 106
  
  Abstract: The past decade has seen a dramatic flowering of what is now called "experimental mathematics", namely the aggressive utilization of modern computer technology to explore questions in research mathematics. Many of these results have been found by means of high-precision numerical computations, combined with integer relation detection algorithms. Perhaps the best-known result is the 1996 of a new formula for pi, which permits arbitrary binary or base-16 digits to be calculated. Hundreds of similar results have subsequently been found.
  
  These results have implications for the age-old question of whether and why constants such as pi and log(2) are "normal", namely digits being random is a certain specific sense. In particular, the question of whether such constants are "normal" has been reduced to a plausible conjecture regarding the behavior of certain chaotic iterations. These results have also led to a formal proof of normality for an uncountably infinite class of explicit real numbers. A new result (2005) on "hot spots" may lead the way to proofs for constants such as pi and log(2).
  
  
• Dept. of Math Sciences Seminar
  "Computation in Dynamics"
  Dr. Jim Wiseman, Swarthmore College.
  April, 14, 2005 at 4 pm in RI 232.
  
  Abstract: In dynamics, we study the long-term behavior of complicated, possibly chaotic, systems. We can numerically approximate this behavior with computers, but the accumulated errors can render the results meaningless. One way around this problem is to compute topological invariants, which will be the same for the numerical approximation as for the actual system. I'll introduce one of these invariants, the Conley index, and discuss how we can use it to detect chaotic behavior.
  
  
• Dept. of Math Sciences Seminar
  "Ligament and Droplet Formation in Fast Liquid Jets and Sheets"
  Phil Yecko, MIT
  Friday, March 11 at 10:30-11:30 a.m. in RI 232
  
  
• Dept. of Math Sciences Seminar
  "Variational Methods for Nonlinear Elliptic Partial Differential Equations"
  Florin Catrina, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
  Wednesday, March 9 at 10:00-11:00 a.m. in RI 273
  
  
• The Spring Sokol Science Lecture
  “Mapping Human History”
  Steve Olson
  March 9 at 7:30 p.m. at the Kasser Theater
  
  
• Dept. of Math Sciences Seminar
  "A New Exact Solution of a Nonlinear Model of Coastal Upwelling"
  Paul Choboter, Oregon State University
  Thursday, March 3 at 10:30-11:30 a.m. in RI 232
  
  
• Dept. of Math Sciences Seminar
  "Large-Eddy Simulation and Extensions to Finite Element Methods"
  Andres Tejada-Martinez
  Center for Coastal Physical Oceanography at Old Dominion University
  Thursday, February 24 at 1:45-2:45 p.m. in RI 232
  
  
• Dept. of Math Sciences Seminar
  "Wave equation and the global existence for the semilinear Tricomi equation"
  Anahit Galstyan, University of Cincinnati
  Wednesday, February 23 at 10:30-11:30 a.m. in RI 273
  
  
• Dept. of Math Sciences Seminar
  "Scattering theory description of wave propagation"
  Bogdan Nita, University of Houston
  Friday, February 18 at 10:30-11:30 a.m. in RI 232