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Welcome!
Welcome!
Math Table is a seminar jointly run by the Harvard Mathematics department and undergraduate students. The purpose of Math Table is to provide an opportunity for undergraduates to be exposed to interesting mathematical topics, as well as to gain experience in communicating and teaching mathematics.
Talks take place roughly every other Wednesday at 5 PM in SC 507. For Fall 2026, starting date is September 9.
Who can attend/give talks?
Who can attend/give talks?
All Harvard undergraduate students are welcome to attend any Math Table talk and to sign up to give a talk. Talks come in a wide array of topics, background levels, and styles (see the "Resources" tab). The Math Table organizers (see "About" tab) are here to help you pick topics and develop your talk, so even if you aren't sure about what your topic is, you should come speak with us!
To sign up to give a talk, or if you have any questions about Math Table, please send an email to Oliver Knill (knill@math.harvard.edu). You can also contact Noam Elkies (elkies@math.harvard.edu ).
Upcoming Talks (Fall 2026)
Upcoming Talks (Fall 2026)
Recent Talks
Recent Talks
Wednesday, April 29
Wednesday, April 29
4:30 PM SC 507
4:30 PM SC 507
The Escape Rate for Polynomials
The Escape Rate for Polynomials
Speaker: Ilaria Seidel
Abstract: In this talk, we explore a bridge between complex dynamics and potential theory. Given a polynomial f, how fast do points escape to infinity under iterated applications of f? We first show that the escape rate is given by the Green’s function for the complement of the filled Julia set. We then give a dynamical description of the unique energy-minimizing measure on the Julia set and, time permitting, discuss why it coincides with the unique entropy-maximizing measure.
For more past talks, check out our "Archive" section.
For more past talks, check out our "Archive" section.
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