How to Give a Math Table Talk

A brief guide provided by GIIM

Choosing a Topic and Signing Up

• Choose something you find interesting! It can be anything from a problem with an interesting solution, to what you did over the summer, to something completely random and niche that you decided you just wanted to learn about. It does not have to be grandiose or involve lots of high-level math inaccessible to the majority of concentrators; you just have to be able to talk about it for 25 minutes and enjoy it.

• The topic you choose should be accessible to an undergraduate audience. That’s not to say that it can’t be interesting or advanced - of course it can be! But you should choose the scope of what you present carefully so as to ensure everyone who attends will be able to understand at least some part of the cool things you are presenting. In the past, for example, some talks have started out accessible and gradually ramp up in complexity over the 30-minute period, so people of all levels got something out of them.

• You don’t have to have your topic or scope fully fleshed out to sign up and the math table team is here to help. If you know what general area you want your topic to be in but don’t know specifics yet, or if you know what you want to talk about but aren’t sure how much information about it to include, the Math Table Team is here to help! Email Stepan or Drew to sign up and ask your questions.

• Here are some examples of titles from past Math Table talks that may serve as inspiration

  • How to Integrate in π+i dimensions (analysis) 

  • Say what?! Proving the non-context-freeness of natural language (formal language theory)

  • Vector bundles and K-theory (topology)

  • Shift registers in cryptography (theoretical CS)

  • Infinitely many proofs of infinitely many primes (number theory)

• If you’re not sure how to search for a topic, here are some ways you could search for one

  • Take a theorem from class ‘if a and b then y’ and investigate why things go wrong if you don’t have both a and b. You may find some interesting pathological examples!

  • Take a theorem from class and research its applications to other areas of mathematics.

  • Research the history of how a theorem or subject in math came to be.

  • Investigate something from previous Math Table talk that intrigued you.

Preparing Your Talk

•  Remember! You must meet with the Math Table Team at least once before your talk, and you are encouraged to work with us throughout the process of preparing your talk!

• There will be a projector and screen as well as a blackboard available for the talks. The format is up to you. 

• The first part of your talk should be dedicated to introducing the relevant concepts that are not common knowledge. You should pay attention to whether or not you are assuming any background knowledge from the audience; if so, let us know so we can include it in the flyer for your talk. 

• You should practice your talk to make sure it runs within the 25 minute time limit. If you need someone to practice with, feel free to contact the Math Table Team!