Welcome to Project Mathtopia 

Upcoming Event

For math events, please stay tuned or contact the coordinator oeng@uwalumni.com

When:  Saturday, October 17, 2026, 1:30pm-3:30pm

Where:  College Library, UW Madison, 600 N. Park Street, Madison, WI:  Rm 2258 (Confirmed!)

Note:  Speakers may record their presentations to share on-line.

Title:  The Towers of Hanoi: How to solve the puzzle, first with recursion, then without

Abstract (James Elliott):  I had tinkered with this math-related physical puzzle without too much success or interest for years before we learned how to solve it recursively in a high school computer science course. Looking at the solutions printed by my program convinced me there was a simple pattern in there, if only I could see it. Eventually, to my delight (if not, sadly my teacher’s) I found it. We’ll look at the puzzle, its rules, how the recursive solution works (only practical with a computer or a pencil and a bunch of index cards), and how the non-recursive solution I found works (easily for an unaided human brain).

Title:  Adversarial Machine Learning: Fighting Fire With Fire

We often think of machine learning models as black boxes that "just work", but they are surprisingly susceptible to subtle manipulations. In this talk, we'll explore how small-scale models can learn subtle perturbations to input data that can lead a model to make confident, incorrect predictions, and discuss what this means for the security and reliability of AI systems. Jesse Ellin (MS Computer Science) to present.

Past Events

When:  Saturday, August 22, 2026, 1:30pm-3:30pm, Room 109 (Confirmed!)

Where:  Pinney Branch of Madison Public Library, 516 Cottage Grove Rd., Madison, WI

Note:  Speakers may record their presentations to share on-line.

Title:  Four Glimpses of the Pythagorean Theorem

The familiar formula about right triangles from our school days can yield some fresh perspectives.  President Garfield, a British bookkeeper, and others provide intriguing ways to engage with this tried-and-true theorem!  Oliver E. to present.

Title:  Repeaters and Radars Part Deux

Joe F. offers further observations on prime divisors of numbers whose digits repeat twice, like 279279 which is six digits or more generally for n digits where n is even.  Interesting patterns involving the prime divisors of 10^(n/2)+1 emerge.  

When:  Saturday, May, 16, 2026, 1:30pm-3:30pm

Where: Sequoya Branch of Madison Public Library, 4340 Tokay Blvd, Madison, WI, Study Room 104

Note:  Speakers may record their presentations to share on-line.

Title:  Escape Speed or Our Friend the Parabola 

Abstract: In honor of the Artemis II mission, Oliver would like to present the formula for the escape velocity of a probe leaving the orbit / gravitational pull of a much larger planet.  We’ll learn some of the history of celestial mechanics from Kepler to Newton, conic sections, potential and kinetic energy, and what happens when the escape velocity reaches exceeds the speed of light. 

Title: How Your Data is Secured

Abstract:  Modern cryptography and data security systems are increasingly complex and attack proof. While it can be easy to trust whatever cybersecurity your employer recommends, it's worth knowing the basics of how data is secured and kept private. This talk builds on the basics of binary logic gates but no prior knowledge is required. Jesse Ellin (MS Computer Science) to present. 

When:  Saturday, March 14, 2026, 1:30pm-3:30pm

Where: Sequoya Branch of Madison Public Library, 4340 Tokay Blvd, Madison, WI, Study Room 104

Note:  Speakers may record their presentations to share on-line.

Title:  Are Four Colors Enough?  History and a Personal Connection to Four Color Theorem 

Abstract: The Four Color Theorem is a major achievement in graph theory that still sparks strong feelings among mathematicians because of the 1976 proof's use of computers.  Oliver Eng to present. 

Title: 1+1=10.  An introduction to Binary Logic and Arithmetic

Abstract:  Any device that runs on electricity uses binary operations in one form or another.  While the inner workings of these devices are complex enough to do a PhD on, the underlying mathematics and foundational logic are important to understand if we want to demystify exponentially complex programs and software.  This talk will introduce binary arithmetic and serve as a preface to a future topic on cryptography and cybersecurity.  Jesse Ellin (MS Computer Science) will present.

When:  Saturday, January 10, 2026, 1:30pm-3:30pm

Where: Sequoya Branch of Madison Public Library, 4340 Tokay Blvd, Madison, WI, Study Room 104

Note:  Speakers may record their presentations to share on-line.

Title:  Digit Swapping

Abstract:  Why is it that when you swap two digits of a number and subtract the two, the result is always divisible by 9?  You'll learn the intriguing reason plus much more.   Joe Farrenkopf to present. 

Title:  From Bridges in Germany to Disrupting Supply Lines: Understanding Relations Through Graphs

Abstract:   Graphs are more than just a way to display data in series; they are a very powerful way to visualize relationships between entities. In this talk we will explore introductory examples of graph theory in practice as well as how proofs are designed and developed when working with discrete data.  Jesse Ellin to present.

When:  Saturday, November 1, 2025, 1:30pm-3:30pm

Where: Sequoya Branch of Madison Public Library, 4340 Tokay Blvd, Madison, WI, Study Room 104

Title:  Using the Entropy Concept from Information Theory to Measure Racial Segregation

Abstract:  Oliver Eng has been exploring information theory and recently reading about redistricting and the Voting Rights Act.  He was surprised that Shannon's entropy formula has uses in a wide array of subject areas beyond communication processing.

Title: The Mathematics of AI (Part 2/N): How AI Sees Language

Abstract:  Jesse Ellin offers his insights from years of industrial experience and academic research to provide an intuitive explanation of how Large Language Models (LLMs) process text and produce novel text. No prior math or computer science knowledge required, just be ready to ask a lot of questions!

When:  Saturday, September 13, 2025, 1:30pm-3:30pm

Where: Sequoya Branch of Madison Public Library, 4340 Tokay Blvd, Madison, WI, Study Room 104

Topic:  Mathematics of Weightlifting

Presenter:  Jesse E. is a competitive strongman and will discuss the mechanics, anatomy and physiology related to weightlifting and outline how we can leverage simple mechanics to increase our potential load while decreasing injury risk.

Topic:  Math Intuitions and Counter-intuitions

Presenter:  Dave P. will talk about making mathematical thinking accessible to the broader public, how to harness your math intuition, and how a counterintuitive result can help enrich understanding.

When: Thursday, July 31, 2025, 7pm-8:45pm

Where: Sequoya Branch of Madison Public Library, 4340 Tokay Blvd, Madison, WI, Room 105

Topic:  Mathematics Behind AI (Part 1 of N)

Presenter:  Jesse E. spoke about large language models (LLM's) generally and some of the math behind it, including measurement of error and the Hoeffding bound.