Discrete and Combinatorial Mathematics Reading Group
at University of Toronto Mississauga
Welcome to the reading group for discrete and combinatorial mathematics. We want to curate a friendly environment of collaborative learning to support students' interest in the field.
For summer 2021, the reading group will include a mixture of reading chapters of “Handbook of Discrete and Combinatorial Mathematics” as a guide, reading research papers, and problem-solving sessions. Participants should use the reading group as a platform to explore their topics of interest and share them with the rest of the members. It’s also a cool place to meet some friends during the pandemic :)
We will be talking on UTM Math Club Discord every Saturday at 15:00 EDT!
View our talk recording on YouTube
Next Talk
Recent Talks
June 5th, 2021, 3:00-4:00 PM EDT. Ibraheem Andeejani, University of Toronto Mississauga
Graph Theory!
What does sudoku, social networks, and google maps have in common? We will be exploring the basis of Graph Theory and how it can be used to represent and then solve various complex problems.
May 29th, 2021, 3:00-4:00 PM EDT. Parker Glynn-Adey, University of Toronto Scarborough
The Probabilistic Method (Annotated Slides)
Mathematicians love purity, intuition, and clarity. We like to make things explicitly, with no messiness. But sometimes, mathematical reality is too weird for our explicit methods. Sometimes, we need to look at random examples to find what we're looking for. In this talk, we give several examples of using randomness to construct mathematical objects using the probabilistic method pioneered by Paul Erdős.
The talk aims to be self-contained, but background in counting and graph theory at the MAT 202 level will help.
May 15th, 2021, 3:00-4:00 PM EDT. Brian (Zhengyu) Li, University of Toronto Mississauga
Building a Knotty Dictionary using Number Theory
We will explore some surprising connections and analogies between fundamental number theory and knot theory (three-dimensional geometry) using a statistical approach. These connections are interesting enough to form an active branch of mathematical research with significant implications. We will also talk about some modern applications of arithmetic geometry if time permitted. No prerequisite needed.
May 8th, 2021, 3:00-4:00 PM EDT. Zain Kazmi, University of Toronto Mississauga
Introduction to Naive Set Theory
Naive set theory emerged in the 19th century. The theory, under-developed as it was, presented us with a series of dilemmas and paradoxes. ZF-Set theory was thus introduced in the early 20th century as an attempt to reconcile and eliminate such issues. In 1904, we see the development of the "Axiom of choice" (AC). In this talk, we seek to examine the specific motivation of ZF-Set theory as well as the extension to ZFC-Set Theory. Furthermore, we seek to understand the modern critique of ZFC followed by a segway into equivalent statements of AC. Finally, we see applications of AC and its equivalent statements.
DCMRG Handbook
