Current Schedule

9/11/26

Tony Vuolo

Title: On B-Colorings in Planar Graphs

Abstract: Gy\'arf\'as and S\'ark\"ozy [Studia Sci. Math. Hungar., 2023] defined a B-coloring of a graph to be a proper coloring of the edge set in which any $C_4$ is totally multicolored. Let $q_B(G)$ denote the minimum number of colors sufficient for a B-coloring of a graph $G$. In this talk, we prove that any planar graph $G$ with $\Delta=\Delta(G)$ and $\Delta_2=\Delta_2(G)$ has $q_B(G)\leq\Delta+\max\{\Delta_2,38\}$, refining a bound by Kong, Wang, and Zheng [J. Graph Theory, 2026].

9/18/26

Matt Burnham

Title: Small q-kernels in digraphs

Abstract: An independent set $Q$ of a digraph $D$ is called a $q$-kernel if all vertices of $D$ are reachable from $Q$ via a directed path of length at most $q$. The small quasikernel conjecture of Erdős and Székely posits that every digraph $D$ with minimum in-degree $\delta = 1$ has a $2$-kernel of size at most $\frac{1}{2}|V(D)|$. In 2024, Spiro posed a more general question: What is the smallest constant $c_{\delta,q}$ such that every digraph $D$ with minimum in-degree $\delta$ has a $q$-kernel of size at most $c_{\delta,q}|V(D)|$? We present new upper bounds for the constants $c_{\delta,q}$ and conjecture that a simple lower bound construction is tight when $q\geq 3$.

9/25/26

Billy Duckworth

Title: From Entropy to Continued Fractions and Knot Theory 

Abstract: Starting with an attempt to define a notion of entropy for almost periodic dynamical systems, we will be forced to go on an unexpected journey into such topics as continued fractions and knot theory. Come ready to get tangled up in tangents! 

10/9/26

Khiem Nguyen

Talk title: Combinatorics in topology

Abstract: A Hausdorff space is called a P-space if every countable intersection of open sets is open. A Hausdorff space is called extremally disconnected if the closure of any open set is open. Both properties generalize certain property of discrete spaces when it comes to the ring of real valued continuous functions. Are there nondiscrete extremally disconnected P-spaces? The answer turns out to involve the combinatorics of cardinals!

10/16/26

Sophia Child

Title: Matroids Crash Course

Abstract: A brief introduction to matroids, their equivalent definitions, and constructions! I will attempt to make matroids and their connections to different fields of mathematics as understandable as possible. If we have time, we'll get to discuss some of my favorite results. The audience will hopefully leave less fearful of matroids. 

10/23/26

Micah Coats

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10/30/26

Clay Higgins

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11/6/26

Nate Schacherl

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11/13/26

Nick Layman

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11/20/26

Ben Bridenbaugh

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11/27/26

Thanksgiving break!

12/4/26

Double Feature! Sycamore Herlihy and Austin Longin

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12/11/26

Hope Pungello

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