Math Club Colloquium

Welcome to the Math Club Colloquium pages! Here you will find a record of colloquium talks dating back to 2010. Talks are accessible to a broad audience of students and faculty in mathematics and related disciplines. It is usually held during common hour on Tuesdays from 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm, but the day, time and location does change so please note the details listed by each talk. 

Academic Year 2015-2016

Oct 21, 2015: Noson Yanofsky (Brooklyn College)
Time: 12:30-1:30 p.m.
Location: 1127N

Title: Quantum Computing and Linear Algebra

Abstract: Quantum computing is a new and exciting field that tries to harness the strange and wonderful aspects of quantum mechanics to make computers better. Surprisingly, a large part of quantum computing can be simply understood with the knowledge of manipulating matrices with complex numbers. We will show the connection between complex linear algebra and quantum computing. We will start with small physical systems and explain what they have to do with computers. We will move on to give a small lesson in quantum mechanics. We will conclude with a simple algorithm for quantum computing.

The main activity this Fall is the construction of the Menger Sponge for MoMath. A write-up and pictures are posted here.

Feb 23, 2016: Rodrigo Treviño (Brooklyn College)

12:30 pm - 1:30 pm

1127 Ingersol

Title: Swedish Royalty and Space Travel

Abstract: I will talk about the origins of dynamical systems going back to attempts to know whether the solar system is stable, and some of its modern uses, such as space mission design. Dynamical Systems is the field of mathematics in which objects in motion are studied. It is the field which gave us the word “chaos” in its scientific concept and thus license to describe complex systems as chaotic. Come and learn about dynamical systems and enjoy free pizza!

Mar 15, 2016: Jeffrey Suzuki (Brooklyn College)

12:30 pm - 1:30 pm

1127 Ingersol

Title: The Worst Form of Government, Except for All the Rest

Abstract: In a democracy, decisions are made by consensus, and social choice theory is the branch of mathematics that focuses on decision making: If voters have a choice of alternatives A, B, C, etc., then a social welfare function takes the set of voter preferences and maps it to a ranking of the alternatives. We'll examine several voting systems to identify desirable features that we want in such a function, look at a surprising result of Kenneth J. Arrow (CCNY 1940), and see if there's a better way to make consensus decisions than the methods currently in use.

Apr 5, 2016: John Donahue (Chief Product Officer, Sonobi)

12:30 pm - 1:30 pm

1127 Ingersol

Title: Applications of High Performance Computing, Mathematics and Data Science in Advertising

Abstract: The world of media and advertising is changing. Data and technology have disrupted a relationship and manual order driven business by providing ways to isolate, target and communicate with consumers in more efficient ways. This discussion will focus on how high performance computing, mathematics and data science help power this new world of advertising where technology enables billions of transactions to occur per day.

Apr 19, 2016: Natalie Priebe Frank (Vassar College)

12:30 pm - 1:30 pm

1127 Ingersol

Title: Tilings: A mathematical model of crystals and quasicrystals

Abstract: We tell the story of the discovery of quasicrystals and how the mathematics of aperiodic order helps to understand them. The story begins with ideal crystals and the periodic tilings that model them. The possible symmetries of these periodic objects are completely understood and, given any particular crystal or tiling, reveal themselves through the process of diffraction. A diffraction image with symmetries impossible for ideal crystals led Dan Shectman to his Nobel Prize-winning discovery of quasicrystals in 1982. Interestingly, tilings with a similar form of aperiodic order had been discovered in the decades prior, and were immediately recognized as suitable models for Shectman's quasicrystals. The talk includes many beautiful pictures of crystals, quasicrystals, tilings, and diffraction images, and concludes with a brief look at the speaker's contributions to the mathematics of aperiodic order.