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 2021 - 2022

Nov 30, 2021: Sandra Kingan (Brooklyn College and the Graduate Center, CUNY)

12:30 pm - 1:30 pm

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/892 1321 5272 

Title: Graph Theory: From Königsburg to Connectomes

Abstract: A graph is a set of points called vertices joined by lines called edges. A complex network is a real-world graph, so large and complicated that it can only be studied empirically. The vertices and edges of a complex network may not be fully known or may be constantly changing. For example, the neurons in the brain linked by synapses (called a connectome), the Internet with wired or wireless links between computers, the web graph with hypertext links connecting webpages, networks of people where the link is based on some sort of relationship (called social networks) or catching a contagious disease (called pandemic networks) are all complex networks. In this talk I will take you on a tour of graph theory from its origins in puzzles and games to modern applications in biology and the social sciences. Along the way I will describe a project on edge centrality and line graphs that my summer REU students Rohma Khan, Remi Laurence, Ana Osorio-Alvarado, and Zaeema Tamur did. 

Feb 22, 2022: Noson Yanovsky (Brooklyn College and the Graduate Center)

12:30 pm - 1:30 pm

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81250000600  

Title: An Invitation to Category Theory

Abstract: Category theory is a general study of structures. We will describe many many basic examples of categories and their related structures. This will help us see why category theory is a unifying language in mathematics, computer science, and physics. This talk is open to anyone.

Mar 22, 2022: Dr. Abigail Raz (Cooper Union)

12:30 pm - 1:30 pm

Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84212852304

Title: The Union-Closed Sets Conjecture

Abstract: Combinatorics is full of conjectures that are appealing and easy to state, but remain open even after decades of work. This talk will be focused on one such conjecture: The Union-Closed Sets Conjecture. This conjecture is particularly appealing because it has equivalent formulations in the context of a variety of mathematical structures such as sets, graphs, and lattices. The existence of multiple natural reformulations suggests that this conjecture is basic and fundamental, and yet it remains open. We will discuss some of the progress made towards answering this conjecture and give an indication as to the stumbling blocks. All necessary definitions will be introduced during the talk.

May 10, 2022: Christian Benes (Brooklyn College)

12:30 pm - 1:30 pm

330 Ingersol extension

Title: Some Random Lattice Models

Abstract: Many natural phenomena can be described by models that involve probability. I will present two of these, namely random walk and percolation, and discuss some of the exciting questions that can be asked (and fortunately sometimes answered) about them: What advantage does a lost human have over a lost butterfly? What are the smartest strategies when gambling in Las Vegas? Which facts about percolation are easier to prove in 19 dimensions than in 3? The two models I will describe are simple and can be understood with no prior knowledge of probability.