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    Mathematics Colloquium

The NDSU Mathematics Colloquium offers our faculty, graduate students, and visitors an opportunity to present research results and discuss the direction of their academic investigations.

On November 1, 2005, we re-started the Tri-College Colloquia, in which we will share speakers & venues with Minnesota State University Moorhead and Concordia College.

Organizer: Dr. Sean Sather-Wagstaff


Fall 2009 Schedule

Tuesday
September 08
Location: NDSU
Refreshments at 3:30 PM in Minard 303C (Math Lounge)
Talk at 4:00 PM in Minard 136

Title: Noncommutative Topology
Speaker: Benton Duncan, NDSU
Abstract: A common heurisitic in the C^*-algebra world is to view C^*-algebras as continuous functions on noncommutative "spaces". We will discuss where this idea comes from as well as discuss some examples of this heuristic in action.

I intend for this talk to be accessible for even the newest graduate students and yet to provide some depth for faculty in attendance.


Tuesday
September 15
No colloquium.

Tuesday
September 22
No colloquium.

Tuesday
September 29
Location: NDSU
Refreshments at 3:30 PM in Minard 303C (Math Lounge)
Talk at 4:00 PM in Minard 136

Title: Mathematics and Recovery of the Bald Eagle
Speaker: James W. Grier, Emeritus Professor, NDSU Department of Biological Sciences
Abstract: The bald eagle, national symbol of the US, was rapidly declining in numbers by the 1960s on a path toward extinction. Bald Eagle Recovery Teams were established by the US Fish and Wildlife Service to study the problems and recommend solutions. Jim Grier was nominated chair of the Northern States recovery team, covering a 25 state area. Much of the solution and subsequent recovery of the species hinged on understanding eagle population dynamics. Jim developed the mathematical population simulation models (during the 1970s, at an early stage of modern computing techniques) that played a role in the species' recovery. Following an introduction about the bald eagle and how eagle population data are obtained, he will discuss simulation life tables and the individual-based deterministic and stochastic models that he developed. The presentation is intended to be accessible to graduate and undergraduate students in math (as well as other students who are interested in math).
Tuesday
October 6
Location: NDSU
Refreshments at 3:30 PM in Minard 303C (Math Lounge)
Talk at 4:00 PM in Minard 136

Title: Optimal Geometry Distortion of Diffeomorphisms between Manifolds
Speaker: Oksana Bihun, Concordia
Abstract: The problem of mapping of surfaces with minimal distortion of geometry arises in medical imaging, animation, and industry. While there is an extensive literature on numerical methods that lead to a small distortion map, the underlying mathematical problem is not well understood.

Each diffeomorphism h between two compact smooth n-manifolds M and N distorts the geometry of M in a certain way. We ask which diffeomorphisms produce the least distortion and introduce cost functionals that measure the distortion. The functional G(h)=\int_M J(h)^2, where J(h) is the Jacobian determinant of h, measures the distortion with respect to the change of volume. If the manifolds M and N are Riemannian with the metrics g_M and g_N respectively, the functional F(h)= \int_M ||h*g_N-g_M||^2 measures the distortion due to strain; the minimizers of F are approximate isometries. We also consider functionals that measure distortion due to bending. We employ some important results on volume forms on manifolds, linearization via time dependent vector fields, some evolution operator theory, and methods of calculus of variations, to prove the existence of minimizers of the above cost functionals in certain classes of diffeomorphisms. We generalize our findings to the problem of minimal distortion morphing (through homotopies) of compact manifolds.


Tuesday
October 13
No colloquium.

Tuesday
October 20
Location: NDSU
Refreshments at 3:30 PM in Minard 303C (Math Lounge)
Talk at 4:00 PM in Minard 136

Title: Some Remarks on Atomic, Purgatory, and Antimatter domains
Speaker: Travis Trentham, NDSU
Abstract: A nonzero nonunit element p in an integral domain D is said to be an atom (irreducible) provided that given any factorization p=xy in D, then either x or y is a unit of D. If every nonzero nonunit in D can be expressed as a product of atoms, then D is said to be atomic. Should D fail to admit any atoms, then we say that D is an antimatter domain. However, there are also domains which fail to be either atomic or antimatter. We shall call any such domain a purgatory domain. In this talk we shall consider some examples from each of these three classes and discuss how they might present themselves in the theory of factorization. We shall also present a problem addressing the relative abundance of these types of rings and look at some progress that has been made on this problem.
Tuesday
October 27
No colloquium.

Thursday
November 05
Location: NDSU
Refreshments at 3:30 PM in Minard 303C (Math Lounge)
Talk at 4:00 PM in Morrill 109. Note the different day and location!

Title: The Beurling-Selberg Extremal Problem
Speaker: Emanuel Carneiro, Institute for Advanced Study
Abstract: I will describe the classical theory and recent developments on the Beurling-Selberg problem of approximating real-valued functions by entire functions of prescribed exponential type, and discuss several applications of these approximations to number theory. The recent results are part of a joint program with Friedrich Littmann (NDSU) and Jeffrey D. Vaaler (Texas - Austin).
Tuesday
November 10
Location: NDSU
Refreshments at 3:30 PM in Minard 303C (Math Lounge)
Talk at 4:00 PM in Minard 136

Title: Equivariant Intersection Rings
Speaker: Damiano Fulghesu, University of Strasbourg
Abstract: An equivariant intersection theory has been developed for smooth algebraic schemes acted on by an algebraic group. However the computation of intersection rings with integer coefficients is usually challenging. Some interesting results can be obtained when we consider actions by GLn of an open subset of a representation. These techniques allow to explicit intersection rings of some moduli stacks of curves.
Tuesday
November 17
Location: MSUM
Refreshments at 4:00 in Maclean 167
Talk at 4:30 PM in Maclean 167. Note the different time!

Title: Using Mathematics to Create Symmetry Patterns
Speaker: Joseph A. Gallian - University of Minnesota Duluth
Abstract: We use video animations to illustrate how mathematics can be used to create computer generated symmetry patterns. Polynomials, exponential functions, logarithms and modular arithmetic are used to transform basic images into symmetry patterns. These methods were used to create the image for the 2003 Mathematics Awareness Month poster.
Tuesday
November 24
No colloquium.

Tuesday
December 01
Location: NDSU
Refreshments at 3:30 PM in Minard 303C (Math Lounge)
Talk at 4:00 PM in Minard 136

Title: TBA
Speaker: Rob Hladky, NDSU
Abstract: TBA
Tuesday
December 08
No colloquium.

 
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Department of Mathematics
NDSU Dept # 2750
PO BOX 6050
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Tel: 701.231.8171
Fax: 701.231.7598
Email: ndsu.math@ndsu.edu
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