There will be Snacks including FIBONACCI LEMONADE and fractal Cookies. In addition, there will be fun math games too!! Professors and all students are invited (no matter if you are a math major or not) Rain Location: Olin 371 and Olin 372

Title:  What did you do last summer? Abstract:   There are many exciting summer opportunities for students in the mathematical sciences! These range from internships in financial companies to research experiences at other universities to leadership development programs. In this week’s colloquium, a panel of your peers will tell you their experiences. What did they enjoy about their experiences? When did they apply? There will also be ample time for questions and answers. These varied opportunities, as well as being terrific fun, are also immensely valuable as you begin to think about your careers after Bucknell.

Title: Computing canonical forms of graphs Abstract: Determining the computational complexity of the problem of finding canonical representatives of graphs is a long-standing unresolved question.  This question is of fundamental interest in the theory of computing because of its close relationship with graph-isomorphism testing. While the problem may be difficult in general, group-theoretic methods have enabled polynomial-time solutions for important classes of graphs, including graphs of bounded valence.  In practice, however, variants of backtrack search to find lexicographic leaders have long been accepted as quite effective; for example, the system nauty is the leader in this category. In this talk, I […]

Title: Tying different knots: problems with isomorphism in algebra Abstract: In 1905 Max Dehn proved if you tie a knot by “over-under” you never end up with the same knot as when you tie it “under-over”.  His proof — still the only proof — hinged on a very delicate and typically difficult problem of computing isomorphisms in algebra.  By the 1950’s Adian and Rabin had proved the approach in general is undecidable — no computer can do it. Yet, the uses for isomorphism are too profound to give up after undecidability. The decades that followed saw the founders of computational algebra – Cannon, Neubuser, and […]

If you like the concept of applying mathematics in a business setting, actuarial science may be the perfect career path for you. To learn more, please join Cigna on Tuesday, September 22 at 5 PM in Olin 266 for an actuarial case study to see a preview of what healthcare actuaries do on a daily basis. Snacks will be provided and you can enter to win a gift card to the bookstore just by attending! Internship, externship and full-time opportunities in Cigna’s Actuarial Executive Development Program will also be discussed. Please visit our website http://www.cigna.com/careers/aedp​ or contact Allyssa Ward (Bucknell […]

Learn about the career field of systems engineering. Learn why a technical liberal arts degree (e.g., in engineering, science, mathematics, or computer science) provides an excellent foundation for a career in systems engineering. Learn how the University of Maryland’s Master of Science in Systems Engineering (MSSE) can prepare you for such a career. Development of large, complex systems requires the integration of a broad range of engineering disciplines. Systems Engineering provides tools, techniques, and processes for managing the development of such systems. Systems Engineers guide and coordinate the work of teams of engineers from a variety of disciplines to develop such systems. […]

Title: The Use of Markov State Models in Reliability, Availability, and Maintainability (RAM) Analysis Abstract: Three of the most important attributes of a system are its availability, reliability, and maintainability. A large portion of a typical system’s life cycle cost is driven by its reliability and maintainability. Reliability, Availability, and Maintainability (RAM) analyses are performed as a part of the development of almost all large-scale systems. Conceptually, there is a simple algebraic relationship between these three parameters that may be derived from a simple Markov state model. For complex systems, the models can become quite challenging. This seminar will provide […]