Bucknell Mathematics Department Blog

Bucknell Mathematics Student Colloquium Series

Thurs, Sept. 15 | Noon-12:50PM  | Olin 268

Using Maths to Save The World
presented by Helen Greatrex, Professor of Geography and Statistics, Penn State University

ABSTRACT: Droughts kill thousands of people each year, especially in countries like Somalia where there is conflict and very little water to start off with.  Humanitarian experts often have to decide which places need the most help and alongside working with local communities, they also have to know how much rain has fallen. But how do you map rainfall in places where it’s too dangerous to gather data from weather-stations? Or in the vast spaces where we don’t have any weather stations at all?  
We turn to satellites! In this colloquium, we will chat about how simple mathematics can turn “space-photos” into useful weather information, and what happens when different satellites disagree…
Arrive early for free pizza!

The Bucknell MLA will hold its first meeting on Monday 9/5 at at 5.45pm in the Traditional Reading Room (BERT 213), for members to get to know each other and share their passion for machine learning. Prof. Keegan Kang will give an introductory talk on LSH Schemes.

ABSTRACT: There are some challenges with traditional machine learning in a Big Data world. Locality Sensitive Hashing (LSH) schemes are able to mitigate some of these challenges. The idea of LSH schemes will be briefly introduced in this talk by looking at an example of them: sign random projections. This will be followed briefly by an illustration of how LSH schemes can be improved, before concluding with several fun research areas using these schemes.

Bagels, Coffee, & Data Science! (Event with Axtria)

Interested in a career in data science? Come network with Bucknell alumni who work for one of the biggest players in the industry and learn about all things data science!

Thursday, September 8th
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
MacDonald Commons 104
Feel free to come and go as you please

Bucknell Alumni:
Erin Ditmar ’18 (Chemical Engineering) Erin.Ditmar@axtria.com
Caroline Edelman ’18 (Applied Mathematics) Caroline.Edelman@axtria.com
Hannah Jarosinski ’21 (Mathematics) Hannah.Jaroskinski@axtria.com
Brendan Lowery ’22 (Business Analytics) Brendan.Lowery@axtria.com

Mathematics Department Student Colloquium Series

Thursday September 1 at noon in Olin 268.

Pizza will be served before the talk!

You’re Gonna Need A Bigger Boat (or: How math & computation are changing professional game playing)
presented by Peter Brooksbank, Professor of Mathematics, Bucknell University

ABSTRACT: Those of a mathematical bent have always been drawn to games in which their natural predilections give them an edge over their opponents. Pioneers of computation, such as Alan Turing and John von Neumann, pondered whether machines could compete with, or even outperform humans in games such as Chess, Go, and Poker… even before the first computer was built! In the present day, where almost everyone has hand-held access to more powerful computers than Turing and von Neumann could have possibly imagined, their questions have largely been answered.

In this talk I will give a brief history of the interplay between mathematics, computation, and games. Along the way, some cool math tools will be provided to use in games of chance! I will talk about the state of the art in computer-assisted Chess, Go, and Poker, and sketch the mathematical ideas upon which these programs are founded. Mostly what I want to do in this talk is convince you that blending mathematical reasoning with tools from modern computing makes a powerful cocktail. From playing games with your friends to looking for a job, you’ll be sailing in a bigger boat!
Arrive early for free pizza!

The Mathematics Department’s Distinguished Visiting Professor

Dan Timotin, Institute of Mathematics of the Romanian Academy

Tuesday, April 26th 4:00 P.M.
ROOM 372 in the Olin Science Building

Abstract: If A and B are self-adjoint matrices, what is the relation between the eigenvalues of A, those of B, and those of A+B? The talk will describe the unexpected ramifications in various areas of mathematics of this old problem. Some recent developments, mostly pertaining to operator theory, will also be presented.

HONORS THESIS DEFENSE

Contraction-based approach to tensor isomorphism

Presented by:

Anh Kieu ‘22

Thesis Advisor: Pete Brooksbank

2^nd Reader: Ben Vollmayr-Lee
Wednesday, April 20, at 4:00 PM
OLIN 372

Everyone is welcome to attend.

Abstract: Tensors are natural generalizations of linear transformations to arbitrary “frames” of vector spaces. Just as how a linear transformation can be represented by a matrix, choosing a reference frame allows a tensor to be represented by a multiway array. A fundamental question is to decide when two multiway arrays represent the same tensor relative to different reference frames. This question is commonly known as the tensor isomorphism problem. In this Honors Thesis, we developed a new approach to testing (non)-isomorphism of tensors that uses detailed local information to detect differences in global tensor structure. The method assumes isomorphism invariant “labels” for lower valence tensors can be computed, and then compares two given tensors by computing their so-called “contraction labels.” We implemented this method in a computer algebra system called Magma and applied it to 4-qubit states in QIT as a proof of concept.

Mathematics Department, Student Colloquium Series

MASKS REQUIRED

PIZZA SERVED from 11:30 -11:55 in front of Hislop Family Auditorium

TALK STARTS AT 12:00 PM

“Lies, Damn Lies, and…Olympic Judging Systems”

Presented by

John W. Emerson
Director of Graduate Studies
 Department of Statistics and Data Science – Yale University

Thursday, April 21, 2022

12:00 P.M.        HOLMES HALL – 116 Hislop Family Auditorium

Abstract: This talk considers aspects of Olympic judging systems in two different sports, diving and figure skating.  The former sport can boast of complete transparency, with the identities of the judges tied to scores available to the general public.  The latter sport, in contrast, has struggled to evolve since the judging scandal of the Salt Lake City Olympic Games.

BIO: John W. Emerson is the Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Statistics and Data Science. His primary interests are in computational statistics and graphics, and his applied work ranges from topics in sports statistics to bioinformatics, environmental statistics, and Big Data challenges. He teaches a range of undergraduate and graduate courses from “Introductory Data Analysis” to “Statistical Case Studies.” He is the author of several R packages including bcp (for Bayesian change point analysis), bigmemory and sister packages (towards a scalable solution for statistical computing with massive data), and gpairs (for generalized pairs plots). He has served in various leadership roles in several sections of the American Statistical Association.  He misses international travel and loves to cook.

Mathematics Department Student Colloquium Series

PIZZA SERVED from 11:30 -11:55    in front of Hislop Family Auditorium

TALK STARTS AT 12:00 PM

“Do I have an artifact in my data? The challenges of acquiring high fidelity data at high rates of acquisition”

Presented by

Professor Wendelin Wright – Bucknell University
Heinemann Family Professor in Engineering, and Professor of Mechanical and Chemical Engineering

Thursday, March 24, 2022

12:00 P.M.        HOLMES HALL – 116 Hislop Family Auditorium

Abstract: I have spent much of my career measuring small, fast features in mechanical test data for a class of materials known as metallic glasses. These are non-crystalline metals that show unusually high strengths and hardnesses but limited ductilities due to the occurrence of a microstructural phenomenon known as shear banding. Since understanding and manipulating shear banding is key to utilizing these materials in applications, I seek to measure shear band propagation using a variety of test techniques at rates up to 100 kHz. In this talk, I will demonstrate some of the pitfalls that can result when acquiring data if the signals are not measured using the proper instrumentation or at sufficiently high rates. I will also discuss some of the strategies we have developed to determine whether the behavior we are capturing is real.

Mathematics Department Student Colloquium Series

PIZZA SERVED from 11:30 -11:55    in front of Hislop Family Auditorium

TALK STARTS AT 12:00 PM

“Number Talks, Math Tasks, and More: Teaching School Mathematics”

Presented by

COURTNEY RICE ‘08
 Department of Mathematics – Bucknell University

Thursday, March 3, 2022

12:00 P.M.        HOLMES HALL – 116 Hislop Family Auditorium

Abstract: In this session, we’ll dive into some of the nuances of teaching school mathematics. How do you develop number sense in students? What about students with different learning styles? How much thought do teachers actually give to the math tasks they use in class? Given by a mathematics and teacher educator, expect to participate in discussion! You’ll walk out of here with a deeper appreciation and understanding of what goes into the teaching of school mathematics. 

Mathematics Department

Student Colloquium Series

PIZZA SERVED from 11:30 -11:55 in front of Hislop Family Auditorium

TALK STARTS AT 12:00 PM

“1, 2, skip a few”

Presented by

BRETT COLLINS
 Department of Mathematics – Bucknell University

Thursday, February 17, 2022

12:00 P.M.        HOLMES HALL – 116 Hislop Family Auditorium

Abstract: One of the most basic problems in mathematics is simply counting how many there are of something, such as the number of Sudoku puzzles or the number of arrangements of a Rubik’s Cube, yet this is often notoriously difficult. In this talk, I’ll show through examples how symmetry can be used in many problems like this and how we can easily generalize these ideas to more difficult counting problems. One thing that you can certainly count on is having mathematical fun.