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Texas A&M University
Mathematics

AMUSE

Fall 2019

 

Date:September 11, 2019
Time:6:00pm
Location:Blocker 2F
Title:Math Undergraduate Research Expo
Abstract:A number of math students will present posters describing their research and results, and will be on hand to talk about their experience. As usual, pizza and drinks will be available.

Date:October 7, 2019
Time:6:00pm
Location:BLOC 220
Speaker:Wei Trinh, Department of Electrical Engineering, Texas A&M University
Title:How Math Can Tell You Why Your Lights Won’t Turn On
Abstract:Power is fundamental to the operation of our society. So, what happens when a blackout occurs? This talk begins with the idea of power systems, and how mathematics is used to analyze and understand power. We then dive into the specifics of modal analysis; a technique used to analyze and understand the behavior of certain aspects of our power system after events like natural disasters, and what we can do with the information. About the Speaker: Wei Trinh received B.S. in Physics and a B.S. in Mathematics from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County in 2016. He is currently a Ph.D. student in Electrical Engineering at Texas A&M University, investigating the applications of modal analysis techniques for system characterization and analysis under Dr. Overbye.

Date:October 14, 2019
Time:6:00pm
Location:BLOC 220
Speaker:Adrian Thompson, Dept of Physics, Texas A&M University
Title:Copulas and their Applications to Bayesian Analysis in Physics
Abstract:Many data-driven fields such as finance, meteorology, engineering and physics often encounter data with a high number of dimensions. Modeling multivariate data, even with low dimensionality, can be challenging. The copula is a statistical object that separately combines the correlations and the one-dimensional projections of a dataset into one entity. This property provides an effective way of modeling multivariate data that scales well with dimensionality. Another topic, Bayesian analysis, is used frequently in physics to estimate the likelihood of a particular measurement given data. I will discuss the copula and its applications to Bayesian analysis in neutrino physics, an explosively growing field over the past decade, which comes with a large number of physical parameters.

Date:October 21, 2019
Time:6:00pm
Location:BLOC 220
Speaker:Matthias Maier, Dept of Mathematics, Texas A&M University
Title:Potential flow: Why does an airplane fly?
Abstract:Flight has fascinated mankind for millennia. It was not until the beginning of the 20th century that "lift" could be used for the first heavier-than-air flight. Even though airplanes are nowadays a central tool of transportation, the notion of flight remains a fascinating topic with a number of questions still unresolved today. In this talk we will examine a classical theory of flight based on "potential flows". These are flows that can be described (in 2D) as a complex-valued function defined on the complex number plane. Based on this representation we will derive two fundamental theorems for potential flow, Blasius' Thorem and the Kutta-Joukowsky Theorem, that describe the "lift'" of a body in potential flow.

Date:November 11, 2019
Time:6:00pm
Location:BLOC 220
Speaker:Gregory Berkolaiko, Dept of Mathematics, Texas A&M University
Title:Diabolical points and where to find them
Abstract:Wave propagation through periodic medium (such as a crystal or a layered material) is described by dispersion relation, which in most practical computations is a plot of eigenvalues of a matrix which depends on several parameters. Gaps in the dispersion relation correspond to wave frequencies that do not propagate through the material. Diabolical points refer to a special feature in the dispersion relation, a location where two eigenvalues collide. Those are special because a small perturbation of the medium (for example, by a external magnetic field) can create a new gap and thereby turn a conductor into an insulator. We describe the idea behind a numerical algorithm we designed to locate diabolical points for a parametric family of real symmetric matrices. Based on an undergraduate research project of Advait Parulekar.

Date:November 18, 2019
Time:6:00pm
Location:BLOC 220
Speaker:Irina Holmes, Dept of Mathematics, Texas A&M University
Title:The Limitations of the Riemann Integral
Abstract:As an analyst, I found myself paralyzed by the task of speaking about my research in any meaningful way without the knowledge of the Lebesgue integral and measure theory. So, I decided instead to motivate the need for yet another integral: we already have the Riemann integral, why do we need another one? The talk is meant to be accessible to undergraduate students, and the purpose is to reveal the limitations of the Riemann integral, and the ways that the Lebesgue integral comes to the rescue.

Date:November 25, 2019
Time:5:30pm
Location:BLOC 220
Speaker:Directed Reading Program, Texas A&M University
Title:Final Presentations from Math Directed Reading Program
Abstract:5:30-5:40PM Food 5:40-5:55PM Yun Lu 6:00-6:15PM William Frendreiss 6:20-6:35PM Braden Yosko

Date:December 2, 2019
Time:5:00pm
Location:BLOC 220
Speaker:Directed Reading Program, Texas A&M University
Title:Final Presentations from Math Directed Reading Program
Abstract:5:00-5:15PM Food 5:20-5:35PM Olumayowa Olowemeye 5:40-5:55PM Isaac Ray 6:00-6:15PM Cristian Meraz 6:20-6:35PM Patrick Maedgen 6:40-6:55PM Claudio Romero