Spring 2024
Monday, January 22nd
Matthew Jones, Yale Institute for Network Science
Graph Colorings: How to Make Maps and Work Together
What does a completed Sudoku look like? How many colors do you need to color a map of the United States? How many radio stations can fit in Pennsylvania? Graph colorings are mathematical objects that are all around us, hiding just underneath the surface. In this talk, I will explain what graph colorings are and why they matter to puzzlers, cartographers, radio DJs, and mathematicians. After learning about some famous results like the 4-Color Theorem, we will see what graph colorings can teach us about how groups of people work together to solve problems.
11:30am
Tome 117
Pizza provided
Tuesday, January 23rd
Melissa Innerst, Juniata College
The Bayesian Paradigm: A New Way of Thinking ºìÐÓÖ±²¥app Statistics
Bayesian statistics, named for Reverend Thomas Bayes, is based on the Bayesian interpretation of probability where probability expresses a degree of belief in an event. This is an alternative to the frequentist paradigm of statistics taught in most undergraduate statistics courses. This talk will discuss the major differences between the two paradigms, demonstrate the mechanics of basic Bayesian inference through simple examples, and highlight one application of Bayesian statistics in the field of turtle phenology.
Noon
Tome 115
Pizza provided
Tuesday, March 19th
Dr. Johnna Goble, Shippensburg University
How Mathematical Models Can Help Us Understand Biology
Mathematical models can be used to gain a better understanding of various biological systems and mechanisms. In this talk we will begin by looking at the predator-prey model, a seminal model from biomathematics. We will then use techniques from this first model to explore the mechanisms involved in the progression of Prostate Cancer and its response to treatment.
Noon
Tome 115
Pizza provided
Monday, April 15th
Mathematics & Computer Science Majors Dinner
Trivia Contest
Pi Mu Epsilon and Upsilon Pi Epsilon inductions and departmental prizes and awards
6:00pm
HUB Social Hall
Catered Meal by Dining Services
Thursday, April 18th
All Science Symposium Poster Session
Abstract deadline is Monday, April 8th
4:30-6:00pm
HUB Social Hall
Refreshments provided
Tuesday, April 23rd
Departmental Honors Presentation
Dzung Dinh '24 - Application of Neural Radiance Field Single-object 3D Reconstruction Algorithms for Volume Estimation
This study explores Neural Radiance Fields (NeRF) for accurate volume estimation from photographs in uncontrolled settings, employing PixelNeRF for depth maps and space carving techniques for computing volume. Testing on synthetic and Stanford Cars datasets reveals robustness and precision, showcasing NeRF's potential to advance nutritional management and other applications.
Noon
Tome 115
Lunch provided
Friday, April 26th
Departmental Honors Presentation
Hailie Mitchell '24 - Efficient Bug Finding in Robotic Deep Learning: Adversarial Rendering for GQCNNs
Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) are a type of machine learning model used for image recognition tasks, including in robotic systems, like Grasp Quality CNNs (GQCNNs) that predict the success of a robotic grasp on a 3D object. Adversarial attacks expose vulnerabilities in models by changing input data, so the model outputs an incorrect prediction. Most adversarial attacks perturb 2D images, but we extend attacks to 3D objects. We attack a GQCNN by changing the 3D shape of an object such that the GQCNN makes an incorrect prediction about the quality of a particular grasp on the object in comparison to a physics-based oracle. We show this novel technique, adversarial rendering, can successfully find 3D adversarial examples, exposing vulnerabilities in a GQCNN.
4:30pm
Tome 115
Refreshments provided
Tuesday, April 30th
Departmental Honors Presentation
Emily Shambaugh '24 - Factorization Patterns of Polynomials and Partitions
A partition of a natural number n is a non-increasing sequence of natural numbers that sum to n. For example, the partitions of four are: 4, 3+1, 2+2, 2+1+1, and 1+1+1+1. In this talk, we explain how certain types of partitions can be used to describe the ways a polynomial of degree n may factor. We provide a recursive formula for the number of these partitions and generalize these ideas to the case of two polynomials whose degrees sum to n.
Noon
Tome 115
Lunch provided
Thursday, May 2nd
Mathematics Senior Research Presentation
(William) Xuyan Cheng '24 - Greedy Heuristics Evaluation for Cubic Multidimensional Knapsack Problem
The 0-1 cubic knapsack problem (CKP) is a challenging optimization problem where the objective is to select a subset of items, each with distinct values and weights, to maximize total value within a knapsack of limited capacity. Quadratic and cubic terms introduce complexity by modeling synergistic value increases when specific combinations of items are selected. This research develops new heuristic algorithms designed to find high-quality solutions for the CKP and its multi-dimensional variant. Thorough computational evaluation was used to identify the most promising heuristic approach.
Noon
Tome 117
Lunch provided
Friday, May 3rd
Tilings and Tessellations Poster Session
Math 301 (Prof. Richeson)
1:30-2:45pm
Rector Atrium
Light refreshments provided
Wednesday, May 8th
Mathematics & Computer Science End of Year Picnic
Join us as we celebrate the end of the academic year
Noon
Rector Courtyard (Rain Location: Rector Atrium)
BBQ lunch provided