The San Marcos Informal Mathematics In-person Colloquium (SMIMIC)

Fall 2026 Seminar Schedule

12:00-12:50PM in Commons 206 (unless otherwise noted)

• Sept. 10: Dr. Cassandra Mohr
  Title: What Kind of Department Are We? Understanding Teaching Culture in Mathematics

   

  Abstract: What does it mean to be part of a mathematics department - not just as a student or faculty member, but as someone who teaches and learns math? How do instructors and students experience their relationships with one another, their confidence in their abilities, and their ability to shape what happens in the classroom?

  These questions point to a larger idea: teaching culture. Every department has a culture around teaching, whether or not we talk about it explicitly. That culture can shape how instructors teach, how students experience their courses, and what kinds of changes feel possible or worthwhile.

  In this talk, I’ll introduce two surveys designed to help us understand teaching culture from both the student and instructor perspectives. The surveys focus on three key ideas: relatedness (Do I belong here?), competence (Can I succeed here?), and autonomy (Can I shape what happens here?). I’ll share findings from pilot studies in a STEM college and, more specifically, in a math department, and discuss what they might tell us about the teaching culture of our own department.

   

  Time and Place: 12:00-12:50 in Commons 206
• Sept. 24: Summer Scholars Research Presentations
  Speakers: Armando Pena and Adrienne Robertson

  
  

  Title: Attacking ECDSA with Fourier Analysis

   

  Abstract: The Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA) is a widely used cryptographic protocol for generating and verifying digital signatures. Its security depends on a secret signing key d, which must remain hidden. Fourier analysis provides a way to identify dominant frequencies within complex signals. A frequency is the number of times a pattern repeats within a specified time frame. Breitner and Heninger showed empirically that Fourier analysis can be used to detect frequencies in ECDSA signatures and, under certain conditions, recover information about the secret key.

   

  Time and Place: 12:00-12:50 in Commons 206
• Tue., Oct. 6: UCSD PhD Students

  UCSD PhD students Hargun Bhatia, Justine Dell, and Casey Perdue will be giving short talks about their research.

  Time and Place: 12:00-12:50 in Commons 206

• **Oct. 8: Abigail Dan Advancement to Candidacy

  Time and Place: 12:00-12:50 in Commons 206

• Oct. 22: Dr. Adrian Fontanilla
  TBA

   

  Time and Place: 12:00-12:50 in Commons 206
• Wed., Nov. 4: Dr. Kenny Ballou
  TBA

   

  Time and Place: 12:00-12:50, location TBA
• Nov. 19: Dr. Shahed Sharif

  Title: How I was Scooped by Claude

  Time and Place: 12:00-12:50 in Commons 206

• Dec. 3: Dr. Justin Mulvany
  TBA

   

  Time and Place: 12:00-12:50 in Commons 206

**Includes events that are not SMIMIC but may be of interest to the CSUSM math community.

The SMIMIC Archives

• Spring 2026
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  • Jacob Cordeiro, Software Engineer, The Art of Problem Solving

    Title: Exponential generating functions and not-so-discrete math

    Abstract: Herbert Wilf calls a generating function "a clothesline on which we hang up a sequence of numbers for display." But can the vocabulary of calculus really help us with counting? Who found it useful to decorate numbers with vectors?

     

    These questions can follow you as you study your field of interest, because subjects demarcated as "discrete math" and "continuous math" are so intertwined that you can easily step into another field by accident. What do exponentials and logarithms have to do with cycle decomposition? Why do alternating permutations describe the tangent function? How did we get from the quadratic formula to the longest article in the OEIS?

     

    We'll explore some familiar continuous spaces and the discrete constellations that shape them, reveal how different students of mathematics can have vastly different perspectives, and discover the beauty of communication between those perspectives.

     

    Bio: Jacob Cordeiro studied mathematics and computer science at Harvey Mudd College and received an MS in mathematics from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He continues to independently pursue his interests in math, education, game design, and music, while working as a software engineer at the Art of Problem Solving.
  • Samantha Blattler, Consultant, Conduent HR Services

    Title: The Business Side of Math

    Abstract: Finding a business application to a mathematics degree is the challenge I was facing. I wasn’t ready to teach; I wanted to experience a career outside of education before returning. An opportunity arose to join a niche team creating online technology solutions, and I decided to jump. That leap turned into a career, and I have been there ever since, still using the same technology but in more applications than I would have thought possible – in large part due to the creativity and determination of our team to say “yes” in a sea of “no’s”.

  • Dr. Wayne Aitken, Department of Mathematics, CSUSM

    Title: Guitar Math for Math Majors

    Abstract: The Pythagoreans discovered that there are basic mathematical relationships between harmonious musical intervals. Later the ancient astronomer and mathematician Ptolemy used mathematics to explain and design various musical scales. In this talk I will start by reviewing some of this history including how the Pythagorean theory of means (arithmetic means, geometric means, and harmonic means) can be used to explain and build musical scales.  

    One particular harmonic interval is built on the ratio 3:2, which today we call "the fifth".  I will explain the Pythagorean idea of iterating this ratio to generate scales. There is a sense that the fifth (the ratio 3:2) has order "almost" 12 in the circle group. This will lead us to the "circle of fifths", our modern 12 note system (with "equal temperament"), and various scales built out of these basic 12 notes.  I will then explain how group theory can be used to explain some of the basic patterns that arise in our 12 note system and its relationship with the circle of fifths. 

    Along the way, I will illustrate these ideas with the guitar. For example, I hope to address the unusual standard tuning of the guitar in light of these ideas.

  • Dr. Qidi Peng, Research Associate Professor, Claremont Graduate University

    Title: Fractional Brownian Motion: Small Increments and First Exit Time from One-sided Barrier

    Abstract: The talk introduces a conjecture on the first exit time of fractional Brownian motion: the upper-tail probability for a fractional Brownian motion to first exit a positive-valued barrier over time T has the exact asymptotic rate T^(H-1), where H is the Hurst parameter of the fractional Brownian motion. The talk tries to understand this conjecture by providing several equivalent statements. We then introduce the best effort made in the current literature towards solving this conjecture.

  • Linghao Zhang, Department of Mathematics, University of California San Diego

    Title: Learning Polynomial Activation Functions for Deep Neural Networks

    Abstract: Activation functions are crucial for deep neural networks. This novel work frames the problem of training neural network with learnable polynomial activation functions as a polynomial optimization problem, which is solvable by the Moment-SOS hierarchy. This work represents a fundamental departure from the conventional paradigm of training deep neural networks, which relies on local optimization methods like backpropagation and gradient descent. Numerical experiments are presented to demonstrate the accuracy and robustness of optimum parameter recovery in presence of noises.

  • Dr. Steve Butler, Morrill Professor and the Barbara J Janson Professor of Mathematics, Iowa State University. **Reid Lecture Series speaker for 2026.

    Q&A, meet and greet, and lunch with students.

  • Dr. Cameron Parker, Department of Mathematics, University of California San Diego

    Title: When Votes Lie: Power, Weighted Voting, and Impossible Hierarchies

    Abstract: We use elementary combinatorial and game‑theoretic tools to show how intuitive weight allocations can fail to capture actual voting power. Starting from Banzhaf’s insight and a historical Nassau County example, we introduce weighted and simple voting games, define relative power, and exhibit families of power hierarchies that are impossible to realize in any simple voting game. We then give constructive positive results: except for a small, explicitly described class of forbidden patterns, every other hierarchy can be realized by a weighted voting game — and, with further constraints, by a majority‑quota system. The talk outlines the specific construction and discusses why gridlock would occur under large quotas. The material illuminates why vote counts are a poor proxy for influence and provides practical criteria for designing more transparent weighted voting schemes.

  • **Marvin Pena Master's Defense

    Title: The Stationary Distribution of a Diffusion Model for a Shortest Remaining Processing Time Queue

    Abstract: We study a diffusion model introduced in Banerjee, Budhiraja, and Puha (2022). In that work, this diffusion model was shown to be a heavy traffic approximation for a shortest remaining processing time queue with a heavy tailed service time distribution. Here we are interested in characterizing the stationary distribution of this diffusion model. Of particular interest is to show its existence and uniqueness and describe its distributional properties.

  
  

   

• Fall 2025
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  • Dr. Hanson Smith, Department of Mathematics, CSUSM

    Title: A Research Story: Critical Points and Dynamical Monogenicity

    Abstract: This talk will be a story of how research evolves and collaboration unfolds. It will also be a quick introduction to some ideas in algebraic number theory. Finally, it will survey some recent results on the monogenicity of iterates of polynomials.

    A number field K is monogenic (over Q) if the ring of integers is generated by powers of one algebraic integer. In this case, we say that this algebraic integer is a monogenerator and that the minimal polynomial is a monogenic polynomial. In the context of arithmetic dynamics, it is natural to ask how monogenicity interacts with iteration. We will give an overview of work of the speaker, Joachim König and Zack Wolske that gives necessary and sufficient criteria for when the iterates of a polynomial are monogenic.

  • Summer Research Presentations

    Speaker: Jacob Bergsma

    Title: Wasserstein Projections in the Distribution-Based Optimal Selling Problem

    Abstract: The distribution-based optimal selling problem seeks to adjust a client-provided probability distribution to ensure attainability or to improve it via stochastic dominance. We frame this as a Wasserstein projection with a scaled mean constraint. For the 1-Wasserstein case, we show that drift curvature determines whether optimal solutions are unique or non-unique, with greedy transfer rules in the positive and negative drift regimes. We also outline preliminary extensions to the 2-Wasserstein setting and continuous distributions.

    Speaker: Jacob Mendenhall

    Title: Draws in Tic-Tac-Toe

    Abstract: This presentation is concerned with draws in n^d Tic-Tac-Toe, where n is board size, and d is dimension. For example, one result of the presentation is that there are no draws in 3^3 tic-tac-toe, which is Tic-Tac-Toe on a cube-shaped board. There are three separate results, each tackling a different question and using different logic.

    Speaker: Eric Parrott

    Title: 3-D Reflecting Brownian Motion in 𝛼-fair Workload Cones with Applications to Bandwidth Sharing Networks

    Abstract: We investigate the existence of three-dimensional reflecting Brownian motion in 𝛼-fair workload cones, a diffusion model motivated by bandwidth sharing networks. An existing conjecture states that existence of such processes depends on a condition for the convex combination of normal vectors at boundaries where cone faces intersect. We show that this condition holds along intersections of any two workload cone faces for all 𝛼>0.

  • Dr. Marshall Whittlesey, Department of Mathematics, CSUSM

    Title: An introduction to Quaternions and Their Uses With Geometry and Vectors

    Abstract: In 1843, Irish mathematician Sir William Rowan Hamilton was trying to figure out how to create a version of complex numbers in three dimensions. In particular, how could one define multiplication of ordered triples in the same way that complex numbers allow us to define products of ordered pairs (x,y)=x+yi? In a flash of insight, on Oct. 16, 1843, he realized that to do it right, one had to extend the product to ordered quadruples. We will discuss some elementary properties of quaternions and how they offer insight into geometry and vectors in three dimensions.

  • Dr. Gail Tang, Department of Mathematics, Director of the Distinguished Grants Program, University of La Verne

    Title: Creativity-fostering Teaching Actions and their Affective Outcomes

    Abstract: In this talk, I’ll present the Teaching for Mathematical Creativity Guide, which identifies four types of teaching actions that students in creativity-based Calculus I courses associated with their creativity: Task-Related, Holistic Teaching, Active Learning, and Teacher-Centered. Then, I’ll discuss the five affective outcomes students reported in response to these actions—Enjoyment, Confidence, Comfort, Reframing, and Negative Feelings—with Enjoyment, Confidence, and Comfort emerging most prominently. Enjoyment was most frequently linked to Holistic Teaching and Task-Related actions. Six concrete teaching actions surfaced from the analysis of teaching action-affect overlaps. A demographic breakdown of the students in the affective outcomes and teaching actions shows that creativity-fostering tasks have resonance among marginalized gender and racial identities in STEM—especially women of color. These findings demonstrate how creativity-fostering teaching actions can cultivate not only students’ mathematical creativity but also their affective engagement with mathematics.

  • **Jesse Stevenson Master's Defense

    Title: Introduction to Hilbert's Fifth Problem

    Abstract: When are topological groups Lie? This a modern restatement of David Hilbert’s famous fifth problem he gave in the year 1900. In this talk, we explore what this question is asking, a solution to this question, as well as some of the background mathematical topics needed to answer this question ranging from selected topics in differential topology to selected topics in functional analysis and representation theory.

  • Dr. Anthony Matranga, Mathematics and Technology Education, CSUSM

    Title: Supporting mathematics teachers’ implementation of ambitious instructional practice with online professional development and generative artificial intelligence

    Abstract: The broad goal of my work is better understanding how to support mathematics teachers to incorporate ambitious instructional practices into their classrooms. In this talk, I will share two recent studies that address this goal from complementary angles: (1) a study of mathematics teachers’ persistence in a multi-year online mathematics teacher professional development program focused on noticing and wondering and examining student work, and (2) a study of how a generative Artificial Intelligence (genAI) tool designed to provide students with evidence-based and individualized feedback reshapes relational dynamics in mathematics classrooms. 

    In the persistence study, I show how emerging (mis)alignments between mathematics teachers perceived utility of online professional development and perceived expectations for instruction in their local school contexts influence their long-term participation. In the genAI study, I document how incorporating genAI into classroom activity can increase mathematics teachers’ capacity to implement ambitious instructional practices - such as providing individualized feedback - while also introducing tensions in how students and teachers work together to learn mathematics. Together, these studies highlight the evolving challenges and opportunities of supporting ambitious and equitable mathematics teaching in both digital and AI-augmented environments.

  • **Dylan Scofield Advancement to Candidacy

    Title: From Dedekind–Kummer to Ore: Factorization of Ideals in Number Rings

    Abstract: This talk traces the historical and mathematical development of factorization into prime ideals in number rings. We begin with the Dedekind–Kummer theorem, which describes the factorization of all but finitely many integral primes. We then introduce Ore’s factorization theorem, which uses Newton polygons to handle the remaining “bad” primes in most situations.

  • **Yoko Peters Advancement to Candidacy

    Title: Controversy of the abc Conjecture

    Abstract: The abc Conjecture is one of the most important unsolved problems in number theory, not only for its striking implications but also for the deep controversy its claimed proof has generated. This thesis presents a comprehensive survey of the conjecture, explores the consequences and mathematical history, analyzes the international controversy sparked by Shinichi Mochizuki’s work, and reflects on implications for mathematical practice.

  • **Marvin Pena Advancement to Candidacy

    Title: The Stationary Distribution of a Diffusion Model for a Shortest Remaining Processing Time Queue

    Abstract: We study a diffusion model introduced in Banerjee, Budhiraja, and Puha (2022). In that work, this diffusion model was shown to be a heavy traffic approximation for a shortest remaining processing time queue with a heavy tailed service time distribution. Here we are interested in characterizing the stationary distribution of this diffusion model. Of particular interest is to show its existence and uniqueness and describe its distributional properties.

  
  

   

• Spring 2025
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  • Stevie Brosh, Scientist, Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific, Command and Control Department

    Title: Q&A with a Mathematician at the Naval Information Warfare Center

    Bio: Stevie Brosh holds a B.S. in Mathematics with an emphasis in Statistics from California State University, Long Beach and an M.A. in Mathematics with an emphasis in Teaching Services from San Diego State University. These academic achievements have provided her with a strong analytical background, quantitative skills, and a deep understanding of problem-solving techniques which have led to a successful professional career focused on software development, test, and delivery. Ms. Brosh currently works for the Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific as a scientist in the Command and Control Department. During her time at the Center, she has been a software developer, a lead test engineer, and now a deputy project manager responsible for multiple software applications supporting the US Navy and its allies.

  • Dr. Shahed Sharif, Department of Mathematics, CSUSM

    Title: Scissors Beats Paper

    Abstract: If I cut a piece of paper into many pieces, rearrange the pieces, and
    then put them back together, what kind of shapes can I get? We'll give a
    complete answer to this question, and then talk about how complicated it
    gets when cutting solids in 3 dimensions. Paper and scissors will be
    provided! However, rocks are prohibited.

  • Dr. Daniel Chivers, Senior Director of Business Operations, Information & Data Sciences Division of Leidos

    Title: Mathematics at Leidos

    Description: Dr. Daniel Chivers, Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering and Senior Director of Business Operations at the Information & Data Sciences Division of Leidos, will detail some of the ways mathematics is used in his division and answer questions from the audience. The department conference room is booked immediately following the talk for continued conversation.

  • Dr. Bennet Goeckner, Department of Mathematics, University of California San Diego

    Title: Manifold Matching Complexes

    Abstract: Given a graph, a matching is a collection of its edges where no two of these edges share a common endpoint. The set of all possible matchings of a graph is called its matching complex. A great deal of research has been conducted on the topology of matching complexes for various graph families. We instead ask the opposite question: Given a manifold, when is it a matching complex? We completely characterize all graphs and manifolds that arise in this way. No previous knowledge of these topics will be needed for this talk.

  • Dr. Ken Golden, Distinguished Professor of Mathematics at the University of Utah. **Reid Lecture Series speaker for 2025.
    Lunch and Q&A
  • Jack J. Garzella, graduate student in the Department of Mathematics, University of California San Diego

    Title: Beyond FOIL: The State of the Art in Polynomial Multiplication

    Abstract: We will discuss how to multiply two polynomials. “How hard can this be?” you may ask. Well, it turns out when the polynomials get big enough it gets quite hard. We’ll describe one algorithm, the so-called “Fast Fourier Transform”, which works much faster in these cases.

  
  

   

• Fall 2024
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  • Dr. Brian Friedin, Department of Mathematics, University of California San Diego

    Title: A generalized van der Waerden game on an infinite board

    Abstract: We will discuss (and play!) some games on the integers. Van der Waerden's game asks you to color the integers {1,2,...,n} using r colors and avoid k of the same color in arithmetic progression. In a variation, two players take turns coloring previously unclaimed integers, and one player wins when the numbers in their color form a specific pattern. We will discuss whether these games must end, who has a winning strategy, and how efficient that winning strategy is. This is based on joint work with students in the Auburn graduate research seminar.

  • Anna Zelenak

    Title: Careers in the Federal Government for Mathematicians

    Abstract: Discover how the Federal Government employs mathematicians in the field of cryptanalysis. This presentation will provide an overview of mathematical applications at the National Security Agency (NSA) and explore the role of mathematics and cryptanalysis in solving complex cases at the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). We will conclude with a hands-on session, analyzing real-life evidence from a federal RICO case investigated by the FBI.

  • Summer Research Presentations

    Title: Student Summer Research Presentations

    Abstract: CSUSM students Alejandro Leon Figueroa, Carmen Gutierrez, Maxwell Kooiker, Noah Lowery, Brittany Russell, and Dylan Scofield will present on the mathematics they researched and studied over the summer.

  • Rob Howard, CSUSM mathematics alumni, founder of Veridical Solutions and co-founder of Emanate Biostats, Inc.

    Title: My Journey from CSUSM Math Graduate to Data-Driven Entrepreneur

    Abstract: I’ll share my unique career path after graduating with a B.S. in Mathematics from CSUSM in 1999. My initial aspirations were to become a high school math teacher, but after successfully navigating the challenging B.S. coursework, I found myself wondering “what else could I do with my Math degree?”  This presentation will explore how a B.S. in Mathematics from CSUSM prepared me for a rewarding and exciting career as a statistical analyst and business owner.  I’ll share what a typical day looks like in my career and how the skills I learned over 25 years ago continue to play a crucial role in my success.

    Bio: Rob Howard graduated in 1999 with a B.S. in Mathematics from California State University, San Marcos.  Since then, he has enjoyed a rewarding career as a data analyst in the pharmaceutical industry and uses SAS to perform statistical analysis of clinical trial data in a wide range of therapeutic areas. In 2007, Rob founded Veridical Solutions and has been an independent consultant providing his analysis services to pharmaceutical companies.  In 2020, he co-founded Emanate Biostats, Inc. further expanding his business endeavors in the industry.

  • Haley Lorenz Math 495 Internship Presentation

    Title:  From Data to Dialogue: Developing the Ask Margot Chatbot for Travel Nurses

    Abstract: Discover how Haley Lorenz’s Math 495 internship project with Ask Margot leverages data science to support travel nurses in finding hospitals that align with their preferences. Haley will present the development of a chatbot using Amazon Lex, designed to interpret and respond to user queries based on reviews from travel nurses. 

    Haley’s presentation will be followed by an internship Q&A with her, CSTEM Career and Internship specialist Breanna Caso, Career Center Internship coordinator Monica Gillie, and Math 495 faculty advisor Dr. André Kündgen.

  • Dr. André Kündgen, Department of Mathematics, CSUSM

    Title: How to guard an art gallery

    Abstract: Consider an art gallery formed by a polygon on n vertices. The basic question is how many guards does it take to supervise the whole gallery? We will answer this question in the worst case, even when we allow some interior walls. Here an interior wall is any interior diagonal of the gallery connecting two vertices. Each interior wall has an arbitrarily placed, arbitrarily small doorway connecting the rooms on either side.

  
  

   

• Spring 2024
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  • Dr. Brian Katz, Professor, Mathematics Education, CSU Long Beach

    Title: How do mathematicians believe?

    Abstract: Love it or hate it, many people believe that mathematics gives humans access to a kind of truth that is more absolute and universal than other disciplines. If this claim is true, we must ask: what makes the origins and processes of mathematics special and how can our messy, biological brains connect to the absolute? If the claim is false, then what becomes of truth in mathematics? In this session, we will discuss beliefs about truth and how they play out in the mathematics classroom, trying to understand a little about identity, authority, and tertiary education.

    Speaker Info: Brian P Katz (BK) is faculty in Mathematics Education and coordinator for the Math Single Subject Credential at CSULB, part of the leadership teams of RUME SIGMAA, the SoCal-NV Section of the MAA, the journal PRIMUS, the inclusion/exclusion blog, and Project NExT.

  • Dr. Kate Stevenson, Professor of Mathematics, CSU Northridge

    Title: The Power of a Broad View of Mathematics  

    Abstract: Recently, the Mathematics Department at CSUN instituted a problem solving class for mathematics majors. The goal is to create an experience that is closer to how mathematicians work across and between fields to expand the frontiers of mathematics. In this talk, we will discuss how geometry, topology, and algebraic geometry inspire and inform one another. We will start by reviewing some basic properties of R and C that allow us to build covering spaces of curves by working very locally. We will touch on how Riemann and others used such local analysis to understand functions between Riemann Surfaces (which are curves themselves when viewed as complex spaces). Then we’ll see some results from algebraic geometry that used and modified these analytic techniques to better understand curves over other fields and Galois extensions of Q. Finally, if time is left, we will close with a glimpse of recent award winning results on Riemann Surfaces and the moduli spaces that parameterize them that were informed by areas as diverse as billiard balls and conic sections. 

  • Dr. Mary Pilgrim, Associate Professor, Department of Mathematics & Statistics, San Diego State University
    Collaborative colloquium with CRESE.
  • Dr. Laird Kramer, Professor, Physics Education Research, Florida International University
    Collaborative colloquium with CRESE.
  • Dr. Badal Joshi, Professor, Department of Mathematics, CSUSM

    Title: Chemical mass-action systems as analog computers: implementing arithmetic computations at specified speed

    Abstract: DNA-strand displacement and other technological advances have made it possible to implement computation in a (wet) cellular environment. Reaction networks, and associated mass-action kinetics, can therefore, be treated as a programming language for analog computation. The challenges of using nonlinear differential equations to perform computation are different from the ones that are faced when using Boolean algebra in digital computers. On the positive side, differential equations can be solved without a discrete approximation. On the other hand, implementing discrete processes such as arithmetic and algebra is less straightforward. Previous authors had shown how to implement basic arithmetic operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, inversion etc.) using a reaction network-based computer, but had not considered the critical element of speed of computation. In our work, we develop ``chemical modules'' that  carry out  basic arithmetic operations and we prove that the developed modules have a speed of computation that is independent of the inputs. Moreover, we prove that these elementary modules can be run in parallel so as to carry out any desired arithmetic computation, also at speed that is independent of input. 

  • Dr. Amy Buchmann, Associate Professor, Department of Mathematics, USD

    Title: Modeling Microscale Biofluids 

    Abstract: Mixing and pumping at a microscopic level is very challenging due to the counter-intuitive hydrodynamics that occur on this scale. However, bacteria have evolved to swim in this environment, so the helical flagella of bacteria may inspire new designs for man-made devices. Understanding the hydrodynamics of microscale, rigid, rotating helices immersed in a fluid is crucial to inform the creation of new devices.  I will show how mathematical modeling can play an important role in this study and highlight some topics in the undergraduate mathematics curriculum that I use in my models. 

  • Dr. Álvaro Lozano-Robledo, Professor of Mathematics, University of Connecticut **2024 Reid Lecture Series speaker
    Lunch and Q&A
  • **Iryna Razhkova, Master's Thesis Defense

    Title: Sofya Kovalevskaya and the Cauchy-Kovalevskaya Theorem

    Abstract: Born and raised in Russia in the middle of the 19th century, Sofya Kovalevskaya had no chance to obtain a higher education in Russia because of her gender. Overcoming various barriers, she ended up moving to Europe, but faced new obstacles as a woman in mathematics and science. She wanted to study, be independent and have a career, which was prohibited in many European countries in the 19th century. Moreover, she wanted to study mathematics, which considered a male domain at that time.
    Managing all obstacles through her tenacity, self-confidence, and hard work, she became the first woman in modern Europe to gain a doctorate in mathematics (at age 24), the first woman appointed to a full professorship in northern Europe (Stockholm University, Sweden), and the first woman to work for the international scientific journal (Acta Mathematica) as an editor.
    She died young (at age 41), but she wrote nine articles in mathematics and physics. One of her doctorate dissertations “Zur Theorie der partiallen Differentialgleichungen” (On the Theory of Partial Differential Equations), which today is known as Cauchy-Kovalevskaya Theorem, won her valuable recognition within the European mathematical community. The Cauchy-Kovalevskaya Theorem gives conditions for the existence of solutions to analytic differential equations and became a fundamental result in the study of the class of these equations.

  • Dr. Nathan Kaplan, Associate Professor, Department of Mathematics, UC Irvine

    Title:Random Groups in Number Theory and Combinatorics

    Abstract: How are random arithmetic objects distributed?  In this talk we will ask lots of questions and discuss several examples.  The talk will be accessible to a broad audience without a lot of background in algebra or number theory.

    Here are some examples of the kinds of questions we will consider.  How many sublattices of Zⁿ have index at most X?  If we choose such a lattice L at random, what is the probability that Zⁿ/L is cyclic?  What is the probability that the order of this quotient is odd?  Now let R be a random subring of Zⁿ.  What is the probability that Zⁿ/R is cyclic? We will see how these kinds of questions connect to subjects like graph theory, algebraic number theory, and the study of random matrices with integer entries.

  
  

   

• Fall 2023
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  • Dr. Sixian Jin, Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematics, CSUSM

    Title: The Distribution Builder - An innovative tool for decision making: When to sell an asset? 

    Abstract: An introduction to the innovative and powerful took, “the distribution builder”, for determining the best time to seen an asset.  It was originally developed by Nobel laureate Sharpe and his collaborators. 

    This is a traditional approach to finding the best-selling time that heavily relies on a well-selected “utility function”, which is challenging to describe and needs a lot of math for investors.  The core idea of the distribution builder is to encourage investors to express their preferences with a wealth distribution, such as what they aim to achieve at retirement, with much fewer restrictions than choosing a utility function. 

  • Dylan Scofield, CSUSM Master's Student

    Title: Fermat's Last Theorem for n=4

    Faculty advisor: Dr. Hanson Smith.

    Abstract: We will prove that 𝑥⁴ + 𝑦⁴ = 𝑧⁴ has no non-trivial integer solutions. Along the way, we will discuss the history of the famous problem as well as some of the ideas that lead to its eventual full solution.

    

  • Dr. Eva Loeser, Graduate Student, UCSD

    Title: Stochastic Network Models with Applications to Biology, Computer Science, and Operations Research 

    Abstract: Stochastic processing networks is a subfield of probability that models situations in which “jobs”, often representing customers, packets of data, or travelers, move through often complex systems in which they receive some sort of “processing”, such as customer support, uploading or downloading, or transportation. I will discuss how tools from this field can be used to model situations such as a store checkout counter, a Wi-Fi network, or a call center. However, the talk will be focused on my application of interest: enzymatic processing. I will show you how tools from probability (specifically stochastic networks) can be used to understand the dynamics of enzymatic processing.

  • Dr. Emily Cilli-Turner, Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematics, University of San Diego
    Title: Assessing Differently: An Introduction to Standards-Based Grading

     

    Abstract: Have you ever thought about why we grade or if grades we give measure what we want them to? In this presentation, I will introduce the idea of standards-based grading (SBG) and explain how it can be an opportunity to think deeply about these questions while providing students with more equitable grading practices. I will discuss reasons to use this assessment method, introduce some of the big questions one should ask themselves when implementing SBG as well as give examples of implementations from my own classes and from the SBG literature.
  • ** Iryna Razhkova, Advancement to Candidacy

    Title: Sofya Kovalevskaya and the Cauchy-Kovalevskaya Theorem.

    Abstract: Born and raised in Russia in the middle of the 19th century, Sofya
    Kovalevskaya had no chance to obtain a higher education in Russia because of her
    gender. Overcoming various barriers, she ended up moving to Europe, but faced
    new obstacles as a woman in mathematics and science. She wanted to study, be
    independent and have a career, which was prohibited in many European countries
    in the 19th century. Moreover, she wanted to study mathematics, which considered
    a male domain at that time.
    Managing all obstacles through her tenacity, self-confidence, and hard work,
    she became the first woman in modern Europe to gain a doctorate in mathematics
    (at age 24), the first woman appointed to a full professorship in northern Europe
    (Stockholm University, Sweden), and the first woman to work for the international
    scientific journal (Acta Mathematica) as an editor.
    She died young (at age 41), but she wrote nine articles in mathematics and
    physics. One of her doctorate dissertations “Zur Theorie der partiallen
    Differentialgleichungen” (On the Theory of Partial Differential Equations), which
    today is known as Cauchy-Kovalevskaya Theorem, won her valuable recognition
    within the European mathematical community. The Cauchy-Kovalevskaya
    Theorem gives conditions for the existence of solutions to analytic differential
    equations and became a fundamental result in the study of the class of these
    equations.

  • Dr. Harold Polo, Postdoctoral Fellow at UC Irvine

    Title: Goldbach meets Laurent

    Abstract: We prove an analogue of the Goldbach conjecture for Laurent polynomials with positive integer coefficients.  This talk is based on a joint work with Sophia Liao.

  
  

   

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