COVID-19 Update: Due to the COVID-19 developments, SMMG will be moved online. We hope to resume in person meetings again as soon as we are able. We will post updates to our web site and to our email list. We will also post our plans to our schedule page!
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SMMG – January 2020Date: January 26, 2019
Time: 12pm-2pm Location: PMA 4.102 Speaker: Cas Monroe Title: Turing Machines Abstract: We'll discuss the idea of Turing machines, which is the fancy name for computers when we want to think about them by using math. Using this, we'll be able to talk about why we can prove there are some things that computers will never ever be able to do! |
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The American Mathematics CompetitionDate: January 30 and February 5, 2020
Time: 6:30 – 8:00pm Location: PMA 4.102 For more information and registration, click here! |
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SMMG – February 2020Date: February 9, 2020
Time: 12pm-2pm Location: PMA 4.102 Speaker: Hannah Turner Title: Pick's Theorem Abstract: We're going to talk about an awesome pattern that comes up in geometry, called Pick's Theorem. Pick's Theorem says there is an awesome relationship between the area of certain shapes, called lattice polygons. We'll talk about what these shapes are and what pattern of their area is! |
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SMMG – February 2020Date: February 23, 2020
Time: 12pm-2pm Location: PMA 4.102 Speaker: Jacky Chong Title: The Monty Hall Problem Abstract: In the intermediate room, we'll talk about a really interesting problem that comes from probability theory, called the Monty Hall problem. This is a math problem that you don't need any algebra to explain what is going on, but yet many famous math professors got WRONG. We'll talk about what this problem says and related problems in probability. (Note: Starting this session, we'll be breaking into the lectures into two rooms--the intermediate room or the advanced room--based on what kind of math class you are in!) |
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SMMG – February 2020Date: February 23, 2020
Time: 12pm-2pm Location: PMA 4.102 Speaker: Neža Žager Korenjak Title: Hyperbolic Geometry Abstract:When you do geometry, one of the axioms you often have is called the parallel postulate, which says that if you have a line and a point not on that line, you can find EXACTLY one line parallel to your line that passes through the point. But what happens if you change that axiom? You'll get something called hyperbolic geometry, which we'll learn about in the advanced room! (Note: Starting this session, we'll be breaking into the lectures into two rooms--the intermediate room or the advanced room--based on what kind of math class you are in!) |
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SMMG – March 2020Date: March 8, 2020
Time: 12pm-2pm Location: PMA 4.102 Speaker: Richard Wong Title: Number Games Abstract: In the intermediate room, we will explore and play with some of the weird and interesting facts and formulas surrounding these cool types of numbers called pandigital numbers and Friedman Numbers. In particular, we will learn about a surprisingly good approximation of a number that a lot of people call e. |
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SMMG – March 2020Date: March 8, 2020
Time: 12pm-2pm Location: PMA 4.102 Speaker: Scott Aaronson Title: Archimedes' Hat-Box Theorem and Quantum Supremacy Abstract: In the advanced room, we will talk about a theorem that sometimes people call Archimedes' Hat Box-Theorem, which says that if you have a sphere with radius r, that its surface area is 4πr^2. Then we'll talk about Google's recent achievement of "quantum computational supremacy" – one of the biggest science stories of 2019, and something I had some involvement in from the theory side, and answer questions about what it means. Then, we will explain how Archimedes' theorem shows up in the analysis of the Google quantum supremacy experiment! |
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e-SMMGDate: April 5, 2020
Time: 12pm-1pm Location: Zoom Speaker: Tom Gannon Title: Counting To Infinities! Abstract: Infinity is a concept that has some paradoxical properties. Is there just one kind of infinity? Is infinity a number? We'll talk about infinity and learn how to identify what kind of infinity certain objects are. We'll even learn that there are an INFINITE Number of infinities! |
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e-SMMGDate: April 19, 2020
Time: 12pm-2pm Location: Zoom Speaker: Tom Gannon Title: What Is Calculus All About? Abstract: We'll talk about what calculus is about by relating is to stuff about graphs of functions and speed! |
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e-SMMGDate: April 19, 2020
Time: 12pm-2pm Location: Zoom Speaker: Sean Keel Title: Primes and the Euclidean Algorithm Abstract: In the advanced room, we'll talk about the Euclidean algorithm and greatest common divisors. One of the deepest facts in all of mathematics is the fact that if you have two numbers, call them a and b, such that a*b is divisible by a prime number, which we'll call p, then either a is divisible by p or b is divisible by p. We'll talk about some of the deep and far reaching consequences of this statement. |
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e-SMMGDate: May 3, 2020
Time: 12pm-2pm Location: Zoom Speaker: Tom Gannon Title: Primes and Irrationality Abstract: We'll talk about prime factorization and why the fact that you can only factor numbers one way proves that the square root of 2 is irrational! |
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e-SMMGDate: May 3, 2020
Time: 12pm-2pm Location: Zoom Speaker: Sam Payne Title: Conway's Wizard Riddle Abstract: We'll talk about a very fun, very hard riddle, originally written by famous mathematician John Conway. |
