Monday February 12, 2007

Topology Seminar

TIME: 10:10a.m. -11:00a.m.
ROOM: Ayres Hall 015
SPEAKER: Anastasiia Tsvietkova
TITLE: Cat(0) spaces

colloquium

Time: 3:35p.m.-4:25p.m.
ROOM: Ayres Hall 214
Speaker: Luke Rogers, H.C. Wang Assistant Professor in the Mathematics Department at Cornell University
Title: Analysis on fractals
Abstract: A great many objects in the physical world are so "rough" that they are not well approximated by familiar integer dimensional objects like Euclidean spaces or smooth manifolds. One possible way to model dynamic processes on these kinds of objects is through the theory of analysis on fractals, which makes sense of concepts like derivatives, smooth functions and differential equations on certain types of fractal sets. I will talk about how these notions are defined, how analysis in the fractal setting differs from the familiar Euclidean case, and some recent results. The techniques used come from both harmonic and functional analysis, and from probability theory.

*refreshments served at 3 in the Common Room*

Wednesday February 14, 2007

TOPOLOGY SEMINAR

TIME: 10:10a.m. -11:00a.m.
ROOM: Ayres Hall 015
SPEAKER: Conrad Plaut
TITLE: Uniform Universal Covers II

Abstract: I'll review background concerning uniform spaces, including the three most important examples: metric spaces, compact topological spaces, and topological groups. Then I'll discuss the construction of the fundamental inverse system of a uniform space, the limit of which is the uniform universal cover (with appropriate assumptions on the space). If time I'll discuss discrete, prodiscrete, and isomorphic group actions of uniform spaces.

GSEC Graduate Student Forum

TIME: 3:35p.m. - 4:25 p.m.
ROOM: Ayres Computer Lab in the Basement
SPEAKER: Carrie Diaz Eaton
TITLE: "Build a Webpage in Under an Hour"
ABSTRACT: Having a webpage is a great way to have students, professors and potential employers get to know you. We will use Microsoft Publisher (available on all of the math dept computers) as a quick and easy tool for developing a professional looking webpage. Hopefully by the time you leave, you will either have a full website or only need to fill in a few blanks. To see an example, check out my site at http://www.math.utk.edu/~eaton.

Algebra Seminar

TIME: 3:35 p.m. -­ 4:25 p.m.
ROOM: Ayres Hall 309B
SPEAKER: Professor Anderson
ABSTRACT: The topic this semester will be an introduction to homological algebra. This should be of particular interest to students in algebra or topology. The only prerequisite is some knowledge of module theory (as in Math 552). The first several meetings will be lectures by Professor Anderson.

Thursday February 15, 2007

Junior colloquium
TIME: 3:35 p.m. -­ 4:25 p.m.
ROOM: Ayres Hall 214
SPEAKER: Dr. Luis Finotti
Title: Applications of Number Theory in Public Key Cryptography
Abstract: Encryption is the process of obscuring information to make it unreadable to individuals unfamiliar with its (secret) decoding method. Although encryption has always been important to warfare and security, the advent of the Internet and online shopping increases the necessity of an efficient way to share encryption keys. After a very brief introduction to some basics of number theory, we will discuss the RSA cryptosystem in detail, and if time allows, the use of elliptic curves in cryptography.

*The Junior Colloquium is aimed primarily at undergraduate students, but all are most welcome to attend.*

*Pizza will be served immediately before the talk.*

Friday February 16, 2007

colloquium

Time: 3:35p.m.-4:25p.m.
ROOM: Ayres Hall 214
Speaker: Professor Weian Zheng (from University of California Irvine)
Title: Probability Theory and The Technical Indicators of Stock Prices
Abstract: In the stock market, some popular technical analysis indicators (e.g. Bollinger Bands, RSI, ROC, ...) are widely used by traders. The efficiency of those indicators is "proved" by the observed relative frequency of occurrence of the corresponding behaviors of stock prices. In other words, the traders use the daily (hourly, weekly, ...) stock prices as samples of certain statistics and use the observed relative frequency to show the validity of those well-known indicators. However, those samples are not independent, so the classical sample survey theory (especially the laws of large numbers) does not apply to. Thus we need a new theory for those sample surveys. We discuss the law of large numbers related to those observations in the popular stock price models.......

*refreshments served at 3 in the Common Room*

---