Mathematics Home / Colloquium: Spring 2023
Time & Location: All talks are on Thursdays in Gibson Hall 414 at 3:30 pm unless otherwise noted. Refreshments in Gibson 426 after the talk.
Organizer: Gustavo Didier
First week of Class
Title: TBA
Speaker - INSTITUTION (Host)
Abstract: TBA
Location: TBA
Time: 3:30
Title: TBA
Speaker - INSTITUTION (Host)
Abstract: TBA
Location: Gibson Hall 414
Time: 3:30
Title: The mathematics of taffy pulling
Jean-Luc Thiffeault - Wisconsin (Host: Punshon-Smith)
Abstract: Taffy is a type of candy made by repeated 'pulling' (stretching and folding) a mass of heated sugar. The purpose of pulling is to get air bubbles into the taffy, which gives it a nicer texture. Until the late 19th century, taffy was pulled by hand -- an arduous task. The early 20th century saw an avalanche of new devices to mechanize the process. These devices have fascinating connections to the topological dynamics of surfaces, in particular with pseudo-Anosov maps. The motion of the pins of the taffy puller cab be related to orbits of singularities on closed surfaces of genus one and higher. Special algebraic integers such as the Golden ratio and the lesser-known Silver ratio make an appearance, as well as more exotic numbers. We examine different designs from a mathematical perspective, and discuss their efficiency. This will be a "colloquium style" talk that should be accessible to graduate students.
Location: Gibson Hall 414
Time: 3:30
Thursday before Mardi Gras
Title: TBA
Milivoje Lukic - Rice (Host: Moll)
Abstract: TBA
Location: Gibson Hall 414
Time: 3:30
Title: TBA
Speaker - INSTITUTION (Host)
Abstract: TBA
Location: Gibson Hall 414
Time: 3:30
Title: TBA
Carlos Tomei | PUC-Rio (Host: Moll)
Abstract: TBA
Location: Gibson Hall 414
Time: 3:30
Title: TBA
Sudhir Ghorpade - Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (Host: Can)
Abstract: TBA
Location: Gibson Hall 414
Time: 3:30
Title: TBA
Robert Lemke Oliver - Tufts (Host: Beckwith)
Abstract: TBA
Location: Gibson Hall 414
Time: 3:30
Title: TBA
Jonathan Montaño - ASU (Host: Ha)
Abstract: TBA
Location: Gibson Hall 414
Time: 3:30
Spring Break
Title: TBA
Adam Van Tuyl - McMaster University (Host: Ha)
Abstract: TBA
Location: Gibson Hall 414
Time: 3:30
Title: TBA
Speaker - INSTITUTION (Host)
Abstract: TBA
Location: Gibson Hall 414
Time: 3:30
Jazzfest