Welcome!
All students interested in mathematics are invited to attend the club’s events, such as talks aimed at students, problem-solving sessions, and panel discussions. The talks generally will not require a background beyond calculus and a little linear algebra. Free refreshments will be provided.
Events this semester
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Jan
24
Math Club: Using Integration by Parts, by Keith Conrad (UConn) 5:30pm
Math Club: Using Integration by Parts, by Keith Conrad (UConn)
Wednesday, January 24th, 2024
05:30 PM
Monteith 227
In calculus courses, integration by parts is merely “another method of integration”. The purpose of this talk is to show how integration by parts explains several results that are not directly about integration by parts, such as a remainder term in Taylor polynomial approximations, summing all \(1/n^2\) (the Basel problem), and showing \(\pi\) is irrational.
Note: Free refreshments. The talk starts at 5:40.
Contact Information:
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Jan
31
Math Club: Generating Functions, by Swati Gaba (UConn) 5:30pm
Math Club: Generating Functions, by Swati Gaba (UConn)
Wednesday, January 31st, 2024
05:30 PM
Monteith 320
A generating function is a power series whose coefficients we want to study, like the power series whose coefficients are the Fibonacci numbers. In this talk, I will give an introduction to generating functions and various formulas related to them with the help of many interesting examples.
Note: Free refreshments. The talk starts at 5:40.
Contact Information:
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Feb
7
Math Club: Manifolds and a conception of space, by Aidan Wood (UConn) 5:30pm
Math Club: Manifolds and a conception of space, by Aidan Wood (UConn)
Wednesday, February 7th, 2024
05:30 PM
Monteith 320
E. T. Bell wrote the following about Riemann:
“One of the most original mathematicians of modern times, [he] died before he had reaped a [tenth] of the golden harvests in his fertile mind. Riemann’s achievement has taught mathematicians to disbelieve in any geometry, or in any space, as a necessary mode of human perception.”
In this talk, we will motivate the idea of a Riemannian manifold using intuition gleaned from calculus and myriad examples
Note: Free refreshments. The talk starts at 5:40.
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Feb
14
Math Club: Using the Mean Value Theorem, by Keith Conrad (UConn) 5:30pm
Math Club: Using the Mean Value Theorem, by Keith Conrad (UConn)
Wednesday, February 14th, 2024
05:30 PM
Monteith 320
The Mean Value Theorem says a differentiable function’s average rate of change on an interval is also its instantaneous rate of change somewhere inside the interval. This result is met in first-semester calculus, but its role in justifying many results in calculus is not emphasized there, and usually is only seen if you study real analysis.The goal of this talk is to see how foundational the Mean Value Theorem is in calculus, explaining numerous properties of derivatives, integrals, and infinite series.
Note: Free refreshments. The talk starts at 5:40.
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Feb
28
Math Club: Digital Mathematics: Proof Assistants and AI, by Garett Cunningham (UConn) 5:30pm
Math Club: Digital Mathematics: Proof Assistants and AI, by Garett Cunningham (UConn)
Wednesday, February 28th, 2024
05:30 PM
Monteith 320
Technology is an essential component of modern life, and mathematics is no exception. Proof assistants, like Lean, are specialized programming languages where programs represent proofs that computers are able to verify. This is an exciting avenue for digitizing mathematics, and presents some opportunities to automate the boring parts with artificial intelligence (AI). We’ll take a look at how Lean is used and some recent developments toward using AI to automate pure mathematics. Some experience with programming, writing proofs, and/or logical notation is recommended, but not necessary to understand the core of the presentation.
Note: Free refreshments. The talk starts at 5:40.
Contact Information:
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Mar
6
Math Club: The Gingerbread Man, by Dave McArdle (UConn) 5:30pm
Math Club: The Gingerbread Man, by Dave McArdle (UConn)
Wednesday, March 6th, 2024
05:30 PM
Monteith 320
The basic theory of difference equations will be introduced along with motivating examples that demonstrate the elegance and utility of the field. Specific attention will be given to several one-dimensional models with interesting dynamical properties. One of these models is the “gingerbread man” map. We will conclude with an overview of the type of research problems that are prominent in biological and epidemiological settings.Note: Free refreshments. The talk starts at 5:40.Contact Information:
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Mar
20
Math Club: Partitions and \(q\)-binomial coefficients, by Blake Jackson (UConn) 5:30pm
Math Club: Partitions and \(q\)-binomial coefficients, by Blake Jackson (UConn)
Wednesday, March 20th, 2024
05:30 PM
Monteith 320
A partition of an integer \(n \geq 1\) is a way of writing \(n\) as a sum of positive integers: 4 has the five partitions 4, 2+2, 1+3, 1+1+2, and 1+1+1+1, while 100 has around 190,000,000 partitions! There is no known formula for the number of partitions of \(n\) in general, but that hasn’t stopped mathematicians from finding interesting properties of partitions for over 300 years.
In this talk, which is a preview of next semester’s course on algebraic combinatorics (Math 3094) we will play a game of Bulgarian Solitaire, explore integer partitions, and meet \(q\)-binomial coefficients, which are polynomials that both resemble binomial coefficients and are related to integer partitions. At the end of the talk, we will use the knowledge that we gained to compute \((A+B)^n\) when \(AB \not= BA\) (e.g., matrices).
Note: Free refreshments. The talk starts at 5:40.
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Mar
27
Math Club: Continuous nowhere differentiable functions, by Michael Albert (UConn) 5:30pm
Math Club: Continuous nowhere differentiable functions, by Michael Albert (UConn)
Wednesday, March 27th, 2024
05:30 PM
Monteith 320
Some continuous functions are not differentiable at one number, like \(|x|\)
at \(x = 0\). Using a graph with corners at \(0, \pm 1, \pm 2, \ldots\), we can build
continuous functions that are not differentiable at infinitely many numbers that are separated from each other.It was commonly believed that a continuous function could be non-differentiable only at a “small” set of numbers until the 1870s, when Weierstrass found a continuous function that is not differentiable anywhere! These wild functions have applications today in mathematical finance, where continuous nowhere differentiable sample paths of Brownian motion are used to model stock prices.
In this talk we will see how to construct a continuous function that is differentiable nowhere. It will be accessible to anyone who has taken Calculus I and II.Note: Free refreshments. The talk starts at 5:40.
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Apr
3
Math Club: The three key theorems of data science, by Jeremy Teitelbaum (UConn) 5:30pm
Math Club: The three key theorems of data science, by Jeremy Teitelbaum (UConn)
Wednesday, April 3rd, 2024
05:30 PM
Monteith 320
Data science (or machine learning, or artificial intelligence) is an interdisciplinary field built on a blend of computer science, statistics, and mathematics. In this talk, I will discuss three theorems from undergraduate level mathematics that are fundamental to the entire subject, and illustrate the role they play in some applications.Note: Free refreshments. The talk starts at 5:40.Contact Information:
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Apr
10
Math Club: Preparing for (math) graduate school 5:30pm
Math Club: Preparing for (math) graduate school
Wednesday, April 10th, 2024
05:30 PM
Monteith 320
If you are considering graduate school in mathematics or related areas after college, come to this panel discussion where you will hear from members of the UConn math department about their experiences planning for and applying to graduate school. The discussion will then be opened to answer your questions. A packet containing a suggested reading list and some general advice will be distributed too.
Contact Information:
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Past talks in or after Spring 2019 are accessible through the UConn Events Calendar (search on “math club”). A list of math club talks prior to Spring 2019 can be found here.
Contact us: You can reach the math club by email at the address uconnmathclub@gmail.com.
Officers: The president and secretary is Leonard Schweitzer, the vice-president is Rachel Sorensen, and the treasurer is Omkar Maralappanavar. The faculty advisor is Keith Conrad.
Interested in joining? The math club is open to all registered UConn students. We have a group page on UConntact, on Twitter, and on Discord. Please go to our UConntact page and click on the Join Organization button.
Interested in a topic? If you are a UConn student who wants to hear a talk about some part of mathematics, especially one which may not be in a regularly offered course, write to the email address above and hopefully we can find a suitable speaker to address your interests.
Videos Check out some past math club talks on the math department’s You Tube channel: Nick Juricic’s talk on differentiation under the integral sign on Sept. 30, 2020, Keith Conrad’s talk on patterns that don’t last on Sept. 9, 2015, and Jon Hanke’s talk on the geometry of projective space on April 4, 2012. Other videos are available on the UConn math department’s YouTube Channel.