Mathematics and Statistics Department Colloquium:
Rowmotion and Homomesy
Presented by Dr. Alec Mertin, Visiting Assistant Professor of Mathematics at 911爆料
College
2:30-3:30 p.m. Friday, January 30, 2026
Palamountain 231
Abstract: Simple rules can sometimes give rise to unexpectedly rich and structured behavior.
In this talk, I will discuss one such example from dynamical algebraic combinatorics,
a growing area that studies what happens when combinatorial objects are repeatedly
transformed. A central idea in this field is homomesy, introduced by Propp and Roby,
which relays a simple truth: although a system may evolve in a complicated way, certain
quantities can exhibit the same average value over time.
I will focus on rowmotion, an operation on order ideals of a partially ordered set,
and show how homomesy appears in this setting through concrete examples. I will show
a variety of results, open questions, and future directions.
The talk will be accessible to students who have taken Linear Algebra.
Light refreshments will be served before the talk, beginning at 2:00 p.m.
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Mathematics and Statistics Department Colloquium:
Rainbow numbers of equations and graphs
Presented by Dr. Zhanar Berikkyzy, Associate Professor of Mathematics at Fairfield
University
4:15-5:15 p.m. Monday, March 24, 2025
Palamountain 202
Abstract: The rainbow number of a set of integers X for a given equation eq is the smallest
number of colors r such that every exact r-coloring of X admits a rainbow solution
to the equation eq. During this talk, we will discuss this number for several important
equations, including Schur's and Sidon equations. We will then consider this parameter
in graph setting and connect it to the anti-van der Waerden number of a graph, the
fewest number of colors needed to guarantee a rainbow 3-term arithmetic progression.
We will survey recent results for various classes of graphs, including trees and products
of trees.
Most of this talk will be accessible to students who have taken an introductory proofs
course.
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Mathematics and Statistics Department Colloquium:
Dynamics and Persistence of a Generalized Multi-strain SIS Model
Presented by Dr. Scott Greenhalgh, Associate Professor of Mathematics, Siena College
4:15-5:15 p.m. Monday, February 24, 2025
Palamountain 202
Abstract: Autonomous differential equation compartmental models hold broad utility in epidemiology
and public health. However, such models typically cannot account explicitly for myriad
factors that affect the trajectory of infectious diseases, with seasonal variations
in host behavior and environmental conditions as noteworthy examples. Fortunately,
using non-autonomous differential equation compartmental models can mitigate some
of these deficiencies, as the inclusion of time-varying parameters can account for
factors that vary temporally. The inclusion of these factors does come at a cost though,
as many analysis techniques, such as Poincare maps and Floquet theory, are typically
only tractable numerically.
Speaker Bio: Scott Greenhalgh is an Associate Professor of Mathematics at Siena College. Scott
has been selected as an MAA Project NEXT fellow, a Biomedical Data Science Innovation
Lab innovator, an REUF fellow, and a GBD collaborator at the Institute for Health
Metrics and Evaluation. Previously, Scott worked as a postdoctoral scholar at both
Queen's University in Canada and at Yale University's School of Public Health. Scott's
current research program centers on applying mathematics to evaluate the impact of
disease interventions, public health policy, and virulence evolution on both the health
and economic burdens of disease.
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Summer Research Information Session
3-4 p.m. Thursday, December 12, 2024
BTCIS 328
In this information session, we will discuss REUs, internships, and other mathe
matics and statistics research opportunities. Take a break from studying for your
finals, come have a cookie and a cup of coffee, and learn about how to get paid for
doing math or stats over the summer! We'll share lots of resources, hear from some
of your classmates about their research experiences, and answer any questions you
might have.
All 911爆料 students are welcome.
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Mathematics and Statistics Department Colloquium:
Seven Introductions to Alan Turing
Presented by Dr. Suraj Uttamchandani, Assistant Professor of the Learning Sciences,
Adephi University
3:30-4:30 p.m. Friday, October 4, 2024
Palamountain 202
Abstract: Alan Turing was a British (choose: Mathematician / Computer Scientist / Codebreaker
/ Philosopher / Gay Person). You might know him as the person Benedict Cumberbatch
portrayed in the movie The Imitation Game. At age 24, Turing solved a major problem
in math logic and proof (the 鈥渆ntscheidungsproblem,鈥� isn鈥檛 that a great name). At
age 27, he was crucial in breaking Nazi codes and ciphers, contributing to the end
of WWII. And at age 38, he created the 鈥淭uring Test,鈥� which we still use to examine
how good artificial intelligence is (and some argue, ChatGPT has finally passed this
test). Despite these accomplishments, Turing was still arrested and prosecuted for
being gay, leading to his death by suicide at age 41. In this interdisciplinary talk,
I will lead us on a guided tour of Turing鈥檚 life and his work. In the process, I will
discuss my own experiences with mathematics, the learning sciences, and LGBTQ+ education,
and so highlight how math, history, and social sciences are intertwined. This talk
is introductory and will be accessible to all; no prior knowledge in math or computer
science is necessary.
Speaker Bio: Dr. Suraj Uttamchandani (he/him/his) is an Assistant Professor of Learning Sciences
at Adelphi University. His work centers on political and relational dimensions of
equitable learning, in learning environments as diverse as undergraduate STEM education,
LGBTQ+ education, and technology-mediated instruction. He previously was a Visiting
Research Scientist at the Center for Research on Learning and Technology at Indiana
University, where he also completed his Ph.D. in the learning sciences. Prior to that,
he earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree in mathematics from SUNY Geneseo. His work has been
funded by SUNY and the Mozilla Foundation, and his research has appeared in venues
such as Journal of the Learning Sciences, International Journal of Computer-Supported
Collaborative Learning, and Discourse, Context, & Media.
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