Calendar of Events
2022-2023 Academic Year Calendar of Events
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September 8, 2022
Mathematics and Computer Science Colloquium
Title: |
Consulting careers and opportunities at EY
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Speaker: | Jodie Bosheers '18, John Butler '20, Aaron Croad '12, and Paxton Pressprich '15
EY
Detroit, Michigan
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Abstract: |
Come join us to learn more about EY Consulting careers and opportunities for this upcoming fall recruitment. This session will host four Albion alumni who will share their career paths at EY and discuss how their time at Albion helped prepare them for a Consulting career. Find out what skills are important to be a successful consultant and how you can strengthen your resume. We will also share details about how to apply for internships and full time positions this fall.
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Location: |
Palenske 227
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Time: |
3:30 PM
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September 15, 2022
Mathematics and Computer Science Colloquium
Title: |
Technical Writing with LaTeX
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Speaker: | David A. Reimann
Professor
Mathematics and Computer Science
Albion College
Albion, Michigan
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Abstract: |
The document preparation system LaTeX is a powerful
program for typesetting based on TeX. LaTeX was developed over 30 years ago to aid in document preparation.
Like TeX, it is a markup language that takes control sequences and converts them into symbols and instructions
having no normal key.
It is particularly useful in
creating documents with mathematical text, such as formal papers, theses, and textbooks.
This talk will
be interactive, allowing students to work with LaTeX on simple exercises.
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Location: |
Palenske 231
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Time: |
3:30 PM
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September 22, 2022
Mathematics and Computer Science Colloquium
Title: |
Planning for Graduate Study in Mathematics and Computer Science
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Speaker: | David A. Reimann
Professor
Mathematics and Computer Science
Albion College
Albion, Michigan
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Abstract: |
A degree in mathematics or computer science is excellent preparation for graduate school in areas such as mathematics, statistics, computer science, engineering, finance, and law. Come learn about graduate school and options you will have to further your education after graduation.
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Location: |
Palenske 227
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Time: |
3:30
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September 29, 2022
Mathematics and Computer Science Colloquium
Title: |
Soccer-Ball Symmetries: Exploring Symmetric Patterns on Spheres
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Speaker: | David A. Reimann
Professor
Department of Mathematics and Computer Science
Albion College
Albion, Michigan
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Abstract: |
The goal of this talk is to introduce the general language of symmetry and explore the related mathematics. In this talk we will give a very visual and hands-on look at symmetric patterns, particularly patterns that can be made by three-dimensional objects that can be enclosed within a sphere. This talk will assume only basic algebra skills and will be accessible to a general audience. Decorating objects with repeating symmetry patterns increases their visual appeal. Each of these symmetry patterns can be studied using the mathematics of group theory. On an infinite strip there are exactly seven types of repeating patterns, called frieze patterns. Similarly, there are exactly seventeen types of repeating patterns, called wallpaper patterns, that can be used to decorate the plane. On the sphere, there are 14 families of patterns, called soccer-ball symmetries, with seven related to frieze patterns and seven related to symmetries of platonic solids. We will explore thes!
e symmetry patterns, learn how to identify each pattern, and understand the underlying mathematical concepts.
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Location: |
Palenske 227
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Time: |
3:30 PM
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October 6, 2022
Mathematics and Computer Science Colloquium
Title: |
Jokers Gone Wild: Inconsistencies In Wild-Card Poker
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Speaker: | Mark Bollman
Professor of Mathematics
Mathematics & Computer Science
Albion College
Albion, MI
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Abstract: |
Poker is a name given to a wide variety of card games where the objective is to obtain the best hand--however "best" might be described by the game's rules. Some variations on poker use one or more designated "wild" cards, which can be assigned any value that best benefits the player. From a mathematician's perspective, adding wild cards to the standard 52-card deck changes the probabilities of some poker hands, in some cases so much so that the traditional ranking of hands is no longer correct. In this talk, we shall examine a few of the inconsistencies that have been identified with wild cards and look at the mathematical approaches to resolving them.
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Location: |
Palenske 227
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Time: |
3:30 PM
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October 20, 2022
Mathematics and Computer Science Colloquium
Title: |
Using Eigenvalues to Classify Neuronal Networks
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Speaker: | Paulina Volosov
Assistant Professor of Mathematics
Mathematics
Hillsdale College
Hillsdale, MI
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Abstract: |
When neuroscientists reconstruct brain networks, they often do not know how to index the neurons in order reveal the underlying structure of the connections between neurons. How can a mathematician help in this case? It turns out that by studying the eigenvalues of the connectivity matrix, we can in fact derive a metric that classifies small-world networks using information from the spectrum. This is yet one more case in which we see the beauty and usefulness of eigenvalues.
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Location: |
Palenske 227
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Time: |
3:30 PM
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October 27, 2022
Mathematics and Computer Science Colloquium
Title: |
Playing Catch Up on The Chase and Bertrand's Ballot Problem
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Speaker: | Michael A. Jones
Managing Editor/Associate Editor
Mathematical Reviews
American Mathematical Society
Ann Arbor, MI
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Abstract: |
The Chase is a television game show (2009-present in UK; from 2013-2015; 2021-present in US) that consists of three rounds and three contestants. This presentation explores the probability of a contestant "being caught" by the chaser in the second round of the game. A solution will first come through the use of Markov chains. This result will be improved upon by a method that reveals a connection to a generalized version of Bertrand's Ballot Problem.
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Location: |
Palenske 227
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Time: |
3:30 PM
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November 3, 2022
Mathematics and Computer Science Colloquium
Title: |
Insider Threats to Cybersecurity
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Speaker: | Emily Reimann
Cybersecurity Insider Threat Program Manager
Cybersecurity
KLA
Ann Arbor, MI
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Abstract: |
Have you ever wondered what a career in cybersecurity looks like? What does "cybersecurity" even mean? In this talk we'll discuss core principles in cybersecurity. We'll then apply these concepts to examine the challenge of insider threats. The talk will also cover career pathways and resources in cybersecurity.
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Location: |
Palenske 227
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Time: |
3:30 PM
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November 10, 2022
Mathematics and Computer Science Colloquium
Title: |
Random Walks and Ito Calculus with Applications to Finance
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Speaker: | Darren E. Mason
Professor
Mathematics & Computer Science
Albion Coollege
Albion, MI
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Abstract: |
Rational pricing of many financial products rely on mathematical modeling of random phenomena (e.g. the time evolution of a stock price). In this talk I will discuss the fundamental ideas of random walks, Brownian motion, and Ito Calculus, with applications actuarial science and finance. This presentation also serves as a nice introduction to what students can expect in part of Math 313 - Financial Mathematics for Actuaries (a.k.a. "Financial Derivative Pricing) - which is offered in Spring 2024.
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Location: |
Palenske 227
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Time: |
3:30 PM
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November 17, 2022
Mathematics and Computer Science Colloquium
Title: |
Bibliographic Research in Mathematics and Computer Science
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Speaker: | David A. Reimann
Professor
Mathematics and Computer Science
Albion College
Albion, Michigan
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Abstract: |
This talk will discuss the process of academic writing,
finding appropriate sources, and citing them.
We will also discuss some challenges in authenticating materials.
Intellectual property, specifically copyright law, will also be discussed
along with its relationship to citing material in writing.
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Location: |
Palenske 227
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Time: |
3:30 PM
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December 1, 2022
Mathematics and Computer Science Colloquium
Title: |
Privacy-Preserving Computation
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Speaker: | Jonathan Takeshita
Doctoral Candidate
Computer Science and Engineering
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN
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Abstract: |
In this talk, I will present an overview of several of my projects in the area of Data Security and Privacy, including my work at Notre Dame, Google, and Meta (formerly Facebook). I will also discuss my career arc from Albion's pre-engineering program to my current position, and the opportunities that students studying mathematics and computer science can take advantage of at and after Albion.
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Location: |
Palenske 227
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Time: |
3:30 PM
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December 8, 2022
Mathematics and Computer Science Colloquium
January 26, 2023
Mathematics and Computer Science Colloquium
Title: | Careers in Mathematics and Computer Science |
Speaker: | David A. Reimann
Professor
Mathematics and Computer Science
Albion College
Albion, MI, USA
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Abstract: | A degree in mathematics or computer science is excellent preparation for employment in areas such as teaching, actuarial science, software development, engineering, and finance. Come learn about career opportunities awaiting you after graduation. |
Location: | Palenske 227 |
Time: | 3:30 PM |
February 2, 2023
Mathematics and Computer Science Colloquium
Title: |
Euler, Laplace, and Lagrange: Fun with Complex Exponents
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Speaker: | Abe Edwards
Associate Teaching Professor
Lyman Briggs College
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI
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Abstract: |
If you were like me as a kid, you probably punched some numbers in a calculator and wondered, what happens if I just keep pressing the equals sign? Leonard Euler asked himself a similar question: What happens if I keep raising a number to a power over and over again? One might think the result would simply tend toward infinity. However, Euler showed that there are some numbers which, under the operation of infinitely repeated exponentiation, produce very interesting results. In this talk we'll explore these numbers, and then use the work of Laplace and Lagrange to extend our ideas about infinite exponentiation into the world of complex numbers. Interesting math history, fun with calculators, and beautiful pictures are guaranteed.
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Location: |
Palenske 227
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Time: |
3:30 PM
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