Department of Mathematics

MMath Seminar

Overview:
In this seminar we discuss various topics that, although not crucial part of the core curriculum, do give mathematics its flavour and beauty. Especially for MMath students, but also for Math BSc students who are doing very well (and who may even have played with the idea of doing an MMath degree), we think it would be nice to showcase such topics.
In the Spring semester, on Tuesdays 2-3pm in weeks 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10, we will organise talks on topics that you probably haven't seen before, but should on a level accessible to level 1 and 2 students (so no prerequisites). It is definitely not our intention to present more maths techniques with exercises, but rather to show what other imaginative things and ideas mathematicians have developed. So do expect some thinking outside the box.
No tests, courseworks or credits are attached to it; we just hope to widen your scope and sense what mathematics can be about, and maybe give you ideas for projects (such as literature review, MMath project) in the future.

Seminar Details
Draft Schedule for Spring Semester 2009
DAY TIME ROOM LECTURER TITLE/TOPIC FURTHER INFO
Tuesday January 27 (week 2) 2-3pm LTK Henk Bruin cardinal numbers more info.
Tuesday February 10 (week 4) 2-3pm LTK Gianne Derks Can you hear the shape of a drum? more info.
Tuesday February 24 (week 6) 2-3pm LTK Ian Melbourne Knot theory more info.
Tuesday March 10 (week 8) 2-3pm LTK Jon Bevan Burnside's theorem and Counting colourings More info at Wikipedia and Springer. Some notes about this lecture are here, see also Jon's webpage .
Tuesday March 24 (week 10) 2-3pm LTK David Lloyd Turing machines: the mathematics of computers more info.
Seminar `Archive'
Schedule for Autumn Semester 2008
DAY TIME ROOM LECTURER TITLE/TOPIC FURTHER INFO
Tuesday Sept. 30 (week 4) 11am-12noon LTB Henk Bruin Euler Characteristics more info.
Tuesday Oct. 14 (week 6) 11am-12noon LTB Janet Godolphin Latin Squares more info.
Tuesday Oct. 28 (week 8) 11am-12noon LTB David Fisher Solving the Unsolvable? more info.
Tuesday Nov. 11 (week 10) 11am-12noon LTB Tom Bridges Spheres, hyperspheres and quaternions: why spheres in four dimensions are the key to computer animation More info on the 3-sphere and quaternions and spatial rotation .
For information e-mail: h.bruin@surrey.ac.uk
Problems with this website: mathsweb@surrey.ac.uk
Updated 26th November 2008.