Join us for the first Math Club meeting of the semester! Of course, there will be free pizza!
Join us for an introduction to different ways of measuring distance with Jaclyn Lang. And, of course, there will be free pizza!
Abstract: Everyone knows what distance is; even little children ask about it on interminable car rides! In this talk we will approach the familiar notion of distance with a mathematician’s lens. After extracting and axiomatizing the key properties of a distance function, we will explore surprising and unfamiliar worlds that arise simply by changing the definition of distance. After a quick review of
Euclidean geometry, we will touch on spherical geometry, graph/taxicab metrics, hyperbolic geometry, and p-adic geometry. I will also explain how you can get involved with creating an Outreach Exhibit on this topic at the 2026 International Congress of Mathematicians in Philadelphia!
Join us to play games and talk math. And, of course, there will be free pizza!
Join us for a brainstorming session to create an outreach exhibit for the upcoming ICM. And, of course, there will be free pizza!
Abstract: This is the kick-off meeting for all students interested in helping build the “Are we there yet? An exploration of distance” exhibit for the ICM this summer. At this meeting Profs. Lang and Lufi will get everyone sorted into working groups based on the five examples of distance: Euclidean geometry, Spherical geometry, Hyperbolic geometry, Graph/Taxicab geometry, and p-adic geometry. You’ll meet your graduate student leaders, make a plan for future meetings, and start brainstorming about creating your exhibit. If you’ve already expressed interest in helping, check your email for pre-meeting instructions. If you’re just hearing about this, feel free to join anyway to get involved!
This week's meeting will be a movie night, featuring the documentary Journeys of Black Mathematicians: Forging Resilience. And, of course, there will be free pizza!
Description: "Journeys of Black Mathematicians: Forging Resilience traces the evolution of a culture of Black scholars, scientists and educators. The film follows the stories of prominent pioneers, showing how the challenges they faced and their triumphs are reflected in the experiences of today's mid-career Black mathematicians. Their mathematical descendants in turn are contemporary college students, and K-12 children across the U.S. who are learning that they belong in mathematics and STEM.
With over 50 individuals featured, the film is a panoramic survey starting with the first Black Ph.D., Edward Bouchet (1877) and W. W. S. Claytor, extraordinary exemplars from the early and mid-20th century who prepared the way for several of the trailblazers filmed for this project. The oldest of these is Virginia K. Newell (born in 1917), followed by Evelyn Boyd Granville, the second Black woman to earn her Ph.D. in mathematics, who died in 2023 at the age of 99."