Mathematics Graduate Students Organization

Seminar:

Date: September 20

"A walk in Combinatorics" by Prof. Catherine Yan: Combinatorics is a branch of mathematics concerning the study of finite or countable discrete structures. Aspects of combinatorics include counting the structures of a given kind and size, deciding when certain criteria can be met, constructing and analyzing objects meeting the criteria, finding extremal or optimal objects, and studying combinatorial structures arising in an algebraic context. Starting with the Catalan family, I will introduce some basic topics in combinatorics, in particular, those related to two of my favorite objects: parking functions and crossing structures.
"Modular forms and L-functions" by Prof. Matthew Young: Modular forms and L-functions are very special functions that have become central objects in number theory. I will introduce these fascinating functions and discuss some recent results and open problems in this area.