Department of Mathematics Colloquium

University of Idaho

Fall 2011
Thursday,  October 27, 3:30-4:20pm, room TLC 030

Refreshments in Brink 305 at 3:00 p.m.

Making the abstract concrete

 

Monte Boisen 


Department of Mathematics

University of Idaho



Abstract

One of the fantastic bonuses that come from interdisciplinary research is seeing your own field from a new perspective. Through working with a mineralogist, I discovered a new, concrete way to illustrate most of the basic theorems of group theory. In this way, abstract theorems can be discovered through experience rather than simply through a written record of what others have discovered years ago. I will show how to use both virtual and physical models to do this.  Fun will be had by all.