Georgia Institute of Technology College of Sciences

Algebraic geometry (AG) is a major generalization of linear algebra which is fairly influential in mathematics. Since the 1980's with the development of computer algebra systems like Mathematica, AG has been leveraged in areas of STEM as diverse as statistics, robotic kinematics, computer science/geometric modeling, and mirror symmetry. Part one of my talk will be a brief introduction to AG, to two notions of taking powers of ideals (regular vs symbolic) in Noetherian commutative rings, and to the ideal containment problem that I study in my thesis. Part two of my talk will focus on stating the main results of my thesis in a user-ready form, giving a "comical" example or two of how to use them. At the risk of sounding like Paul Rudd in Ant-Man, I hope this talk will be awesome.

BlueJeans link: https://bluejeans.com/851535338

A 3-connected graph is minimally 3-connected if removal of any edge destroys 3-connectivity. We present an algorithm for constructing minimally 3-connected graphs based on the results in (Dawes, JCTB 40, 159-168, 1986) using two operations: adding an edge between non-adjacent vertices and splitting a vertex of degree at least 4. To test sets of vertices and edges for 3-compatibility, which depends on the cycles of the graph, we develop a method for obtaining the cycles of $G'$ from the cycles of $G$, where $G'$ is obtained from $G$ by one of the two operations above.  We eliminate isomorphic duplicates using certificates generated by McKay's isomorphism checker nauty. The algorithm consecutively constructs the non-isomorphic minimally 3-connected graphs with $n$ vertices and $m$ edges from the non-isomorphic minimally 3-connected graphs with $n-1$ vertices and $m-2$ edges, $n-1$ vertices and $m-3$ edges, and $n-2$ vertices and $m-3$ edges. In this talk I will focus primarily on the theorems behind the algorithm. This is joint work with Joao Costalonga and Robert Kingan.

We prove a new upper bound of $s_r(K_k) = O(k^5 r^{5/2})$ on the Ramsey parameter $s_r(K_k)$ introduced by Burr, Erd\H{o}s and Lov\'{a}sz in 1976, which is defined as the smallest minimum degree of a graph $G$ such that any $r$-colouring of the edges of $G$ contains a monochromatic $K_k$, whereas no proper subgraph of $G$ has this property. This improves the previous upper bound of $s_r(K_k) = O(k^6 r^3)$ proved by Fox et al. The construction used in our proof relies on a group theoretic model of generalised quadrangles introduced by Kantor in 1980.

Talk based on https://arxiv.org/abs/2008.02474

In this talk we will discuss epidemic modeling in the context of COVID-19.  We will review the basics of classical epidemic models, and present joint work with Maria Chikina on the use of age-targeted strategies in the context of a COVID-19-like epidemic.  We will also discuss the broader roles epidemic modeling has played over the past year, and the limitations it as presented as a primary lens through which to understand the pandemic.