Della Pietra Lecture Series Presents Dr. Manjul Bhargava, December 9-11, 2019

by

The Della Pietra Lecture Series is pleased to present Manjul Bhargava, Fields Medalist and number theorist:

General Public Lecture

Date: Monday December 9, 2019
Reception: 5:00pm, Simons Center Lobby
Lecture: 5:45pm, Simons Center Della Pietra Family Auditorium, Room 103
Title: “Patterns in Numbers and Nature” 
Abstract: In this lecture I will explore the multitude of beautiful patterns found in the world around us – from tilings on kitchen floors, to petals on daisies and spirals on pinecones, to the emergence of cicadas into the sunlight every 17 years – and how the desire to understand these various enigmatic patterns inspired me to pursue research mathematics (and, in particular, number theory).

Special Presentation for High School Students

Date: Wednesday December 11, 2019
Lecture: 11:00am, Simons Center Della Pietra Family Auditorium, Room 103
Title: “Patterns in Numbers and Nature” 
Abstract: In this lecture I will explore the multitude of beautiful patterns found in the world around us – from tilings on kitchen floors, to petals on daisies and spirals on pinecones, to the emergence of cicadas into the sunlight every 17 years – and how the desire to understand these various enigmatic patterns inspired me to pursue research mathematics (and, in particular, number theory).

Technical Talk for Faculty and Advanced Graduate Students

Date: Monday December 9, 2019
Lecture: 11:00am, Simons Center Lecture Hall, Room 102
Title: “How likely is it for an integer polynomial to take a square value?”
Abstract: Understanding whether (and how often) a mathematical expression takes a square value is a problem that has fascinated mathematicians since antiquity.  After giving a survey of this problem, we will then concentrate on the case where the mathematical expression in question is simply a polynomial in one variable.  The main result in this case-proved just recently – is that if the degree of the polynomial is at least
6, then it is not very likely to take even a single square value!

Dr. Manjul Bhargava is the R. Brandon Fradd Professor of Mathematics at Princeton University and the Stieltjes Professor of Number Theory at Leiden University. Bhargava also holds Adjunct Professorships at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, and the University of Hyderabad. Primarily known for his contributions to number theory, Bhargava was awarded the Fields Medal in 2014 “for developing powerful new methods in the geometry of numbers, which he applied to count rings of small rank and to bound the average rank of elliptic curves”

All of these lectures have been made possible by a generous donation from the Della Pietra family. The Della Pietra Lecture Series aims to bring world-renowned scientists to the Simons Center for Geometry and Physics to enhance the intellectual activity of the Center and also bring greater awareness of recent and impactful discoveries in Physics and Mathematics to the Long Island community.

For more information visit scgp.stonybrook.edu or call 631-632-2800.