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Arnold Ross Lectures

The purpose of this series of lectures for talented high school mathematics students is to stimulate their interest in mathematics beyond the traditional classroom and to show them the tremendous opportunities for careers in mathematics--as mathematics teachers and as researchers in government, industry, and university programs. The lectures are intended to illustrate some recent development in mathematical research.


2013 Fall Arnold Ross Lecture


Bryna Kra, of Northwestern University will give the Fall 2013 Arnold Ross Lecture.

Patterns and Disorder:  How Random Can Random Be?

Thursday, November 7, 2013 
Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, Illinois             


Abstract:
If a set of numbers is large, does it have to contain any patterns?  How small can we make such a set, but still have it contain interesting configurations?  Do specific sets of integers, such as the primes, contain ordered structures?  We explore these questions, discussing the difference between patterned and random sets.

Biography:  Bryna Kra earned her undergraduate degree from Harvard University in 1988 and her PhD from Stanford in 1995 under the direction of Yitzhak Katznelson.  She works in dynamical systems and ergodic theory, with a focus on problems related to combinatorics and number theory.  Before her appointment to Northwestern University in 2004, she held postdoctoral positions at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the University of Michigan, the Institut des Hautes Etudes Scientifiques, and Ohio State University, and was an assistant professor at Pennsylvania State University.  She was an invited speaker at the 2006 International Congress of Mathematicians, was awarded a Centennial Fellowship in 2006, and was awarded the Conant Prize in 2010.  Kra served as chair of the Northwestern Mathematics Department from 2009-12 and is a member of the Executive Committee of the American Mathematical Society.  She currently holds the Arthur E. Andersen Research and Teaching Professorship.

This is an invitation only event.  If you are in the Chicago area and would like more information about attending the Lecture please send email to Robin Hagan Aguiar.


Erik Demaine

2013 Spring Lecture

Erik D. Demaine, of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology gave the Spring Arnold Ross Lecture, Algorithms Meet Art, Puzzles, and Magic.  The Lecture was held at the newe Museum of Mathematics in New York City.  To read more about her Lecture and the Who Wants to Be a Mathematician game click here.

 

Photo courtesy of Macalester College

2011 Lecture

Joan P. Hutchinson, Professor Emerita, Macalester College, gave the Arnold Ross Lecture, From crayons to color graphics:  How mathematicians use color.   The 2011 Lecture was held at the Science Museum of Minnesota in St. Paul. 


Photo Copyright ©, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette,
2010, all rights reserved. Reprinted with permission.

2010 Lecture

Thomas C. Hales, Mellon Professor of Mathematics, University of Pittsburgh, gave the 2010 Arnold Ross Lecture, Can Computers Do Math?  The Lecture was held at the Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on Thursday, October 14, 2010.  To find out more click here.

 


 

2009 Lecture

Dana Randall of the Georgia Institute of Technology, gave the Arnold Ross Lecture, Domino Tilings of the Chessboard:  An Introduction to Sampling and Counting at the National Science Center/Fort Discovery in Augusta, Georgia, on Thursday, October 29, 2009. Click here to read more of the days events at Fort Discovery.

Kelly with Hartman Halo

2008 Lecture

David C. Kelly, Hampshire College, gave the 2008 Arnold Ross Lecture, From Pascal's Triangle to Sierpinski's Triangle in Base 2 at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry on Thursday, October 23. To read more click here.

picture of Barry Mazur

2007 Lecture

Barry Mazur, Harvard University, gave the 2007 Arnold Ross Lecture on How many prime numbers are there? at the Museum of Science in Boston, MA on Thursday, November 1.  To read more click here.

picture of Manjul

 

2006 Lecture

Manjul Bhargava, Princeton University, gave the 2006 Arnold Ross Lecture on The Mathematics of Rhythm at the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago on Tuesday, October 24. To read more click here.

picture of Kenneth Ribet

2005 Lecture

Kenneth A. Ribet, University of California, Berkeley, gave the 2005 Arnold Ross Lecture on Fermat's Last Theorem and Beyond at the New York Hall of Science on Thursday, November 3. To read more click here.

Elwyn Berlekamp

2004 Lecture

Elwyn Berlekamp, University of California at Berkeley, gave the 2004 Arnold Ross Lecture on The Dots and Boxes Game: Sophisticated Child's Play at the St. Louis Science Center on April 21. Following the lecture AMS Public Awareness Officer Mike Breen emceed the "Who Wants To Be A Mathematician" game, during which five talented high school students won a total of $7,000 from the AMS. As a grand finale to the day's events, Berlekamp played many of the high school students in the audience in a simultaneous game of Dots and Boxes. To read more click here.

Paul Sally

2003 Lecture

Paul J. Sally Jr., University of Chicago, gave the 2003 Arnold Ross Lecture on Problems in Mathematics from Zero to Infinity to an enthusiastic crowd of approxomately 250 high school students and teachers. This lecture was further enhanced by a game show that was held after refreshments.

The successful mathematics game show, Who Wants to be a Mathematician, was run in conjunction with the lecture by the AMS Public Awareness Office. The exuberant student audience contributed to the atmosphere of excitement and enjoyment as they cheered on the contestants.

Comments from students who attended a recent Arnold Ross Lecture:

"We are three students who attended the recent Arnold Ross Lecture at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago and wanted to thank you for bringing the lecture here. It was a great experience and we had a lot of fun.We hope the lecture returns soon."

To read more click here.

Background

As chairman of the mathematics department at the University of Notre Dame, Dr. Arnold Ross started a mathematics enrichment program for high school teachers in 1947. He started his multi-level summer program for gifted high school students in 1957 and ran it every summer until 2000, giving the number theory lecture each morning. Arnold Ross died on September 25, 2002.

In keeping with this prestigious tradition, the American Mathematical Society is proud to present a series of lectures for talented high school mathematics students each year.

This is a time of exciting progress in the mathematical sciences. Mathematical research has stimulated new ideas in many subject areas--computer science, physics, engineering, biology, the behavioral sciences, and other disciplines. Yet many people are not aware of the importance of mathematics and the stimulating activities currently under way in mathematical research.

Committee for Arnold Ross Lectures

Allan P. Donsig
University of Nebraska, Lincoln
John M. (Jack) Lee, Chair
University of Washington

Donald A. Outing

United States Military Academy
Peter E. Trapa University of Utah
 

For additional information contact Robin.
updated by rha 1.24.13



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