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2012
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Dr. Jerry L. Bona |
Mathematics and the Ocean
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| About the Speaker: Jerry L. Bona received his PhD in 1971 from Harvard University under supervision of Garrett Birkhoff and then worked at the Fluid Mechanics Research Institute at University of Essex. Subsequently he was faculty member at the University of Chicago, Pennsylvania State University and the University of Texas at Austin, before joining the University of Illinois at Chicago. He is well-known for his contributions to the fields of fluid mechanics, partial differential equations and computational math and has been active in other branches of pure and applied mathematics, ocean engineering and economics. Abstract: Describing various aspects of the Earth's oceans using mathematics goes back to the 17th century. Some of the world's greatest mathematicians and physicists have been involved in this enterprise. The lecture will begin with a cursory sketch of some of the more important milestones in the mathematics of the ocean. We will then move on to indicate briefly an example taken from water wave theory of how mathematical models are created. We then turn to some of the more spectacular applications of the theory. This will involve us in tsunami propagation, rogue waves and near-shore zone sand bars and beach protection, as time permits. Students are encouraged to participate! Event poster can be found HERE |
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2010
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Dr. William L. Kath A video of this lecture |
Computational Modeling of Neurons |
| With its approximately 100 billion neurons and 200 trillion connections, the human central nervous system is astoundingly complex. Nevertheless, experimental advances are rapidly revealing new insights about the workings of neurons and the networks in which they are connected. Simultaneously, computational models of neurons have grown swiftly in terms of both their capability and utility. When constrained by experimental data, such models greatly enhance the observations and provide tools to construct new experimentally testable predictions. In this talk I will describe how this two-pronged approach has helped explain some of the function of hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons, a group of principal cells in a region of the brain that is important for the formation of new memories. The models and experiments indicate that these relatively large neurons integrate and process their inputs in a two-stage manner, in that they first combine inputs in localized parts of the dendritic tree before making an ultimate determination whether or not to signal downstream neurons with an action potential. Bill Kath is a professor in the Departments of Engineering Sciences and Applied Mathematics & Neurobiology and Physiology. From 2005-2010 he was the Co-Director of the Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems at Northwestern University. His research interests include computational neuroscience, nonlinear optics, linear and nonlinear wave propagation and nonlinear dynamics. He received the NSF Presidential Young Investigator Award in 1985, was elected a Fellow of the Optical Society of America in 2007, and elected a Fellow of the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics in 2010. He has over 150 peer reviewed publication and 4 US patents. Event poster can be found HERE |
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2009
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Dr. Mark J. Ablowitz |
Extraordinary Waves: From Beaches to Lasers |
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