Description

This lecture series will feature eminent local mathematicians or mathematics educators to share with the public some of their interests and ideas.

Speaker

A J (Jon) Berrick , National University of Singapore

Professor Steven Kou is currently a Provost’s Chair Professor of Mathematics and the Director of the Centre for Quantitative Finance at National University of Singapore. Previously, he taught at Columbia University, University of Michigan, and Rutgers University. He teaches courses in quantitative finance, stochastic models, and statistics. His research results have been widely used on Wall Street, and have been incorporated into standard M.B.A. textbooks

Abstract

Braids have been familiar objects in many cultures for many centuries, both for fastening and for decoration, but mathematicians began to look at them only about a century ago. The main question asked is: when can one braid be pulled and slid to become another? Mathematically, this questioncan be attacked by various means, some algebraic and some geometric.  In recent years, the techniques used have been applied to problems in cryptography, robotics and molecular biology.  A new technique invented at NUS will also be discussed.

Refreshment

Buffet dinner will be served after the lecture

Registration

School teachers may do group registration for their students and teachers by choosing the “group registration” option and indicate the number of people attending the lecture in the online registration form.

Closing Date

Feb 4, 2009

Coordinator

Dr Tan Victor