DIMACS - RUTGERS EXPERIMENTAL MATHEMATICS SEMINAR

Sponsored by the Rutgers University Department of Mathematics and the
Center for Discrete Mathematics and Theoretical Computer Science (DIMACS)

Co-organizers:

Doron Zeilberger, Rutgers University, zeilberg {at} math [dot] rutgers [dot] edu

Bryan Ek, Rutgers University, bryan [dot] t [dot] ek {at} math [dot] rutgers [dot] edu

Title: Hilbert's Monkey Saddle and other Curiosities in the Riesz Equilibrium Problem for 3 Points on a Circle

Speaker: Michael Kiessling, Rutgers University

Date: Thursday, December 7, 2017 5:00pm

Location: Hill Center, Room 705, Rutgers University, Busch Campus, Piscataway, NJ

Abstract:

This talk reports the results of a research project with undergraduate student Renna Yi this past Summer. What was meant as a warm-up problem for understanding what `Steve Smale's 7th problem for the 21st century' is all about turned out to hold some surprises. In particular, two mathematical constructions which are usually cooked up for the purpose of illustrating some calculus (II and III) concepts show up naturally in the Riesz Equilibrium Problem of 3 Points on a Circle: Hilbert's Monkey Saddle is one of those, the other one will be revealed at the talk.

See: http://sites.math.rutgers.edu/~bte14/expmath/