Department of Mathematics

The Florida State University

This Week in Mathematics

20 - 24 March 2000

Monday: 20 March 2000

Tuesday: 21 March 2000

Structural Biology/Biochemistry Seminar, 11:15 a.m., 555 IMB

Pam Twigg/Adrew Korostelev, Florida State University

[ topic to be announced ]

Moduli Spaces Seminar, 2:00 p.m., 104 Love Building

Paolo Aluffi, Florida State University

Hilbert Schemes, VIII

Math. of Protein Structure & NMR Seminar, 2:30 p.m., A336 NHMFL

Jeffrey Denny, Florida State University

[ to be anounced ]

No Applied Topology Seminar, 3:35 p.m., 104 Love Building

[ go to Greller Thursday, 3/23/2000, and Friday, 3/24/2000 ]

Wednesday: 22 March 2000

No Graduate Student Seminar, 11:15 a.m., 204B Love Building

(Real) Analysis Seminar, 1:25 p.m., 204B Love Building

Denise Szecsei, Florida State University

A Convolution Property of some Measures with Self-Similar Fractal Support

Complex/Symbolic Seminar, 3:35 p.m., 102 Love Building

Mika Seppälä, Florida State University

Teichmuller's Extremal Mapping Theorem

Thursday: 23 March 2000

Algebraic Curves Seminar, 2:00 p.m., 104 Love Building

Paolo Aluffi, Florida State University

Embeddings in Projective Space

Special Bioinformatics Lectures & Discussion, 3:30 p.m., 499 DSL

Larry D. Greller, Assistant Director, Mathematical Biology and Bioinformatics, Smith Kline Beecham Pharmaceuticals Research & Development, King of Prussia, PA

Applied Mathematics in Pharmaceutical R&D I: Examples of Disease Mathematical Modeling in a Bioinformatics Department-Tumor Progression, Blood Coagulation, Genetic Regulatory Networks

In pharmaceutical research and development, interesting mathematical problems frequently arise in many different forms and guises. We will present a selection of examples of mathematical models, each with very different objectives and impacts on pharmaceutical R&D.If time permits, we can reflect on technical and stylistic differences between the relatively new discipline of bioinformatics and the long-established field of mathematical biology. We can explore: Might recognizing the differences matter for curricula and careers?

No QUANTUM! Seminar, 3:35 p.m., 104 Love Building

Phil Bowers, Florida State University

Angular Momentum Operators, Part IV: Spin and Addition Rules

Topology Seminar, 3:35 p.m., 104 Love Building

Eko Hironaka, Florida State University

The Geometry of Salem Numbers

A Salem number is a real algebraic integer larger than one all of whose conjugates lie on or inside the unit circle, with at least one conjugate on the unit circle. A long outstanding problem is whether there are Salem numbers arbitrarily close to one. The smallest known Salem number was found by Lehmer in 1933 and is a root of the 10th degree polynomial
x^10 + x^9 - x^7 - x^6 - x^5 - x^4 - x^3 + x + 1. In this talk we will discuss some approaches to solving this problem which arise from an interesting interplay between knot theory, geometric group theory, and arithmetic hyperbolic surfaces.

Friday: 24 March 2000

Special Bioinformatics Open Discussion Session, 10:00 a.m., 499 DSL

Training for Careers in Bioinformatics: What do students need to know?

Open Discussion Session, 10:00 a.m., 499 DSL

Training for Careers in Bioinformatics: What do students need to know?

No Colloquium Coffee, 3:00 p.m., 204 Love Building
Colloquium, 3:30 p.m., 499 Dirac Science Library

Larry D. Greller, Assistant Director, Mathematical Biology and Bioinformatics, Smith Kline Beecham Pharmaceuticals Research & Development, King of Prussia, PA

Applied Mathematics in Pharmaceutical R & D II: Mathematical Life in the Trenches Does Not Equal Entrenched Mathematics

In pharmaceutical research and development, interesting mathematical problems frequently arise in many different forms and guises, originating in biology, medicine, chemistry, and physics. Many are often intellectually fascinating. However, the mathematical components of the problems are usually unrecognized by the biologists who need to have solutions. In this decidedly non-mathematically aware environment, how can applied mathematicians survive -- let alone thrive? What are some of the ingredients essential for success -- technically and for careers? What are the skills for being a mathematical missionary and picking problems? How do you surmount the obstacles in communicating with non-mathematicians?
     In this talk, we will use our experience to try to answer these questions (with the understanding that extrapolation from a small number of data points is always completely accurate?). Several examples of mathematical modeling will be briefly described to convey the research flavor: tumor progression, blood coagulation, and gene regulatory networks. We will survey the various roles within the Mathematical Biology group: applied mathematicians, consultants, technology evaluators, computational scientists, "chameleon scientists," software and database architects, collaborators, basic researchers, mathematical missionaries, iconoclasts, etc. What are the opportunities -- permanent, co-op student, summer student positions? After the talk, we are prepared to examine further the skills, mathematical, and computational backgrounds that we see as necessary.

Joint Applied Mathematics & Scientific Computing Seminar, 4:30 p.m., 200 Love Building

Thomas Dong, Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Systems

Parallel Computations in Computational Aeroacoustics (CAA)

Seminars and colloquia at "that other" university [a.k.a. the University of Florida]

Coming Attractions

Tuesday: 28 March 2000

Structural Biology/Biochemistry Seminar, 11:15 a.m., 555 IMB

John Caban/Elena Falkovskaia, Florida State University

[ topic to be announced ]

Financial Mathematics Seminar, 3:45 p.m., Rm 109, College of Business

Pamela Coats, Finance, Florida State University

The Practice of Corporate Financial Modeling and Forecasting

Wednesday: 29 March 2000

Graduate Student Seminar, 11:15 a.m., 204B Love Building

Steve Pennington, Florida State University

[ topic to be announced ]

Thursday: 30 March 2000

QUANTUM! Seminar, 3:35 p.m., 104 Love Building

Phil Bowers, Florida State University

Angular Momentum Operators, Part IV: Spin and Addition Rules

Financial Mathematics Seminar, 3:45 p.m., Rm 109, College of Business

[ see Financial Mathematics Seminar 3/28/2000 ]

Friday: 31 March 2000

Joint Applied Mathematics & Scientific Computing Seminar, 4:30 p.m., 200 Love Building

Chris Homescu, Florida State University

Optimal Control of Karman Vortex Street

Tuesday: 4 April 2000

Structural Biology/Biochemistry Seminar, 11:15 a.m., 555 IMB

Gijs J.L. Wuite, Department of Physics and Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California

Single Molecule Studies of Replication and Exonucleolysis by T7 DNA Polymerase Under Various Template Tensions

The DNA polymerase of bacteriophage T7 (T7 DNAp) is a member of the pol I family of polymerases and exists as a 1:1 complex of T7 gene 5 protein and E. coli thioredoxin. It can catalyze replication in vitro at rates up to 300 bases s-1 and has a 3' ® 5' exonuclease activity centered at a separate active site. X-ray structures of the complex of T7 DNAp with DNA and incoming dideoxy nucleotide have revealed a "right hand" shape common to most polymerases, where the thumb and fingers sub domains wrap around a cleft in the palm that accommodates the DNA. Comparison of polymerase crystal structures with and without the DNA and nucleotide suggests that DNAp flickers between an open-fingers state in which the active site can sample nucleotides and the DNA primer-template slides into position for the next catalytic cycle, and a closed-fingers state in which the nucleotide incorporation takes place. This conformational change is likely to be the step which checks for misincorporation, and that previously had been identified in kinetic studies as the rate limiting step of the catalytic cycle (Fig. 1a). Here we report the effect of mechanical force on T7 DNAp and, indirectly, on this step. Replication by individual T7 DNAp molecules was followed in time under various template tensions, using laser tweezers. Force-velocity curves reveal that template tensions below 6 piconewtons (pN) accelerate replication, whereas higher tensions slow it down, stalling the motor at 34 ± 8 pN. Analysis of the force-velocity curves indicates that T7 DNAp organizes two template bases in the polymerase active site, one of which is released at the end of the catalytic cycle. We identify the entropic and mechanical contributions to the work done by the enzyme during replication under tension, and report a force-induced 100-fold increase in exonucleolytic activity above 40 pN.

Financial Mathematics Seminar, 3:40 p.m., 200 Love Building

Patrick F. Maroney, Risk Management & Insurance, Florida State University

(A discussion of professional standards and ethics.)

Wednesday: 5 April 2000

No Graduate Student Seminar, 11:15 a.m., 204B Love Building

Thursday: 6 April 2000

Structural Biology/Biochemistry Seminar, 11:15 a.m., 555 IMB

Harry Noller, University of California at Santa Cruz

[ topic to be announced ]

Financial Mathematics Seminar, 3:40 p.m., 200 Love Building

[ see Financial Mathematics Seminar 4/4/2000 ]

QUANTUM! Seminar, 3:35 p.m., 104 Love Building

Phil Bowers, Florida State University

Quantum Mixtures and Tensor Products

Friday: 7 April 2000

Colloquium Coffee, 3:00 p.m., 204 Love Building
Colloquium, 3:30 p.m., 101 Love Building

Fred Gehring, University of Michigan

[ topic to be announced ]

Tuesday: 11 April 2000

Structural Biology/Biochemistry Seminar, 11:15 a.m., 555 IMB

Wayne Hubbell, University of California at Los Angeles

[ topic to be announced ]

Wednesday: 12 April 2000

Graduate Student Seminar, 11:15 a.m., 204B Love Building

[ speaker to be announced ]

[ topic to be announced ]

Thursday: 13 April 2000

QUANTUM! Seminar, 3:35 p.m., 104 Love Building

Phil Bowers, Florida State University

Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) Paradoxes and Bell's Inequality

Friday: 14 April 2000

Colloquium Coffee, 3:00 p.m., 204 Love Building
Colloquium, 3:30 p.m., 101 Love Building

Slava Matveev, SUNY at Stony Brook

[ topic to be announced ]

Tuesday: 18 April 2000

Structural Biology/Biochemistry Seminar, 11:15 a.m., 555 IMB

Dan Adamak/Alex Soares, Florida State University

[ topic to be announced ]

Thursday: 20 April 2000

QUANTUM! Seminar, 3:35 p.m., 104 Love Building

Phil Bowers, Florida State University

Ensembles and Density Operators

Friday: 21 April 2000

Colloquium Coffee, 3:00 p.m., 204 Love Building
Colloquium, 3:30 p.m., 101 Love Building

Markus Rost, Institute for Advanced Study

[ topic to be announced ]

Thursday: 27 April 2000

QUANTUM! Seminar, 3:35 p.m., 104 Love Building

Phil Bowers, Florida State University

Quantum Probability and Quantum Logic

Friday: 28 April 2000

Colloquium Coffee, 3:00 p.m., 204 Love Building
Colloquium, 3:30 p.m., 101 Love Building

Ilia Binder, Harvard University

[ topic to be announced ]

April [ day to be announced ]: [ date to be announced ]

QUANTUM! Seminar, 3:35 p.m., 104 Love Building

Phil Bowers, Florida State University

Algebraic QM--C* Algebras

Financial Mathematics Seminar, 3:40 p.m., 200 Love Building

Paul Beaumont, Economics, Florida State University

Option Pricing with GARCH Models

Go to twims past or Main Math Menu