PI MU EPSILON PRESENTS

Combinatorics, Graph Theory and Computing

Dr. Minerva Cordero-Epperson

Friday, November 14

12:00 pm

Room 308 Pickard Hall

Abstract: In this talk we will look at some connections between Finite Geometries, Combinatorics, Graph Theory, and Computing. We will start by discussing geometries in general and then look at some examples of geometries like near-linear spaces and finite projective planes. We will discuss Euler’s conjecture and how it was proven to be false. We look at some other “great problems” and conjectures involving all these different areas of mathematical research. We will provide answers to some of the biggest questions in Combinatorics, e.g. Is there a projective plane of order 10? We conclude the talk with a look at finite semifield planes and a “new conjecture”.