The minutes from the Fall 2009 meeting can be found here (Business Meeting) and here (Executive Committee).
The program for the Fall 2009 meeting is posted here.
Pictures from the Fall 2009 meeting is posted here.
Voting in Agreeable Societies
Francis Edward Su (bio)
Harvey Mudd College
Abstract: When do majorities exist? How does the geometry of the political spectrum influence the outcome? What does mathematics have to say about how people behave? When mathematical objects have a social interpretation, the associated theorems have social applications. We give examples of situations where sets model preferences, and show how extensions of classical theorems on convex sets can be used in the analysis of voting in "agreeable" societies. This talk also features research with undergraduates.
Math, Moths and Mice:
Using Math to Help Solve a Biological Riddle
Brett Goodwin (bio)
University of North Dakota (Department of Biology)
Abstract: It is increasingly being argued that the interaction between math and biology will have a huge impact on both fields. As an example of how math can inform a biological investigation I will describe a recent ecological investigation that was only possible via mathematical tools. Gypsy moths are an invasive species in North America that have persisted and spread over the last century or so. During part of their life cycle gypsy moths are preyed upon by white-footed mice to such an extent that mice should drive the moths extinct. Hence, the riddle of how moths persist in the face of ferocious mouse predation. Piecing together biological information using computer simulations and mathematical models my collaborators and I have demonstrated how spatial patterns of mouse predation and details of moth movements can lead to an intrinsically unstable species interaction persisting.
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