Mathematics & Statistics Seminars
Northern Arizona University

FAMUS

The “Friday Afternoon Mathematics Undergraduate Seminar” (FAMUS) is a weekly event consisting of announcements, talks, and faculty interviews. FAMUS takes place most Fridays at 3:00-4:00pm in Room 164 of the Adel Mathematics Building. Typically the first half of FAMUS consists of a talk on a mathematical topic while an interview of a faculty member takes place in the second half. FAMUS is hosted by Jeff Rushall.

Come join us for some entertaining talks! Refreshments always served.

Schedule Spring 2024

Note that talks are listed in reverse chronological order.

The Urinal Problem

Date: March 1, 2024

Speakers: Jeff Rushall (NAU)

Abstract: This topic addresses the following important question: when a person enters an empty bathroom with multiple urinals, which urinal should be selected to maximize this person’s chances of having complete privacy if others enter the bathroom? [note: a math paper was actually published on this problem a few years back] I will analyze the problem - as well as explain what urinals look like, how they are used, etc., for those in the audience who perhaps do not know much about urinals - with the help of many pictures of urinals I have taken over the years.

The faculty guests will be a few soon-to-be-graduating grad students who will discuss their experiences in our grad programs and their future plans. [PDF of Flyer]

Undergraduate Research Projects for 2024-2025

Date: February 23, 2024

Speakers: Jeff Rushall (NAU)

Abstract: In this talk, I will provide the audience with a near-complete list of all undergrad research projects overseen by our faculty for AY 2024-2025. Some are funded, some are not. Some involve individual students, some involve groups. There are 6-9 faculty involved. This is a great chance for students to see all potential undergrad research topics for the upcoming year.

The faculty guest will be Amy Rangel. [PDF of Flyer]

Euler Characteristics

Date: February 16, 2024

Speakers: Misha Baltushkin (NAU)

Abstract: I will explain this graph theoretic invariant, show lots of examples, discuss the history of this famous number, etc. This is a great topic for newbies at FAMUS, so please don’t be shy about attending.

The faculty guest will be Ye Chen. [PDF of Flyer]

A report on the Nebraska Women’s Conference Tara Zurick and Natalie Burton

Date: February 2, 2024

Speakers: Natalie Burton and Tara Zurick (NAU undergraduates)

Abstract: Natalie and Tara will discuss what happened at the conference, how they got there, show lots of pictures, tell us how their presentation went, and explain the impact NCUWM had on their futures.

The faculty guest will be Michele Torielli. Note: This FAMUS will held in Adel 163 and will end at 3:55PM to allow folks to attend the math ed candidate talk in Adel 164. [PDF of Flyer]

New Results on Sylver Coinage

Date: January 19, 2024

Speakers: Natalie Burton and Tara Zurick (NAU undergraduates)

Abstract: Sylver coinage is a game played on the natural numbers; if you want to know the game rules, come to FAMUS! Natalie and Tara, along with fellow undergrads James Warner and Morgan Boyers, have been working together for about 5 months trying to prove some Sylver coinage “claims” made by (among others) John Conway and Richard Guy. And they have been successful; come and see just how much they have proven!

The faculty guest is Mikhail Baltushkin. [PDF of Flyer]