Combinatorics- Partitioning the Rainbow

Speaker: Kendra E. Pleasant, Morgan State University
Date and time: Tuesday, March 27, 1-2pm
Place: Rome 771
Title: Partitioning the Rainbow

Abstract: Ramsey Theory is a mathematical study of combinatorial objects in which a certain degree of order must occur as the scale of the object becomes large.  A standard problem in Ramsey Theory starts with some mathematical object and breaks it into several pieces. How big must the original object be for the pieces to have a certain property?  This is described as partition regularity.  A major tool used to establish this partition regularity is partition regular matrices.  In this talk, we will get down and dirty with these matrices.  First we will show how these matrices give some of the fundamental results in Ramsey Theory; then we will focus on some new results about these matrices.