Connections and Confections: The Four Color Theorem (and Cake)!

The Department of Mathematics and Association for Women in Mathematics are delighted to invite you to our special event entitled Connections and Confections:  The Four Color Theorem (and Cake)! Join us on February 28th, 2025 from 12-2pm for an afternoon of sweet treats and stimulating mathematical discussions designed to bring together faculty, graduate, and undergraduate students. At 12:30pm, Dr. Joel Lewis will deliver a captivating presentation (details below) that you won’t want to miss. Feel free to stop by anytime to savor desserts, connect with peers and professors, or immerse yourself in the fascinating world of the Four Color Theorem.

 

Abstract: The history of the Four Color Theorem is one of the most eventful and delicious in mathematics.  In this spongecake-light talk, we'll discuss its humble beginnings in recreational mathematics, its many false proofs (including some that turned out to be very fruitful), and, as the icing on the cake, its eventual resolution as the first major computer-aided proof of a mathematical theorem. For extra flavor, we may also touch on such topics as unexpected geographical borders (like where you can find stroopwafels and croissants), and graph coloring on surfaces of higher genus (i.e., donuts)."