Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Losing Shahrazad: A Distant Reading Of 1001 Nights, Taysa Mohler

Senior Projects Spring 2018

This project is a distant reading analysis of seven 19th and 20th-century English translations of One Thousand and One Nights or The Arabian Nights. Through the use of computer programming and distant reading, it becomes clear that the Nights' frame tale is the carrier of the internal logic and generative power of the story cycle. Further, the frame tale expresses the Nights' self-representation, which serves to undermine the historical use of the Nights as synecdoche for the Orient. Therefore, the translators that remove the frame story from their versions further the Nights' use as an Orientalist object, …

Is There Joy Beyond The Joystick?: Immersive Potential Of Brain-Computer Interfaces, Elias Solomon Posen

Senior Projects Spring 2018

Immersion, the state of being fully engaged in one's current operation, is a descriptor commonly used to appraise user experience in computer games and software applications. As the use of brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) begins to expand into the consumer sphere, questions arise concerning the ability of BCIs to modulate user immersion. This study employed a computer game to examine the effect of a consumer-grade BCI (the Emotiv EPOC) on immersion. In doing so, this study also explored the relationship between BCI usability and immersion levels. An experiment with twenty-seven participants showed that users were significantly more immersed when controlling the …

The Fungus Among Us: The Effect Of Copper Fungicide On Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi And Implications For Sustainable Agricultural Systems, Francois J. Hartnett

Senior Projects Spring 2018

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Social Studies of Bard College.

Don't Take This Personally: Sentiment Analysis For Identification Of "Subtweeting" On Twitter, Noah L. Segal-Gould

Senior Projects Spring 2018

The purpose of this project is to identify subtweets. The Oxford English Dictionary defines "subtweet" as a "[Twitter post] that refers to a particular user without directly mentioning them, typically as a form of furtive mockery or criticism." This paper details a process for gathering a labeled ground truth dataset, training a classifier, and creating a Twitter bot which interacts with subtweets in real time. The Naive Bayes classifier trained in this project classifies tweets as subtweets and non-subtweets with an average F1 score of 72%.

Knowing Water: Science And The Politics Of Knowledge Production Along The Saw Kill, Carlo Diego Raimondo

Senior Projects Spring 2018

Beginning with globally oriented ideological constructions of water as resource, this project explores the materiality of water and how it comes to understood within our current geological era. Specifically exploring the politics of scientific knowledge production, I follow the methodological processes of the Bard Water Lab as they monitor water quality of a local stream, exploring how different apparatuses of observation are utilized in order to make a stream a legible and knowable object.

Neural Network Reconstruction Via Graph Locality-Driven Machine Learning, Hayden Sehon Sartoris

Senior Projects Spring 2018

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Science, Mathematics and Computing of Bard College.

The Mathematics Of Cancer: Fitting The Gompertz Equation To Tumor Growth, Dyjuan Tatro

Senior Projects Spring 2018

Mathematical models are finding increased use in biology, and partuculary in the field of cancer research. In relation to cancer, systems of differential equations have been proven to model tumor growth for many types of cancer while taking into account one or many features of tumor growth. One feature of tumor growth that models must take into account is that tumors do not grow exponentially. One model that embodies this feature is the Gomperts Model of Cell Growth. By fitting this model to long-term breast cancer study data, this project ascertains gompertzian parameters that can be used to predicts tumor …

Homeomorphisms Of The Sierpinski Carpet, Karuna S. Sangam

Senior Projects Spring 2018

The Sierpinski carpet is a fractal formed by dividing the unit square into nine congruent squares, removing the center one, and repeating the process for each of the eight remaining squares, continuing infinitely many times. It is a well-known fractal with many fascinating topological properties that appears in a variety of different contexts, including as rational Julia sets. In this project, we study self-homeomorphisms of the Sierpinski carpet. We investigate the structure of the homeomorphism group, identify its finite subgroups, and attempt to define a transducer homeomorphism of the carpet. In particular, we find that the symmetry groups of platonic …

Centroidal Voronoi Tessellations With Few Generator Points, Kirill Shakhnovskiy

Senior Projects Spring 2018

A Voronoi tessellation with $n$ generator points is the partitioning of a bounded region in $\rr^2$ into polygons such that every point in a given polygon is closer to its generator point than to any other generator point. A centroidal Voronoi tessellation (CVT) is a Voronoi tessellation where each polygon’s generator point is also its center of mass. In this project I will demonstrate what kinds of CVTs can exists within specific parameters, such as a square or rectangular region, and a set number generator points. I will also prove that the examples I present are the only CVTs that …

The Poem Will Resemble You: A Human-Computer Collaboration, Zoe M. Morgan-Weinman

Senior Projects Spring 2018

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Languages and Literature of Bard College.

Expected Value And Standard Deviation Of The Center Of Mass Of Random Configurations, Thuy Linh Nguyen

Senior Projects Spring 2018

The goal of this project is to find the expected value and standard deviation of the center of mass in selected random configurations. The center of mass, which is a unique point in a system where the mean distribution of the mass is located, is calculated by dividing the sum of all of the the masses times the position they are at by the total mass of the system. The configurations considered in the paper vary upon the way we choose the positions in the configuration. In his senior project, Finn Hardy determined that the expected value of the center …

Graph Replacement Systems For Julia Sets Of Quadratic Polynomials, Yuan Jessica Liu

Senior Projects Spring 2018

Belk and Forrest construct a specific class of graph replacement systems that give sequences of graphs that converge to fractals. Given a polynomial, we have an algorithm that gives a replacement system that leads to a graph sequence which we conjecture converges to the Julia set. We prove the conjecture for the quadratic polynomial $z^2+c$ where $c$ is a real number and the critical point is in a three cycle. We present some additional results and observations on replacement systems obtained from certain polynomials.

A Technical Analysis And Exploration Of Guitar Pickups And Electronics, Hunter Manel

Senior Projects Spring 2018

The development of the electric guitar during the 20th century was revolutionary for musicians and sound engineers alike. The advances in amplifying sound by way of pickups and amplifiers contributed to massive cultural movement in music, including Jazz and Rock 'n Roll. While the pickup is acknowledged as an integral component of the electric guitar, few players understand the electronics and mechanics underlying their instrument. This project aims to accomplish two goals with a focus on pickups: first, describe the physics behind the electric guitar's amplification process, and secondly, use this understanding to build a pickup for use in an …

A Microlensing Detection Algorithm For Wide-Field Surveys, Daniel Godines Alcantara

Senior Projects Spring 2018

Gravitational microlensing is a rare event in which the light from a foreground star (source star) is amplified temporarily as it goes around the Einstein radius of another star (lens star). This only occurs when the two stars align with the line of sight of the observer. The significance of microlensing is that it allows for the detection of planets, as when a planet orbiting the lensing star aligns within the Einstein radius, it acts as an additional lens that further amplifies the light. This results in a gaussian-like light curve with an additional deviation on the curve. Unlike transit …

Applications Of Equivariant Topology In Cascading Makeev Problems, Andres N. Mejia

Senior Projects Spring 2018

Many solutions to problems arising in discrete geometry have come from insights in equivariant topology. Configuration-Space/Test Map (CS/TM) type setups, pioneered by Zivaljevic, offer reductions of combinatorial or geometric facts to showing the nonexistence of certain $G$-equivariant maps $f:X \to V\setminus Z$. In particular, partitions of objects by arcs, planes, and convex sets, and Tverberg theorems have been particularly amenable to topological methods , since their solutions affect the global structure of the relevant topological objects. However, there have been limits to the method as demonstrated by a failure to solve of the celeberated and now settled Topological Tverberg conjecture …

A Study Of Neural Networks For The Quantum Many-Body Problem, Liam B. Schramm

Senior Projects Spring 2018

One of the fundamental problems in analytically approaching the quantum many-body problem is that the amount of information needed to describe a quantum state. As the number of particles in a system grows, the amount of information needed for a full description of the system increases exponentially. A great deal of work then has gone into finding efficient approximate representations of these systems. Among the most popular techniques are Tensor Networks and Quantum Monte Carlo methods. However, one new method with a number of promising theoretical guarantees is the Neural Quantum State. This method is an adaptation of the Restricted …

The Outer Space Film As A Mythology For Human Destiny, Alexander Samir Habiby

Senior Projects Spring 2018

The modern outer space film uniquely explores the future and destiny of humanity as shown in 2001: A Space Odyssey, Contact, and Interstellar through their themes and invocation of the sublime. It functions as a modern mythology for human destiny.

Concerning The Construction Of Four-Bar Linkages And Their Topological Configuration-Spaces, Peter K. Servatius

Senior Projects Spring 2018

For a given linkage with one degree of freedom we can analyze the coupler curve created by any selected tracer point in relation to a driver link. The Watt Engine is a four-bar linkage constructed such that the tracer point draws an approximate straight line along a section of the coupler curve. We will explore the family of linkages that are created using Watt's parameters, along with linkages designed by other inventors; looking at methodologies of creating a linkage and the defining what we mean by approximate straight-line motion. Ultimately we will be creating our own linkage using what we …

(Un)Packing The Natural: Exploring Tactics Of Empowerment For Girls Through Outdoor Education, Avalon Blue Qian

Senior Projects Spring 2018

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Social Studies of Bard College

Exploring Sequences Of Tournament Graphs With Draws, Kaylynn H. Tran

Senior Projects Spring 2018

Tournaments occur all over the world and they are used to decide championships in various competitions. For this project, I will be exploring tournaments in the round robin style in which every team plays one another. This is based on Sadiki Lewis' senior project, Exploring Tournament Graphs and Their Win Sequences. I will be expanding his project by including the possibility of a draw between two teams, in addition to a win or a loss. Teams and games will be modeled by complete graphs where each vertex represents a team and each directed edge between two vertices represents the outcome …

Analyzing The Probabilistic Spread Of A Virus On Various Networks, Teagan Decusatis

Senior Projects Spring 2018

In this project we model the spread of a virus on networks as a probabilistic process. We assume the virus breaks out at one vertex on a network and then spreads to neighboring vertices in each time step with a certain probability. Our objective is to find probability distributions that describe the uncertain number of infected vertices at a given time step. The networks we consider are paths, cycles, star graphs, complete graphs, and broom graphs. Through the use of Markov chains and Jordan Normal Form we analyze the probability distribution of these graphs, characterizing the transition matrix for each …

Using Byte Code To Find Idiosyncratic Android Camera Apps, Christopher Blake Burnley

Senior Projects Spring 2018

The growing popularity of Android devices has made them an increasing target for malicious apps. Of course, a malicious app is most effective when a user is not aware of its intent. Therefore, they often take the form of ostensibly benign, helpful, and, for that matter, free applications. Our goal is to discover how common this is among free camera applications. Camera applications are a good test case because they ought to be very simple. This paper uses static analysis on the Dalvik byte code of camera applications to search for certain characteristics or identify applications that demonstrate behavior that …

An Implementation Of The Solution To The Conjugacy Problem On Thompson's Group V, Rachel K. Nalecz

Senior Projects Spring 2018

We describe an implementation of the solution to the conjugacy problem in Thompson's group V as presented by James Belk and Francesco Matucci in 2013. Thompson's group V is an infinite finitely presented group whose elements are complete binary prefix replacement maps. From these we can construct closed abstract strand diagrams, which are certain directed graphs with a rotation system and an associated cohomology class. The algorithm checks for conjugacy by constructing and comparing these graphs together with their cohomology classes. We provide a complete outline of our solution algorithm, as well as a description of the data structures which …

Understanding, Designing And Building A Hydroelectric Generator, Nicholas Weare Shenberger

Senior Projects Spring 2018

When you hear the word hydropower you automatically jump to using water in order to create power or electricity. However, delving deeper and trying to understand the technology involved in it becomes quite a lot more complicated. To try to comprehend some of the knowledge of how to convert the power of water into electricity, I decided to design and build my own hydroelectric generator. I took the time to research and discover more about the process of building a generator and the specific pieces that come together in order to build one specifically powered by water. After my research, …

Discovering Wonders And Tragedies, Mackenzie Sayre Josephine Wardell

Senior Projects Spring 2018

Discovering wonders of the weather and the ever changing plant life in the Northeast, and tragedies about how disrespectful and selfish humans are towards the environment;My senior project is showing my viewers how exciting and diverse the natural world is and how necessary it is to recognize the destructiveness of plastic and our single-use culture.

During this past year, I’ve spent my time collecting from, observing, and recreating the natural world. I’ve experimented with new mediums such as cyanotype printing, which is brought to life by exposure to sunlight, and I’ve delved into my curiosities about the world of trash …

Hyperplanes Equipartition With Cascading Makeev, Jialin Zhang

Senior Projects Spring 2018

Given a finite number of masses in the Euclidean space, one could ask is it possible to equipartition these masses into equal parts. Fixing the collection of masses, and the amount of hyperplanes, the equipartition-ability depends on the dimension, and there exists a dimension of such equipartition is possible. In this paper, topology and combinatorics method are used for estimating the lower bound and upper bound of the dimension. In particular, we are looking equipartition problem together with Cascading Makeev Constrain.