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Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons

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Mathematics

Claremont Colleges

Theses/Dissertations

Combinatorial analysis

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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Combinatorial Proofs Using Complex Weights, Bo Chen May 2010

Combinatorial Proofs Using Complex Weights, Bo Chen

HMC Senior Theses

In 1961, Kasteleyn, Fisher, and Temperley gave a result for the number of possible tilings of a 2m 2n checkerboard with dominoes. Their proof involves the evaluation of a complicated Pfaffian. In this thesis we investigate combinatorial strategies to evaluate the sum of evenly spaced binomial coefficients, and present steps towards a purely combinatorial proof of the 1961 result.


Ergodic And Combinatorial Proofs Of Van Der Waerden's Theorem, Matthew Samuel Rothlisberger Jan 2010

Ergodic And Combinatorial Proofs Of Van Der Waerden's Theorem, Matthew Samuel Rothlisberger

CMC Senior Theses

Followed two different proofs of van der Waerden's theorem. Found that the two proofs yield important information about arithmetic progressions and the theorem. van der Waerden's theorem explains the occurrence of arithmetic progressions which can be used to explain such things as the Bible Code.