Geometry and Topology Commons^™

From The Hopf Fibration To Instantons: Geometry In Gauge Theory, Emily D. Wessman

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

This paper explores the relationship between topology, differential geometry, and gauge theory through the study of Yang-Mills theory and its solutions, known as instantons. Beginning with the Hopf fibration, we show how principal fiber bundles encode topological information and appear in physical contexts such as electromagnetism. In particular, we consider how the fibration of S³ over CP¹ ≅ S² represents the Dirac magnetic monopole, and how the Chern number associated with the bundle is exactly the winding number for the monopole.

We then develop the framework of gauge theory, focusing on connections on principal SU(2) bundles …

Redefining Certainty: Non-Euclidean Geometry And Theology Transformation Throughout The Intellectual Unrest Of The Early 1800s, Luke Bensinger

Honors Theses

To bridge the gap between mathematics and theology, it is necessary to explore their intersection and challenge the notion that these fields are incompatible. This study focuses on the 19th century, a period when non-Euclidean geometries emerged and disrupted mathematical certainty, while Protestant theologians such as Barton W. Stone and Alexander Campbell grappled with Calvinism and shifting theological perspectives. By analyzing mathematicians studying geometry, such as Gauss, Lobachevsky, and Riemann, this research examines how both disciplines balance change with enduring truths.

Unique Combinations Of Packing Integer Squares, Keith M. Dreiling, Austin Leanna, William Mooney

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

This research investigates a function, informally named WAK(x), that describes the number of ways to divide an integer square into integer subsquares counting only the list of parts. Previous research has shown values up to 28, though finding these values is computationally complex and requires a long runtime using computer algorithms. We attempt to find patterns in the values and many aspects of the values, hoping to find a general solution. We are unsure if a solution exists, but we have ideas for how to move forward in finding a solution.

A Character Theory For Loop Representations Of Symmetric Monoidal Bicategories, Jordan Sawdy

Theses and Dissertations--Mathematics

Character theory arises in many distinct fields of mathematics, but its many instantiations often share a few key features: they arise in contexts where one object is acted on or parametrized by another, and they are often computed via "trace-like" formulas. Focusing on these properties, we present a categorical formalism for constructing such characters. We first define a notion of "loop representation" for symmetric monoidal bicategories, then build a character for such representations via the canonical symmetric monoidal trace. We then show that this character defines a symmetric monoidal functor which satisfies commutativity properties with respect to both restriction- and …

Parabolic And Non-Parabolic Surfaces With Small Or Large End Spaces Via Fenchel-Nielsen Parameters, Michael Antony Pandazis

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

We consider conditions on the Fenchel-Nielsen parameters of a Riemann surface X that determine whether or not a surface X is parabolic. Fix a geodesic pants decomposition of a surface and call the boundary geodesics in the decomposition cuffs. For a zero or half-twist flute surface, we prove that parabolicity is equivalent to the surface having a covering group of the first kind. Using that result, we give necessary and sufficient conditions on the Fenchel-Nielsen parameters of a half-twist flute surface X with increasing cuff lengths such that X is parabolic. As an application, we determine whether or not each …

Geometric Principles In Architecture Aesthetics, Vincent Gemmiti

Architecture Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study focuses on geometric formalism in three major monuments across different architectural eras in time. The use of three distinct geometric principles to outline the use of pure or manufactured shapes and figures helps to discover and isolate an aesthetic component of architecture within which it is contained. A collection of studies are implemented and are focused on orthographic drawings from each monument in horizontality and verticality, consisting of a dual set of overlay and interpretative drawings for each type of orthographic representation for each monument. A discussion follows and highlights the changes or similarities over time the role …

Shadow Hands, John Adam

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications

The article titled "Shadow hands" discusses a statement made by authors Dave Lynch and Bill Livingston in their book "Color and Light in Nature." The authors state that when you cast a shadow with your hand onto a piece of paper, the sharpness of the shadow's edge diminishes as you raise your hand above the surface. This fuzzy outer edge of the shadow is called the penumbra, and its width divided by its distance from your hand is always a constant fraction of about 1/112. The article poses two questions related to this statement and asks readers to explain it …

Shadow Hands: Solutions For Fermi Questions, September 2024, John Adam

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications

The article titled "Shadow hands: Solutions for Fermi Questions, September 2024" discusses the enigmatic statement made by authors Dave Lynch and Bill Livingston in their book "Color and Light in Nature." The statement explains that the fuzzy outer edge of a shadow, known as the penumbra, is always a constant fraction of about 1/112 of its width divided by its distance from the object casting the shadow. The article provides a solution to Question 1, which asks for an explanation of this statement using elementary geometry. It also offers a solution to Question 2, which asks why the shadow of …

Aspects Of Stochastic Geometric Mechanics In Molecular Biophysics, David Frost

All Dissertations

In confocal single-molecule FRET experiments, the joint distribution of FRET efficiency and donor lifetime distribution can reveal underlying molecular conformational dynamics via deviation from their theoretical Forster relationship. This shift is referred to as a dynamic shift. In this study, we investigate the influence of the free energy landscape in protein conformational dynamics on the dynamic shift by simulation of the associated continuum reaction coordinate Langevin dynamics, yielding a deeper understanding of the dynamic and structural information in the joint FRET efficiency and donor lifetime distribution. We develop novel Langevin models for the dye linker dynamics, including rotational dynamics, based …

The Mean Sum Of Squared Linking Numbers Of Random Piecewise-Linear Embeddings Of $K_N$, Yasmin Aguillon, Xingyu Cheng, Spencer Eddins, Pedro Morales

Rose-Hulman Undergraduate Mathematics Journal

DNA and other polymer chains in confined spaces behave like closed loops. Arsuaga et al. \cite{AB} introduced the uniform random polygon model in order to better understand such loops in confined spaces using probabilistic and knot theoretical techniques, giving some classification on the mean squared linking number of such loops. Flapan and Kozai \cite{flapan2016linking} extended these techniques to find the mean sum of squared linking numbers for random linear embeddings of complete graphs $K_n$ and found it to have order $\Theta(n(n!))$. We further these ideas by inspecting random piecewise-linear embeddings of complete graphs and give introductory-level summaries of the ideas …

On The Superabundance Of Singular Varieties In Positive Characteristic, Jake Kettinger

Department of Mathematics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The geproci property is a recent development in the world of geometry. We call a set of points Z\subseq\P_k^3 an (a,b)-geproci set (for GEneral PROjection is a Complete Intersection) if its projection from a general point P to a plane is a complete intersection of curves of degrees a and b. Examples known as grids have been known since 2011. Previously, the study of the geproci property has taken place within the characteristic 0 setting; prior to the work in this thesis, a procedure has been known for creating an (a,b)-geproci half-grid for 4\leq a\leq b, but it was not …

The Sharp Bounds Of A Quasi-Isometry Of P-Adic Numbers In A Subset Real Plane, Kathleen Zopff

Undergraduate Theses

P-adic numbers are numbers valued by their divisibility by high powers of some prime, p. These numbers are an important concept in number theory that are used in major ideas such as the Reimann Hypothesis and Andrew Wiles’ proof of Fermat’s last theorem, and also have applications in cryptography. In this project, we will explore various visualizations of p-adic numbers. In particular, we will look at a mapping of p-adic numbers into the real plane which constructs a fractal similar to a Sierpinski p-gon. We discuss the properties of this map and give formulas for the sharp bounds of its …

Area Activity, Admin Stem For Success

STEM for Success Showcase

Lesson plan to teach students about area including an activity plan, activity description, activity video, and additional activity materials

Geometric Dissections, Daniel Robert Martin

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

In the study of geometry, the notion of dissection and its mechanics are occasionally over-looked. We consider and trace the history and theorems surrounding geometric dissections in both recreational and academic mathematics. We explore the important advancements in this particular topic from antiquity through the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. We conclude with an exploration of the Banach-Tarski paradox

Sangaku In Multiple Geometries: Examining Japanese Temple Geometry Beyond Euclid, Nathan Hartmann

Honors College Theses

When the country of Japan was closed from the rest of the world from 1603 until
1867 during the Edo period, the field of mathematics developed in a different way
from how it developed in the rest of the world. One way we see this development
is through the sangaku, the thousands of geometric problems hung in various Shinto and Buddhist temples throughout the country. Written on wooden tablets by people from numerous walks of life, all these problems hold true within Euclidean geometry. During the 1800s, while Japan was still closed, non-Euclidean geometries began to develop across the …

How To Guard An Art Gallery: A Simple Mathematical Problem, Natalie Petruzelli

The Review: A Journal of Undergraduate Student Research

The art gallery problem is a geometry question that seeks to find the minimum number of guards necessary to guard an art gallery based on the qualities of the museum’s shape, specifically the number of walls. Solved by Václav Chvátal in 1975, the resulting Art Gallery Theorem dictates that ⌊n/3⌋ guards are always sufficient and sometimes necessary to guard an art gallery with n walls. This theorem, along with the argument that proves it, are accessible and interesting results even to one with little to no mathematical knowledge, introducing readers to common concepts in both geometry and graph …

From Mathematics To Medicine: A Practical Primer On Topological Data Analysis (Tda) And The Development Of Related Analytic Tools For The Functional Discovery Of Latent Structure In Fmri Data, Andrew Salch, Adam Regalski, Hassan Abdallah, Raviteja Suryadevara, Michael J. Catanzaro, Vaibhav A. Diwadkar

Mathematics Faculty Research Publications

fMRI is the preeminent method for collecting signals from the human brain in vivo, for using these signals in the service of functional discovery, and relating these discoveries to anatomical structure. Numerous computational and mathematical techniques have been deployed to extract information from the fMRI signal. Yet, the application of Topological Data Analyses (TDA) remain limited to certain sub-areas such as connectomics (that is, with summarized versions of fMRI data). While connectomics is a natural and important area of application of TDA, applications of TDA in the service of extracting structure from the (non-summarized) fMRI data itself are heretofore nonexistent. …

One Straight Line Addresses Another Traveling In The Same Direction On An Infinite Plane, Daniel W. Galef

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

No abstract provided.

Elementary College Geometry (2021 Ed.), Henry Africk

Open Educational Resources

This text is intended for a brief introductory course in plane geometry. It covers the topics from elementary geometry that are most likely to be required for more advanced mathematics courses. The only prerequisite is a semester of algebra. The emphasis is on applying basic geometric principles to the numerical solution of problems. For this purpose the number of theorems and definitions is kept small. Proofs are short and intuitive, mostly in the style of those found in a typical trigonometry or precalculus text. There is little attempt to teach theorem proving or formal methods of reasoning. However the topics …

Geometry Aided Sonification, Michael Tecce

Computer Science Summer Fellows

Sonification is the process of deriving an audio representation of a time series which conveys important information about that time series. Otology and vision science have established that humans process audio information more quickly than visual information, and sonification can convey data to the visually impaired. In our work, we implement pipelines using Python/Numpy, and we handle both ordinary 1D time series and multivariate time series. For 1D time series, we find that using data to modulate the pitch or timing of preselected sounds (such as sine waves) simply and effectively captures repeating patterns and anomalies/outliers within the data. To …

Geometry Across The Curriculum, Corey Dunn

Q2S Enhancing Pedagogy

This project is designed for a multicalculus class already familiar with computing the arc length of a parameterized curve in space. The activity asks the student to first recall basic facts about arc length, and then introduces the notion of measuring lengths of vectors differently, depending on where their initial point is. This is a foundational concept in metric differential geometry, and, this activity attempts to motivate this generalization of computing lengths of vectors through this arc length activity. The activity concludes with a short discussion of basic concepts of Lorentzian geometry, including the idea that lightlike vectors have length …

Fuchsian Groups, Bob Anaya

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Fuchsian groups are discrete subgroups of isometries of the hyperbolic plane. This thesis will primarily work with the upper half-plane model, though we will provide an example in the disk model. We will define Fuchsian groups and examine their properties geometrically and algebraically. We will also discuss the relationships between fundamental regions, Dirichlet regions and Ford regions. The goal is to see how a Ford region can be constructed with isometric circles.

Analytic Geometry And Calculus I, Ii, & Iii (Dalton), Thomas Gonzalez, Michael Hilgemann, Jason Schmurr

Mathematics Grants Collections

This Grants Collection for Analytic Geometry and Calculus I, II, & III was created under a Round Six ALG Textbook Transformation Grant.

Affordable Learning Georgia Grants Collections are intended to provide faculty with the frameworks to quickly implement or revise the same materials as a Textbook Transformation Grants team, along with the aims and lessons learned from project teams during the implementation process.

Documents are in .pdf format, with a separate .docx (Word) version available for download. Each collection contains the following materials:

• Linked Syllabus
• Initial Proposal
• Final Report

Dalton State College Apex Calculus, Thomas Gonzalez, Michael Hilgemann, Jason Schmurr

Mathematics Open Textbooks

This text for Analytic Geometry and Calculus I, II, and III is a Dalton State College remix of APEX Calculus 3.0. The text was created through a Round Six ALG Textbook Transformation Grant.

Topics covered in this text include:

• Limits
• Derivatives
• Integration
• Antidifferentiation
• Sequences
• Vectors

Files can also be downloaded on the Dalton State College GitHub:

https://github.com/DaltonStateCollege/calculus-text/blob/master/Calculus.pdf

Accessible files with optical character recognition (OCR) and auto-tagging provided by the Center for Inclusive Design and Innovation.

The Convex Body Isoperimetric Conjecture In The Plane, John Berry, Eliot Bongiovanni, Wyatt Boyer, Bryan Brown, Paul Gallagher, David Hu, Alyssa Loving, Zane Martin, Maggie Miller, Byron Perpetua, Sarah Tammen

Rose-Hulman Undergraduate Mathematics Journal

The Convex Body Isoperimetric Conjecture states that the least perimeter needed to enclose a volume within a ball is greater than the least perimeter needed to enclose the same volume within any other convex body of the same volume in Rⁿ. We focus on the conjecture in the plane and prove a new sharp lower bound for the isoperimetric profile of the disk in this case. We prove the conjecture in the case of regular polygons, and show that in a general planar convex body the conjecture holds for small areas.

Geometric Serendipity, Dakota Becker

AUCTUS: The Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship

The central focus of my practice is the serendipitous exploration into geometry, symmetry, design, and color. I have found more and more that the affinity I have for hard-edge geometric abstraction is a deeper reflection of the way in which I process my thoughts and surroundings. In the past year, I have sought to challenge myself by questioning the core of my practice and pushing it to go beyond its individual elements. In this way, I seek to create work that is more than its parts. As a result, I have become more purposeful with my designs and push both …

Using Geogebra To Explore Properties Of Circles In Euclidean Geometry, Erin Hanna

Masters Essays

No abstract provided.

Optimal Weak Parallelogram Constants For L-P Spaces, Raymond Cheng, Javad Mashreghi, William T. Ross

Department of Math & Statistics Faculty Publications

Inspired by Clarkson's inequalities for L-p and continuing work from [5], this paper computes the optimal constant C in the weak parallelogram laws parallel to f + g parallel to(r )+ C parallel to f - g parallel to(r )= 2(r-1 )(parallel to f parallel to(r) + parallel to g parallel to(r)) for the L-p spaces, 1 < p < infinity.

Advanced Enrichment Topics In An Honors Geometry Course, Kayla Woods

Masters Essays

No abstract provided.

An Introduction To Topology For The High School Student, Nathaniel Ferron

Masters Essays

No abstract provided.