Mathematical Application Seminar*

Fall 2009 – Spring 2010

Tuesdays 2 – 3 pm

Monroe Hall, 2115 G Street, Room 267

Organizer: E. Arthur Robinson and Yongwu Rong

 

                                                                            

Math Dept Colloquium

Topology Seminar

Analysis Seminar

Applied Math Seminar

Combinatorics Seminar

Logic Seminar

Graduate Seminar

 

 

 

Washington Symposium on Mathematical Applications

 

May 6, 2010, Thursday 11:45 – 4 pm

Monroe Hall, Room B32

2115 G Street NW, Washington, DC 20052.

For directions, check GWU campus map. Select Foggy Bottom campus.

 

 

Schedule

 

 

11:45 – 12 noon.  Refreshments

 

 

12 – 12:45 pm. Keynote Lecture

 

Xiaofeng Ren, Department of Mathematics, George Washington University.

Title: Ansatz solutions of a curvature-potential equation from morphology and mophogenesis problems.

Abstract: See below.

 

 

12:45 – 1pm. Break

 

 

1 – 2pm

 

Cristian Tomasetti, Department of Mathematics, University of Maryland, College Park.

Title: A stem cell clonal expansion with mutations.

Hosam Mahmoud, Department of Statistics, George Washington University.

Title: Phases in urn models for the mixing of gases.

 

Lowell Abrams, Department of Mathematics, George Washington University.

Title: Self-dual graph embeddings and their connection to percolation theory.

 

 

 

2 – 2:15pm.  Break.

 

 

2:15 – 3:15pm

 

Wei Cheng, Department of Computer Sciences, George Washington University.

Title: Multipath Maintenance in Many to One Wireless Sensor Networks.

 

Guanyu Wang,  Department of Physics, George Washington University.

Title:  Logical based reverse network engineering reveals backbone motif structure in biomolecular networks.

 

E. Arthur Robinson, Department of Mathematics, George Washington University.

Title: Some remarks about Boolean networks from the dynamical systems point of view.Some remarks about Boolean networks from the dynamical systems point of view.

 

 

3:15 – 3:30pm. Break.

 

 

3:30 – 4pm

 

Jagdish Chandra,  Department of Statistics, George Washington University.

Title: Dynamic Models of Social Networks.

 

Informal discussion.

 

 

 

Abstracts:

Ansatz solutions of a curvature-potential equation from morphology and mophogenesis problems.
Xiaofeng Ren, Department of Mathematics, George Washington University.


Abstract: Pattern formation problems arise in many physical and
biological systems as orderly outcomes of self-organization principles.
Examples include animal coats, skin pigmentation, and morphological
phases in block copolymers. Recent advances in singular perturbation
theory and asymptotic analysis have made it possible to study these
problems rigorously. In this talk I will discuss a central theme in the
construction of various patterns as solutions to some well known PDE and
geometric problems: how a single piece of structure built on the entire
space can be used as an Ansatz to produce a near periodic pattern on a
bounded domain. We start with the simple disc and show how the spot
pattern can be mathematically explained. More complex are the ring
structure and the oval structure which can also be used to construct
solutions on bounded domains. Finally we discuss the newly discovered
smoke-ring structure and the toroidal tube structure in space. The
results presented in this lecture come from joint works with Kang,
Kolokolnikov, and Wei.

 

 

 

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April 5, 2010, Monday 4 – 5 pm (note the unusual time / room)

Speaker: Seth Sullivant, Department of Mathematics, North Carolina State University

Title: Identifiable Gaussian Graphical Models

Place: Monroe 113, 2115 G Steet.

 

 

Abstract: A Gaussian graphical model is a statistical model that uses a

graph to encode linear relationships between a collection of random

variables. These linear relationships determine a positive definite

covariance matrix whose entries are polynomials in certain parameters

associated to the edges of the graph. The edge parameters are identifiable

if they can be recovered from the covariance matrix. I will discuss recent

results, where we employ techniques from computational algebra and

algebraic combinatorics to make progress on the identifiability problem.

This is joint work with Mathias Drton, Rina Foygel, Luis Garcia, and Sarah

Spiegelvogel.

 

Biography: Seth Sullivant's research interests are in algebraic statistics and, more

generally, in using algebraic geometry as a tool in applied mathematics.

He received his Ph.D. from UC Berkeley in 2005, and was a Junior Fellow at

Harvard University from 2005 - 2008.  Currently he is an Assistant

Professor of Mathematics at North Carolina State University.  He is a recipient for

several Noble prizes, including the Packard Foundation Fellowship in Science and Engineering.

http://www.packard.org/newsDetails.aspx?RootCatID=2&CategoryID=48&ItemID=4797

 

 

 

November 24, 2009, Tuesday 2 – 3 pm

Speaker: Huzefa Rangwala, Computer Science/Bioinformatics, George Mason University

Title: Interactions using Kernel-based Methods.
Place: Monroe Hall, 2115 G Street, Room 267  

 

Abstract:  Proteins have a vast influence on the molecular machinery of life.
Stunningly complex networks of proteins perform innumerable functions
in every living cell.  Knowing the three-dimensional structure of
proteins is crucial to advances in biology, as this information
provides insight into how proteins operate. For example, structural
information enables function prediction, the identification of other
interacting biomolecules (e.g., proteins, DNA and RNA), and the
rational search for ligands that can be used to enhance or inhibit
these interactions.

In this talk I will highlight my work involving use of sequence
information to characterize the structural and functional nature of
proteins. I will introduce the notion of pairwise kernels to study
protein-protein interactions, and finally talk about an application
towards drug discovery.

Biography:
Huzefa Rangwala’s research interests include bioinformatics, machine
learning, and high performance computing. His research has resulted in
the development of software packages for performing protein sequence
classification (kernel-compute), predicting local structure and
functional properties (svmPRAT, MONSTER, TOPTMH). Recently, he has
been involved in development of methods for integrating information
from heterogeneous data, learning from unlabeled instances, and
multi-label classification within the context of chemical and
biological data. He has also started developing a prototype for
fragment assembly for high throughput short reads. He got his PhD from
the University of Minnesota in 2008.

 

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November 17, 2009, Tuesday 2 – 3 pm

Speaker: Tim McCaffrey, Medical Center, GWU

Title: The evolution of massively parallel sequencing methods: Opportunities for mathematical and statistical modeling.

Place: Monroe Hall, 2115 G Street, Room 267  

 

Abstract: The sequencing of the human genome was transformational for biomedical research, but provided only a single template to overlay diverse types of experimental data. The recent technological advances in massively parallel sequencing allows scientists to acquire new genomes in a matter of days, not years. Future discovery will require new mathematical and statistical techniques to process and display terabytes to petabytes of sequence information within a highly integrated software environment. The opportunities and challenges for transforming human health will be discussed.
 

 

 

 

 

 

November 10, 2009, Tuesday 2 – 3pm
Speaker: Guanyu Wang, Department of Physics, GWU
Title
: Computational complexity in Boolean networks

Place: Monroe Hall, 2115 G Street, Room 267

Abstract
: We recently developed a logic-based approach for investigating

the structure-function relationship of biomolecular networks.

In this talk, I will briefly review the approach and then discuss

the computational complexity in some aspects of the algorithm.

I will show the connection between our algorithm and the well-known

set covering problem in computer science. I will prove that finding

a minimal network (an important concept in our approach) is

equivalent to the minimal set covering problem, which is NP-hard.

Some perspective from the approach will also be addressed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

November 3, 2009, Tuesday 2 – 3pm
Speaker: Hao Chen, Department of Physics, GWU
Title: The Structure of the Solution Space of the Strong Inhibition Model
Place: Monroe Hall, 2115 G Street, Room 267

Abstract: The central task of the system biology is to understand the biology process. During the past decade, various models have been proposed and studied. Among them, the strong inhibition model is very simple and successful. In this talk we will discuss the solution structure of the model.

 

 

 

 

 

Previous Seminars

 

Spring 2008

 

Fall 2008

 

Spring 2009

 

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* The Mathematical Application Seminar is currently sponsored by the George Washington University Seminars program.

It also received support the Department of Mathematics at the George Washington University.

 

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