Dear All,

We've got another action-packed week or so coming up!  I can think of four ways to get involved in department goings-on, including activities for all ages!

MATH 480 Senior Seminar, Wednesday, November 4th.  On this Wednesday, student talks in the Senior Seminar begin with talks by senior majors Ben Radford and Lucas Siegel.  They will be speaking on, respectively, the Iterated Prisoner's Dilemma and cellular automata.  Come and join us by supporting your students/peers!  Refreshments will be served.  The talks will be from 4:10 to about 5:00 in Carmichael Hall, Room 132.

Algebra al Fresco's second Fractal-Making Festival, Thursday, November 5th.  This Thursday on the quad (likely on the library steps, weather permitting), several UNC Asheville math majors will lead in the construction of a level-2 Menger sponge from business cards.  Wanna see what all the fuss is about?  Come and join in!  No experience is necessary.  It's a great way to be a part of something bigger than yourself.  The building will run from roughly 10:30 to 2:00.  Come as you are.

Super Saturday's "Math Discoveries," Saturday, November 7th.  This coming Saturday brings the fifth of six Math Discoveries classes in which all math majors (and friends!) are invited to assist.  Join us this weekend as we help 3rd-through-5th-graders understand the difference between Euclidean space and hyperbolic space via the construction of various polygons and polytopes out of posterboard and construction paper.  This particular class is a fun one!  The class is held in Zageir Hall, Room 124, from 10:30 to 11:50 in the morning.  If you're interested in helping out, please plan to arrive by 10:10.  (I'll also need a good deal of help in prepping ahead of time for this one...if you'd like to provide us with a few dozen shapes pre-cut from posterboard, I'd love your help!  Let me know...)

Visiting speaker (Bruce Atkinson), Tuesday, November 10th.  Please recall that next Tuesday we will play host to Prof. Bruce Atkinson of the Samford University Department of Mathematics.  Prof. Atkinson is the current Chair of the Southeast Section of the Mathematical Association of America and is very interested in undergraduate research.  He will speak in Carmichael Hall, Room 132 at 12:30 on Tuesday, on number systems using irrational bases.  There will also be opportunities to meet with Prof. Atkinson outside of his talk, including both lunch and dinner on Tuesday.  Please let me know if you're interested in joining us for one of those meals.  Faculty, please advertise this talk to your students!

That's all for now.  Questions?  Comments?  Lemme have 'em!

Patrick