Robin Deeley (CU Boulder) An Introduction to C*-Algebras
Jan. 29, 2020 4pm (MATH 350)
Grad Student Seminar
Juan Moreno (CU Boulder)
X
The idea behind obstruction theory is that, given a fiber bundle, the existence of a section is determined by a particular cohomology class of the base space. This class is an obstruction in the sense that if it is zero in the cohomology ring, then a section exists. In this talk, we will consider the particular problem of finding linearly independent sections of vector bundles. This problem turns out to be equivalent to finding a single section of an associated bundle (Stiefel bundle). We will find that the corresponding obstruction to the existence of this section generally lies in a 'twisted' version of cohomology.
Obstruction theory and local coefficients
Jan. 29, 2020 5pm (Math 350)
MathClub
Elizabeth (Boo) Grulke (CU Boulder)
X
How students think of mathematics is related to their approach to learning and falls into one of two categories, fragmented or cohesive conceptions of math. This mixed-method study investigated using online discussions to encourage development of cohesive math conceptions in a face-to-face math course at a large metropolitan university. Students participated in either concept-connecting (n=71) or context-focused (n=79) online discussions. While students’ conceptions of mathematics in both groups became more cohesive, their surface approaches to learning also significantly increased. However, deep approaches to learning significantly increased only for the concept-connecting group. Women were found to enjoy and find the discussions more useful than men and women in concept-connecting discussions demonstrated higher exam scores and overall course grades.
A Mixed-Method Study of Online Discussion in Mathematics