Name: How Systems Shape Our World
Start: 2026-05-19T19:00:00
End: 2026-05-19T21:00:00
Location: Counterspell Cafe

From the hidden math connecting algebra and geometry to the surprising power of collective systems, this event explores how patterns drive discovery. Learn how equations, organisms, and technologies work together to sense, solve problems, and reveal the structure behind complex phenomena.

Algebra and Geometry in Applications

Jordy Lopez Garcia (Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Notre Dame)

Algebra and geometry are not reserved to abstract fields of mathematics that you are forced to learn while in high school. There is a profound relationship between objects in algebra (polynomials) and geometry (solutions of polynomials) that inform many phenomena in the sciences. This talk will illustrate how polynomials and their sets of solutions naturally arise in applications in chemistry, physics, and computer science.

The Collective Eye: how groups of animals, machines, and molecules sense better than individuals

Holly Goodson (Professor and Interim Associate Dean for Education & Undergraduate Programs, University of Notre Dame)

From flocking birds to smart sensors to interacting molecules, collective systems can detect signals, solve problems, and make decisions far more effectively than any single unit alone. This talk explores the science behind these “many-body” advantages, and examines how understanding them can help us design better technologies, interpret complex biological systems, and rethink what it means to sense the world.

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