Colloquia

Current Talks

30 minutes before the talk refreshments will be served in MSPB 335 (Library). If the talk is on Zoom, then the link for both the virtual "refreshments" and the talk is https://southalabama.zoom.us/j/95896489034.

Join us to meet the speaker and the Mathematics & Statistics Faculty here at South!

Date	Speaker	Talk
Thursday, March 19, 2026, at 3:30 p.m. in MSPB 370	Hemanshu Kaul, Illinois Institute of Technology	Title: Counting List Colorings: Variations on a theme of Kostochka and Sidorenko Abstract: In 1990, Kostochka and Sidorenko introduced the List Color Function, which counts the guaranteed number of list colorings of a given graph, as a counterpart to the classic Chromatic Polynomial, introduced by Birkhoff in 1912, which counts its ordinary colorings. They asked whether the List Color Function asymptotically equals the Chromatic Polynomial when the number of colors is large enough. This was proved by Donner (1992) with several major improvements appearing till now. This phenomenon has been widely studied in the context of generalizations of ordinary colorings. In this talk, we will discuss the history as well as some new results on this theme of Kostochka and Sidorenko: an enumerative function of (a variant of) list colorings equals the corresponding enumerative function of (the same variant of) classical colorings, when the number of colors is large enough. Along the way, we will see how combinatorial, algebraic, and analytic thinking comes together in the study of this graph theory problem.
Thursday, March 26, 2026, at 3:30 p.m. in MSPB 370	Chun-Ju Lai, Academia Sinica (Taiwan)	Title: What is Algebra, anyway? Abstract: Ask a dozen people, "What is algebra?" and you will get a dozen different answers. To a high school student, it is the frustrating task of figuring out when two speeding trains will finally meet. To a scholar of the ancient Middle East, the word traces back to al-jabr—the mathematical operation of restoring balance to an equation. Ask your math professors, and they might struggle to give you a concise definition, simply because a single, all-encompassing answer does not exist. The plan for this talk is to unravel this mystery, exploring how algebra evolved from a collection of clever tricks for solving ancient riddles into a profound, modern study of mathematical structures.
Thursday, April 2, 2026, at 3:30 p.m. in MSPB 370	Susan Ferguson, Christopher Parrish, and Andrei Pavelescu, University of South Alabama	Title: Pathways for Teaching Mathematics after Graduation (and not just for Math Majors!) Abstract: The University of South Alabama offers several programs to prepare and certify students in several STEM disciplines to teach mathematics after graduation, a career that can earn as much as $63k in your first year! - Dr. Christopher Parrish will describe UTeach South, a minor program appropriate for several STEM undergraduate majors. UTeach South graduates majoring in a related discipline (for example, math or computer science) are certified to teach mathematics for grades 6-12. - Dr. Susan Ferguson will describe Noyce Pathway To Mathematics, a graduate math education program. Not only are Noyce graduates certified to teach mathematics for grades 6-12, but eligible students will receive a $40k stipend! - Dr. Andrei Pavelescu will describe South's graduate program in mathematics. Students that complete 18 graduate hours in mathematics are eligible to teach math courses at most accredited colleges and universities. All interested students and faculty are invited to join this conversation and learn about these opportunities.
Thursday, April 16, 2026, at 3:30 p.m. in MSPB 370	Vasiliy Prokhorov, University of South Alabama	Title: TBC Abstract: TBC
Thursday, April 23, 2026, at 3:30 p.m. in MSPB 370	Bimal Sinha, University of Maryland Baltimore County	Title: An Introduction to Statistical Meta-Analysis with an application Abstract: Statistical Meta-Analysis (SMA) deals with developing valid statistical methods which can be used to combine results from several independent studies all with a common goal. Applications of SMA abound in the literature. In this talk I will present a variety of scenarios requiring SMA and discuss one application in detail, which is the celebrated common mean problem based on samples from independent normal populations with unequal and unknown variances.
Thursday, April 30, 2026, at 3:30 p.m. in MSPB 370	Mee Seong Im, Johns Hopkins University	Title: TBC Abstract: TBC

Previous Talks

Date	Speaker	Talk
Thursday, March 5, 2026, at 3:30 p.m. in MSPB 370	Nathaniel Thiem, University of Colorado Boulder	Title: Recursive structures in algebra and combinatorics through graded Hopf algebras Abstract: Graded Hopf algebras have grown into an invaluable tool in combinatorics as ways of studying infinite families of finite objects in a uniform way. Some classical examples include the Hopf algebras of symmetric functions (for integer partitions), quasi-symmetric functions (for integer compositions), and Loday—Ronco (for planar binary trees). However, this framework has almost too much freedom, and, for example, it is often even unclear which bases of these spaces are combinatorially compelling. Fortunately, the representation theory of finite groups offers an avenue to more canonical choices. This talk outlines the construction of combinatorial Hopf algebras, and then discusses strategies for supplying them with an algebraic foundation.
Thursday, February 12, 2026, at 3:30 p.m. in MSPB 370	Scott Kaschner, Butler University	Title: Geometric Limits of Julia Sets Abstract: For a map of one complex variable, the set of points that remain bounded under iteration by the map is called the filled Julia set. For a sequence of maps, fn, given by polynomials whose degree is a function of n, the geometric limit as n approaches infinity of the filled Julia set, has been studied in a variety of contexts. We will provide a brief history of these results and some new generalizations.
Thursday, February 5, 2026, at 3:30 p.m. in MSPB 370	Mathias Muia, University of South Alabama	Title: Uniform Asymptotic Theory for Local Likelihood Estimation of Covariate-Dependent Copula Parameters Abstract: In this talk, we present conditional copula models as a flexible framework for describing how dependence between random variables varies with observable covariates while remaining separate from marginal behavior. Such models arise naturally in settings where associations evolve across time, space, or other external conditions. We develop local likelihood methods for estimating smoothly varying dependence parameters by fitting simple polynomial approximations in small neighborhoods of the covariate space. Rather than focusing on behavior at a single covariate value, we establish global guarantees that hold uniformly over entire regions. Using tools from empirical process theory, we show that the local likelihood, its gradient, and its curvature converge uniformly, leading to stable estimation and reliable global inference. The results provide a rigorous foundation for nonparametric dependence modeling and highlight connections among probability, statistics, and analysis. This talk is appropriate for advanced undergraduate and graduate students.
Thursday, January 29, 2026, at 3:30 p.m. in MSPB 370	Kevin Meeker, University of South Alabama	Title: Proof: A Proposal Abstract: In this talk, I want to explore the question of what it means for a discipline – such as mathematics, or philosophy – to provide a proof. After providing some background on the general issues in this area, I plan to focus particularly on discussions of Andrew Wiles’ famous proof of Fermat’s Last Theorem as well as a recent possibility proof in philosophy to see what lessons we might learn. My hope is to develop a framework for understanding the idea of a disciplinary proof as the use of artificial neural networks raises new questions.
Thursday, January 22, 2026, at 3:30 p.m. in MSPB 370	Jeff Mudrock, University of South Alabama	Title: Let’s Keep Coloring: Two Years of the Coloring Research Group of South Alabama Abstract: The Coloring Research Group of South Alabama (CRGSA) was founded in January 2024 with the goal of cultivating a vibrant research community among South Alabama students dedicated to making original contributions in graph coloring and broadening participation in mathematical research. Graph coloring originated in the 1850s with the famous Four Color Problem, which asks whether the regions of any map can be colored using only four colors so that adjacent regions receive different colors. Over the past 170 years, the study of graph coloring has inspired the development of deep and beautiful mathematics with applications in computer science, scheduling, social network analysis, and the equitable allocation of resources. In this talk, marking the group’s two-year anniversary, I will highlight several of the CRGSA’s accomplishments. I will also discuss in detail the main result of a recently completed CRGSA research project that focused on extending a well-known list coloring theorem of Ohba (2002) to the more general setting of flexible list coloring. This is joint work with Michael C. Bowdoin, Yanghong Chi, Christian B. Ellington, Bella Ives, Seoju Lee, and Fennec Morrissette.

For colloquium talks from previous years click here

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