Fleming Lecture Series
Join the Department of Mathematical Sciences at CMU for the Fleming Lecture Series, an annual event that showcases groundbreaking work from distinguished mathematicians across the country.
Designed to spark curiosity and deepen understanding, this series invites students, faculty, and guests to engage with innovative research and complex ideas that are shaping the future of mathematics.
Whether you're just beginning your journey or expanding your expertise, the Fleming Lectures offer a valuable opportunity to grow, connect, and be inspired.
Dr. Steven R. Bell, Purdue University
April 17, 2025
4 p.m.
French Auditorium
Something about Poisson and Dirichlet and the necessity of complex numbers in Math and Science
Abstract: I will illustrate how humans have been compelled to use complex numbers to understand nature by focussing on a period in history when my mathematical ancestors, Simeon-Denis Poisson and Peter Gustav Lejeune Dirichlet, made important breakthroughs in basic Science using calculus with complex numbers. As a descendent of those two who has developed a major lazy streak, I will show how quick and easy these breakthroughs become with 200 years of hindsight.
What's so great about the Bergman kernel?
Abstract: It happens to some people that, once they encounter a fact or two about the Bergman kernel and begin to play around with it, they can't stop! I will explain what excites me about the kernel and how it seems to pop up in the most surprising places.
April 18, 2025
2 p.m.
Pearce Hall 227
