Date: Friday, October 29, 2004 Time: 4:00 p.m. Room: LIT 339

Abstract: This will be an overview of some of the points of interaction between symmetric functions and representation theory on the one hand, and questions in number theory and combinatorics on the other, culminating in recent work of Okada enumerating alternating sign matrices (aka the six-vertex model of statistical mechanics) through evaluations of Weyl character formulas.

 ^* David Bressoud's research interests lie in number theory and combinatorics with occasional forays into analysis (special functions, modular forms) and algebra. He enjoys the history of mathematics and has drawn on it in his books on Factorization and Primality Testing, Vector Calculus, and Real Analysis.

This featured lecture is being arranged in connection with the Mathematics Department's Special Year in Number Theory and Combinatorics For more information see the website:
http://www.math.ufl.edu/specialyears/2004-5/.