Title:  Infidelity, gambling, and squirrels

 Abstract:  How might one try to find out about the rate of marital infidelity 2000 years ago? Is there a technique which covers both thinking about gambling and also competition between the red and grey squirrel in Great Britain? With the aid of Markov chains, a surprisingly accessible tool, we’ll consider all of these problems, meeting along the way what the speaker thinks is the most intriguing journal article title ever invented (and the runner-up).

Special Note: this special lecture is in conjunction with the departmental colloquium at 3:30 today by the same speaker.

Bio: Professor George Exner is a world expert in Hilbert space operator theory, with a side interest in operations research, particularly as a source of nice mathematics sometimes not seen by undergraduates. He is the author of two textbooks whose purpose is to help mathematics students learn to read mathematics effectively. He holds an undergraduate degree from Carleton College in Minnesota and a PhD from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. 

Professor Exner is an enthusiastic soccer player and an avid fan of Manchester City. He has traveled to South Korea almost yearly, and he is ready to tell you why you should visit South Korea. His original connection with Iowa? At one time, his uncle and nephew were the number 1 and 2 largest organic gardeners in Iowa!