Math Department Colloquium

The colloquium features recent research in the mathematical and statistical sciences. The colloquia are scheduled for Tuesdays from 4pm-5pm, unless noted otherwise. This semester all colloquia will be held virtually via Zoom. Please contact the organizer, Sam Coskey for the Zoom link or any other information.

Archive of past math department colloquium abstracts

Schedule for 2021–2022

Fall 2021

Tuesday, September 14, 2021 from 4-5pm

Samuel Coskey
Department of Mathematics
Boise State University

Title: Borel complexity theory – Classification and structure

Abstract: Like other scientific disciplines, mathematics has classification as as one of its primary aims. In sciences one may classify plants or pathologies; in math one classifies objects like functions, graphs, symmetries, and so on. Of course, some classifications are harder than others to carry out. Borel complexity theory is an area of math which provides the tools to identify and compare the complexities of classification problems in mathematics.

In this talk I will introduce Borel complexity theory and give a brief overview. Afterwards I will outline some of my recent work: (1) on identifying the complexity of the classification of symmetries of highly symmetric graphs; and (2) on applications of “jumps” in the structure of the Borel complexity hierarchy (with our colleague John Clemens).