SUMS - Sydney University Mathematics Society

Finding yourself to be in the TRENCHES for the upcoming finals?
😤 LETS ESCAPE THESE TRENCHES TOGETHER 😤

Level up your exam preparations with SUMS x WAMSOC’s STUDY WITH US‼️

Bring your friends 🤙, or come solo 😎
Be rewarded with 🍕 FREE CATERING 🍕, an ABUNDANCE of 🧃 REDBULL and SNACKS🧃

📝 SECURE YOUR SPOT AND ESCAPE THE TRENCHES
📝 https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe6F1Q6LXqOoHtMaEsXiGTD2an3BhmFeKKs0k1SXYoJhUCHvA/viewform?usp=sf_link

💲Price: FREE (registration required)
🗓️ Date: November 7th (Thursday)
⏰ Time: 10am - 4pm
📌 Location: Room 154, Merewether Building

🌟 WEEK 13: WEEKLY MATHS TALK 🌟

📄 Title: Three diagrammatic algebras and the Jones polynomial
📣 Speaker: Joe Baine

Abstract: Diagrammatic algebras are amazing mathematical structures where the basis of the underlying vector space is indexed by pictorial diagrams and multiplication of vectors is given by a pictorial rule. Perhaps surprisingly, diagrammatic algebras are abundant in maths and have been crucial to many major breakthroughs.

In this talk, we’ll meet three closely related algebras admitting diagrammatic presentations: the (group algebra of the) Braid group, the Hecke algebra, and the Temperley-Lieb algebra. I’ll then sketch how Jones and Kauffman used these algebras to resolve some of the longest standing problems in knot theory!

This should be an introductory talk. All are welcome!

🗓️ DATE: Tuesday, 29th October (Week 13)
⏰ TIME: 12-1pm
📍 LOCATION: Carslaw Lecture Theatre 275

Bio: completed his undergraduate, MPhil and PhD in Pure Maths at Sydney, where he also worked as a Lecturer in Mathematics. He is now at the University of New South Wales.

Exam preparation making you FOLD? 😩

Feeling FLUSHED from all the pressure? 🥵

Come CHECK ✅ out SUMS x SYNCS Poker Night!

Whether you’re the type to go ALL IN or FOLD, compete for a chance to win various prizes, including JANE STREET merch, $300 cash prize and lots more!

Bust early? No worries - there will be FREE FOOD!! 😋

We hope to see all of you KINGS and QUEENS there! REGISTER NOW!!!
♠️♥️♣️♦️

🗓️Date: Thursday October 31st, 6pm-9pm
📍Location: Quadrangle Seminar Room 418
📝Sign up link: (also in bio) https://forms.gle/PFVBKJ5oSjEj3BGP8

🌟 WEEK 12: WEEKLY MATHS TALK 🌟

📄 Title: Correlation Clustering Nuggets
📣 Speaker: Tony Wirth

Abstract: Correlation Clustering is an important problem in the constrained clustering family. Given (inconsistent) advice about which pairs of items should be co-clustered and which should be separated, the aim is to produce a clustering that observes as much of the advice as possible. An NP-hard problem, it has a rich collection of algorithms, as well as strong connections to ranking, consensus clustering, maximizing modularity, and other cut-style network problems. Correlation clustering arose from questions about entity resolution in natural-language and database processing. In this presentation, I describe several of my and my colleagues’ forays into correlation clustering.

🗓️ DATE: Tuesday, 22nd October (Week 12)
⏰ TIME: 12-1pm
📍 LOCATION: Carslaw Lecture Theatre 275

Bio: Since April, Tony Wirth has been Professor in the School of Computer Science, following a 19-year career at The University of Melbourne. His PhD at Princeton, advised by Moses Charikar, was on approximation algorithms for correlation clustering, and he remains interested in approximations for graph problems, streaming problems, specifically max coverage and set cover; search with errors; and compression and search in text archives and streams.

🌟 WEEK 11: WEEKLY MATHS TALK 🌟

📄 Title: The Axiom of Choice
📣 Speaker: Nelson Odins-Jones

Abstract: Which of a set of options will people choose, and how much will they pay for it? For the last two years, I have been working for a company specialising in Discrete Choice Analysis - that is, that attempts to answer these questions, using classical economics and first year maths. Join me as I explain a somewhat niche application of mathematics to the "Real World", and share my reflections on working in it.

🗓️ DATE: Tuesday, 15th October (Week 11)
⏰ TIME: 12-1pm
📍 LOCATION: Carslaw Lecture Theatre 275

Title: Bio: After completing honours in pure mathematics in 2022 with Prof. Ruibin Zhang, Nelson Odins-Jones has been working full time, and is returning next year, God willing, to start a PhD with Assoc. Prof. Zsuzsanna Dancso. In what spare time remains, he enjoys learning languages and the piano accordion, and is a proud member of the Sydney Latvian Men's Choir.

📣 CALLING ALL MATHS LOVERS ACROSS USYD 📣

🤩 SUMS wants YOU 🫵 to come and join the BEST exec team on campus 🤩

If you have ideas for:
💥 Exciting academic and social events we should hold? 💥

👕 Cool merch that you’d wear 24/7? 👕

💸 Potential sponsors and partners to sponsor your FAVE society at USYD? 💸

📱 Social media trends that would help us go VIRAL on tiktok? 📱

🔥 Connections to faculty for our weekly maths talks? 🔥

Apply using the link attached below ⬇️⬇️ (also in bio)
https://forms.gle/eW7b9zYww7df6jsN8

🗓️APPLICATIONS CLOSE SUNDAY 13 OCTOBER 11:59pm 🗓️

The Australian AI Safety Forum 2024 will be the first event of its kind in Australia focusing on technical AI safety and governance.

Why it’s important: Australia has many researchers and practitioners working on AI safety questions, and connections to overseas groups but no AI Safety Institute. We are taking this initiative to bring together members of the Australian AI Safety community - to share knowledge, introduce people, create a network and make connections between technical and non-technical researchers, industry practitioners and leaders, and policymakers.

Essential details: 7th-8th November 2024, held at the Sydney Knowledge Hub, The University of Sydney. We have the capacity to support a limited number of travel stipends to help enable attendance.

Website: https://aisafetyforum.au

Description: This two-day interdisciplinary event aims to discuss perspectives on technical AI safety and governance, and explore Australia's unique role in the global AI safety landscape. The forum will be anchored around the International Scientific Report on the Safety of Advanced AI, highlighting its key content and examining its implications for Australia.

Key aspects of the forum:

• Format: A mix of talks, panels, and workshops

• Participants: Researchers, industry leaders, government representatives, professionals and practitioners from mathematics, computer science, natural sciences, law, public policy, national security, cybersecurity, and industry

Topics will include:

• Foundations of AI safety

• Australia's potential contributions to global AI safety efforts

• Technical AI safety research questions and their relation to policy

• AI governance and product regulation

• Safety engineering and risk assessment for AI systems

• Cross-sector communication strategies

Applications are now open, and notifications of acceptance and travel funding allotments will commence from October 10th.

Australian AI Safety Forum 2024 Charting Australia’s course in AI Safety and Governance. 7th-8th November 2024, Sydney, Australia.

🌟 WEEK 10: WEEKLY MATHS TALK 🌟

📄 Title: Linear algebra for nonlinear dynamical systems
📣 Speaker: Caroline Wormell

Abstract: Dynamical systems, such as ODEs and recurrence equations, are easy to study when they are linear. When they are nonlinear, dynamical systems can behave in very different ways and there are few universal tools to deal with them. However, we can try and encode nonlinear dynamical systems in much larger linear systems of “observable” functions. For example, instead of studying a weather systems itself, we try and study how, say, the temperature tomorrow can be estimated from a linear combination of climate indicators today. This kind of linear system is known as a Koopman operator.

Koopman operators have a lot of interesting and highly varied properties, and their eigenvalues (and eigenfunctions) can tell you a lot about a system's emergent behaviour. However, because vector spaces of functions are usually infinite dimensional, the Koopman operator also raises a lot of thorny mathematical questions. For example, what are the eigenvalues of infinite-dimensional systems really? Are some of these eigenvalues more genuine than others? And does it make sense to include functions that aren’t really functions? This talk will give a taste of the capability and the mystery of Koopman operators.

🗓️ DATE: Tuesday, 8th October (Week 10)
⏰ TIME: 12-1pm
📍 LOCATION: Carslaw Lecture Theatre 275

Bio: Caroline Wormell is a Lecturer in Applied Mathematics, having started earlier this year. Her work seeks to better understand the statistical properties of chaotic systems, including by developing numerical methods.

🌟 WEEKLY TALKS SCHEDULE 🌟

We have weekly talks EVERY WEEK for the rest of semester including: Professor Georg Gottwald, currently teaching MATH3888, Dr Caroline Wormell, currently teaching MATH2070, Nelson Odin Jones, recent honours student under Ruibin Zhang, Professor Tony Wirth, currently teaching COMP4530, and lastly, Joe Baine, recent PhD student under Geordie Williamson.

🗓️ DATE: Every Tuesday
⏰ TIME: 12-1pm
📍 LOCATION: Carslaw Lecture Theatre 275

Stay every week for their abstracts! 🍕

📣🗣️ Want to dive into the world of LaTeX, but don’t know where to begin?

Join SUMS at Carslaw for our LaTeX workshop on the 24th of September! No previous experience is required and all are welcome! 😇✅

We look forward to seeing you there🙏

⚠️ Sign up to confirm your attendance:
👉 https://forms.gle/QVkPb4tbFN5qdd1W8

📅 Date: Tuesday, 24th September (Wk 9)
⏰ Time: 5:30PM - 6:30PM
📍 Location: Carslaw Lecture Theatre 375 (F07)

🌟 WEEK 9: WEEKLY MATHS TALK 🌟��

📄 Title: Statistical limit laws for deterministic dynamical systems
📣 Speaker: Georg Gottwald

Abstract: We tend to think that randomness is not compatible with deterministic dynamics. After all we learned that the uniqueness of solutions of (sufficiently nice) ordinary differential equations implies determinism: given an initial condition the future is uniquely determined. It hence came to a huge surprise that in the past decade new mathematical results appeared which rigorously show, that certain chaotic multiscale systems behave effectively stochastic on long time scales. The emerging theory of homogenization is the foundation for numerous applications, including the 2022 Nobel prize for Physics to Klaus Hasselmann and his work in climate modelling, and the development of new counter-intuitive but effective numerical schemes to model complex stochastic evolution equations. I will give simple examples illustrating how one can obtain effective stochastic equations and discuss some applications.

🗓️ DATE: Tuesday, 24th September (Week 9)
⏰ TIME: 12-1pm
📍 LOCATION: Carslaw Lecture Theatre 275

Bio: Georg Gottwald has been working at the School of Mathematics since 2002. He works on dynamical systems and typically on how to reduce the complexity of complex dynamical systems. He works amongst other things on coupled oscillators, machine learning, anomalous diffusion and climate modelling. His webpage https://www.maths.usyd.edu.au/u/gottwald/ has a list of his publications which shows you on what he has been working on lately.

🎵 SUMS x MaPS Concert 🎹

Tickets are now available for the annual school concert!

When: 5pm-7:30pm, Friday October 11, Week 10
Where: St Andrew's College Chapel

The concert will include solo and group performances from undergrads, postgrads and staff in the School of Mathematics and Statistics, and will be followed by light refreshments. Grab your (FREE) tickets here:
https://events.humanitix.com/maths-school-concert-2024

REMINDER:
If you would still like to perform but haven't signed yet up, please do so here by Monday September 16: https://forms.gle/TgE7Zd7Cy4rgVUPw5

🌟 WEEK 8: WEEKLY MATHS TALK 🌟

📄 Title: A Tour of Geometric Knot Theory
📣 Speaker: Damian Lin

Abstract: Knot theory is a field that abounds with simple yet intractably difficult problems, for example, telling if a drawing of a knot can be untangled into a simple circle or decomposing a knot into all of its prime factors. The difficulty of these problems grows greater yet when considering different types of generalised knots, such as virtual knots (knots drawn on orientable surfaces of genus g) or welded knots (knotted rings flying in four dimensions).

This talk will be a brief tour of generalised knot theory. We will look at some of the tools topologists use to tackle these questions, and, time permitting, I will show you a nice counterexample from my honours thesis, proving that some of the tools that work for regular knots no longer work in the generalised setting.

🗓️ DATE: Tuesday, 17th September (Week 8)
⏰ TIME: 12-1pm
📍 LOCATION: Carslaw Lecture Theatre 275

Bio: Damian is a Postgraduate Teaching Fellow and MPhil student under Associate Professor Zsuzsanna Dancso (of numberphile fame). His Master’s is in quantum topology, finding new ways to get famous equations from physics to “fall out” of knots and braids. Outside of mathematics, he enjoys board games, singing and slacklining.

Unfortunately, due to last minute issues, we have had to CANCEL our Bouldering night tomorrow. 😢

We apologise to everyone. Refunds will be made available soon.

Jane Street is hosting a dinner in Sydney!

Wednesday, September 18th at 6:00 pm AEST
Location: Sydney (Surrey Hills)

Interested in learning more about Jane Street? Students of all backgrounds and tenures are encouraged to attend - you don’t need experience in finance to work at Jane Street. We hope to meet intellectually curious problem solvers!

Sign up here: https://forms.gle/rnjGJBkyWaKQZyPx7

by Monday, September 16th if you’re interested in attending. This event has limited capacity.

We will confirm attendees by Tuesday, September 17th EOD.

🎧 Tune in to Aurora Energy Research’s latest podcast episode in their Career Series: Graduate Program Explained—Australia edition! 🌟

Join the Aurora graduates as they share experiences and insights from the Program. Don’t miss out and listen now at this link (also in bio): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ss499qahrFk 🎧 Tune in to Aurora Energy Research’s latest podcast episode in their Career Series: Graduate Program Explained—Australia edition! 🌟

Join the Aurora graduates as they share experiences and insights from the Program.

Don’t miss out and listen now at this link (also in bio):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ss499qahrFk

🌟 WEEK 7: WEEKLY MATHS TALK 🌟



📄 Title: Introduction to Bayesian Statistics: A New Perspective on Probability
📣 Speaker: Dr Clara Grazian

Abstract: This presentation offers an accessible introduction to Bayesian statistics. We will explore the key concepts of Bayesian inference, including prior distributions, likelihoods, and posterior distributions. Through simple examples and intuitive explanations, students will learn how Bayesian methods provide a flexible framework for updating beliefs in light of new evidence. By the end of the session, attendees will gain a foundational understanding of how Bayesian statistics differs from traditional (frequentist) approaches and how it can be applied in various fields of study.

Bio: Dr Clara Grazian received a joint PhD in 2016 from University Paris-Dauphine, France and Sapienza University of Rome, Italy, working on Bayesian analysis for mixture models and copula models. She then joined the Nuffield Department of Medicine and the Big Data Institute of the University of Oxford to work on an international project trying to investigate mechanisms of drug resistance developed by tuberculosis.

Before joining the School of Mathematics and Statistics of the University of Sydney, Clara was Senior Lecturer in Statistics at University of New South Wales.

🌟 WEEK 8: WEEKLY MATHS TALK 🌟



📄 Title: A Tour of Geometric Knot Theory
📣 Speaker: Damian Lin

Abstract: Knot theory is a field that abounds with simple yet intractably difficult problems, for example, telling if a drawing of a knot can be untangled into a simple circle or decomposing a knot into all of its prime factors. The difficulty of these problems grows greater yet when considering different types of generalised knots, such as virtual knots (knots drawn on orientable surfaces of genus $g$) or welded knots (knotted rings flying in four dimensions).

This talk will be a brief tour of generalised knot theory. We will look at some of the tools topologists use to tackle these questions, and, time permitting, I will show you a nice counterexample from my honours thesis, proving that some of the tools that work for regular knots no longer work in the generalised setting.

🗓️ DATE: Tuesday, 17th September (Week 8)
⏰ TIME: 12-1pm
📍 LOCATION: Carslaw Lecture Theatre 275

Bio: Damian is a Postgraduate Teaching Fellow and MPhil student under Associate Professor Zsuzsanna Dancso (of numberphile fame). His Master’s is in quantum topology, finding new ways to get famous equations from physics to “fall out” of knots and braids. Outside of mathematics, he enjoys board games, singing and slacklining.

🫵 CALLING FUTURE EXECS, WE WANT YOU 🫵

🫡 Ready to take on a leadership role? 🫡
🫂 Want to make contributions to a society? 🫂

SUMS will be holding our Annual General Meeting on Friday, 13th September (Week 7), to make constitutional amendments and elect a new executive team.

SUMS will be electing:
🌟President
🌟Co-President
🌟Vice President (Externals)
🌟Vice President (Operations)
🌟Secretary
🌟Treasurer
🌟Sponsorship Director
🌟up to two (2) Design Director(s)
🌟up to two (2) Marketing Director(s)
🌟up to two (2) Events Director(s)
🌟IT Officer
🌟Women’s Officer
🌟Puzzle Officer
🌟First Year Representative

Good luck, and may the odds be ever in your favour!

Nominations are now OPEN ‼️
👉 https://forms.gle/PZguSur8TLUzf5MS7

⚠️ This event will be a HYBRID event to allow for as many people to partake, be on the lookout for the zoom link for the event on our socials 💻

📅 Date: Friday, 13th September (Week 7)
⏰ Time: 5PM - 7PM
📍 Location: ABS lecture Theatre 1130 and Zoom (link available soon)

🪨 CLIMB HIGHER, SOLVE SHARPER 🪜 🪨

Feeling heavy as assignments and midsems get you down? 💪🏽 Want to bond with new friends or learn a new skill? 🚀 ELEVATE yourself with SUMS BOULDERING NIGHT!! 🗿🤘🏻

Whether you’re a pro climber 🧗‍♂️ or a complete noob 🛌, come with friends and hang out for a super chill and cute bouldering event!!

Note that there will be a wavier to sign ✍️ when you show up. Tickets 🎟️ available until next monday!

SIGN UP HERE: https://events.humanitix.com/sums-boulderig-night

💰Price: $15
📅 Date: Tuesday 10th of September (WK 7)
⏰ Time: 4PM-7PM
📍 Location: 9 Degrees, Danks Street, Waterloo 2017

The Science Faculty is holding their annual Science Careers Month this 🧑‍🔬 STEM-tember 🧑‍🔬
This September, we are bringing together a fantastic lineup of events designed to help 🫵 YOU 🫵 take the next step in your careers!

This is the time to network with industry representatives, learn how to apply the analytical and critical thinking skills you’ve developed over your studies and build your professional network!

Here is ‼️ THE LINEUP ‼️ starting Monday 2nd September (Week 6)

🌟 Panel Event with our Heads of School
🌟 How to Network with Confidence with Josh Farr
🌟 Science Industry Networking Night
🌟 Women In Science Panel

More information and registration links can be found on the QR codes on each slide or on the Science Student Portal
👉 https://canvas.sydney.edu.au/courses/7114/discussion_topics/1312412

JOIN US FOR THE BIGGEST COLLAB OF THE SEMESTER💫

🌟 VIVCOURT 🌟 is bringing to you 🫵 an evening NOT to be missed ‼️‼️ You’ll get the 💰EXCLUSIVE💰opportunity to TOUR THE OFFICE 🏢, MEET TRADERS 📈, and WIN PRIZES 🏆

Join us for 🧩PUZZLEHUNT🧩: an evening of Networking, Games and Prizes to be won. Food will also be provided 🍕 so there is no excuse not to be there!

⏳Timeline of the night:
4:45pm - Meet up at USYD bus stop + Travel to Vivcourt office
5.20pm - Arrival and office tour
5:40pm - Vivcourt Talk
5:45pm - 6:30pm - Networking and Food
6:30pm - 8:00pm - Interactive Game with prizes to be won

👉 Sign up: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdfZcRmIjfQvOz_72PPRkM9pe1TVuoZCeSnUi2iwFvDID8FBQ/viewform?usp=sf_link

💰 Price: FREE (Registration is Mandatory)
📅 Date: Wednesday, 11th September (Week 7)
⏰ Time: 4:45pm-8pm
📍 Location: Meet at USYD bus stop (City Road) + Travel to Vivcourt office

See you there!

🎵 SUMS x MaPS Concert 🎹

Together with MaPS (the postgraduate maths society) we are reviving the annual school concert!!

📅 When: Friday October 11, 5pm
📍 Where: St Andrew’s College Chapel

The night will include solo and group performances from undergrads, postgrads and staff (🔥) in the School of Mathematics and Statistics.

Anyone can perform, whether you are majoring in maths or not! There’s definitely no minimum standard or audition required, and all genres of music are welcome. The venue has a piano and microphones, but please let us know if you require anything else.

If you’d like to perform, sign-up here by Friday September 13: https://forms.gle/TgE7Zd7Cy4rgVUPw5

Details to come!