Patterns, Patterns Everywhere
Recurring patterns occur frequently in computer science as well as in the nature. One of the most important advances in CS in recent years is the popularity of design patterns, which have been widely applied in industries and taught in universities. If you ask top notch CS/IT developers what knowledge they will prefer university graduates to have, you will very likely hear about design patterns most of the time.
Wikipedia states that “in software engineering (or computer science), a design pattern is a general repeatable solution to a commonly occurring problem in software design. It is a description or template for how to solve a problem that can be used in many different situations.” Thus, design patterns in computer science are very practical oriented.
In contrast, mathematicians have a very rigorous treatment of patterns. A good understanding of this treatment will definitely benefit computing professionals. Thus, I am happy to learn that a renowned researcher, Dr. Marty Golubitsky, is going to present an interesting public seminar titled “Patterns, Patterns Everywhere.”
The seminar will take place on April 11 (Wednesday) 2007 4:00-5:00 PM in the Bayou Building Room 2521. More information can be found at: http://sce.cl.uh.edu/dcm/seminar/golubitsky.html.
Dr. Golubitsky has a sterling record as a researcher and a public speaker. The seminar will target the general public audiences and will be graphical and fun oriented.
Here is the abstract of the talk:
“Regular patterns appear all around us: from vast geological formations to the ripples in a vibrating coffee cup, from the gaits of trotting horses to tongues of flames, and even in visual hallucinations. The mathematical notion of symmetry is a key to understanding how and why these patterns form. In this lecture, Professor Golubitsky will show some of these fascinating patterns and explain how mathematical symmetry enters the picture.”
Don’t miss this opportunity.