The Utility and Beauty of Mathematics
The Frank & Lisa Richards Mathematics Lecture Series
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This lecture is open to students, faculty, staff, and the public.
2026 Guest Lecturer
Dr. Beth Malmskog
Associate Professor
Department of Mathematics & Computer Science
Colorado College
Beth’s research has been supported by grants from the National Security Agency and the National Science Foundation. She is dedicated to building community and expanding opportunity in and through mathematics, via teaching, research collaboration, and outreach.
To Err is Unavoidable, to Correct is Mathematical: Fixing Communications Failure with Math
Error-correcting codes (ECCs) are mathematical objects that let us build smart redundancy into stored or transmitted information, so that any errors that occur can be detected and corrected. These codes are everywhere in modern, digital life, from UPC symbols to satellites to cloud storage facilities. ECCs use number theory, geometry, and combinatorics to keep our data safe. This talk will introduce error-detecting and correcting codes and touch on some of the most active current research areas in the field, including locally recoverable codes and code-based cryptography. You will learn to amaze your friends by predicting numbers from UPC symbols, and see some beautiful pictures made possible by error correction. No mathematical background is assumed beyond elementary arithmetic (and a little bit of algebra if you want a challenge).
Thank you,
Dr. Franklin & Lisa Richards
Frank Richards is a professor emeritus of Weber State University Mathematics. A native New Yorker, he finished his Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, in 1970 under the direction of Isaac Schoenberg.
Richards Lecture Series Gallery
Past Events:
October 11, 2024, 5th Biennial Richards Math Lecture Series (link to PDF flyer)
Some Classic Puzzles Involving Circles & Squares, by Dr. Pamela Pierce, from The College of Wooster
November 1, 2018, 4th Biennial Richards Math Lecture Series (link to PDF flyer)
Understanding Extreme Hurricane Behavior using Quantitative Geography, by Dr. Jill C. Trepanier, from Louisiana State University
February 8, 2016, 3rd Biennial Richards Math Lecture Series (link to WSU news release)
Harmonious Equations: A Mathematical Exploration of Music, by Dr. David Kung, from St. Mary's College of Maryland
September 27, 2012, 2nd Biennial Richards Math Lecture Series
Voting in an Agreeable Society, by Dr. Francis E. Su, from Harvey Mudd College
March 30, 2010, 1st Biennial Richards Math Lecture Series (link to PDF flyer)
Spherical Cats and Ham Sandwiches, by Dr. Jonathan Rogness, from the University of Minnesota