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John Meier, professor of mathematics, will discuss possible shapes of the universe in a presentation titled “From Poincare to Perelman” 12:05 p.m. today in Pardee Hall room 227.
Lunch will be provided for the talk, which is part of the math department’s Mathematical Adventures And Diversions (MAAD) series. No mathematical background is assumed for MAAD presentations.
Meier’s summary of the talk: “Here’s a question: What’s the shape of space? If that one seems too hard, you might tackle: What possible shapes could our universe take? These are grand questions but it appears that they might not be completely intractable. In fact, following on ideas of some famous mathematicians (Bill Thurston and Richard Hamilton), Grisha Perelman has recently announced a solution to the second problem. In addition to glory and honor, if his work holds up under close examination, Perelman will get a million dollars from the Clay Mathematics Institute. I will try to give some idea of the principal mathematical objects under discussion (3-manifolds), some of the historical development of the subject, and perhaps a hint at Perelman’s approach.”
Meier was one of just two people in the nation to receive a prestigious 2003 Centennial Fellowship from the American Mathematical Society. The primary selection criterion for the fellowship is excellence of the candidate’s research.
The grant supported a yearlong research project by Meier on topology at Columbia University and the University of California-Santa Barbara. Topology is a field concerned with the search for “immutable properties” – those preserved under continuous transformations – and has applications in disciplines such as physics and economics.
He is the recipient of Lafayette’s Jones Faculty Lecture and Student Government Teaching Awards. A member of the faculty since 1992, Meier’s primary specialty is geometric group theory. His teaching areas include calculus, geometry, linear algebra, and real analysis.
A native of Casper, Wyo., Meier holds master’s and doctoral degrees in math from Cornell University and a B.A. in math from University of Virginia.
A National Leader in Undergraduate Research. Kevin Penderghest ’05 presented his research on knot theory conducted with John Meier, professor of math, at a national meeting of American Mathematical Society and Mathematics Association of America.