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The mathematics department will present a topology lecture and an information session with an actuary Wednesday.
Louis Zulli, assistant professor of mathematics, will speak on “Is y = x2 a continuous function?” 12:05-12:45 p.m. in Pardee Hall room 227.
Zulli, who will teach the Topology course next semester, gives the following summary of the talk:“Suppose X and Y are arbitrary sets. A function f: X –> Y is a ‘rule’ that assigns an element f(x) in Y to each element x in X. Topology is the branch of mathematics that allows us to ask and answer the important question: ‘Is f a continuous function?’ In this talk I’ll discuss what continuity means, and explain why the correct answer to my title question is ‘It depends.’”
Betsy Bassett DePaolo ’93, an actuary with St. Paul Travelers, will discuss her field at 7 p.m. in Pardee Hall room 201. Typically, several Lafayette mathematics students serve actuarial internships each year and several graduates start careers as actuaries. During her campus visit last year, DePaolo interviewed two students about full-time jobs and two more about internships.
For DePaolo, majoring in math provided an excellent foundation for career success.
“I had fantastic professors and developed relationships that I continue with several professors today,” she says. “Some colleges have separate actuarial science majors, and I am often asked if I think they have an advantage over math majors. I really don’t think they do. The strong math background and critical thinking skills that I gained have been immeasurable.”
For more information, contact Evan Fisher, associate professor of mathematics, at fishere or x8762.