Loyola University Chicago

Mathematics and Statistics

Erdős Memorial Lecture

The Erdős Memorial Lecture is an annual AMS invited address made possible by a fund created by Andrew Beal, a Dallas banker and mathematics enthusiast. The Lecture is named for the prolific mathematician Paul Erdős (1913-1996). The Beal Prize Fund is being held by the AMS until it is awarded for a correct solution to the Beal Conjecture.(*) At Mr. Beal's request, the interest from the fund is used to support the Erdős Memorial Lecture.

This year, the Erdős lecture will take place at the Fall Central Section meeting at Loyola University Chicago. The address will be delivered by Peter Sarnak (Princeton University and IAS) on Saturday, October 3, 2015, 5:15 p.m., Mundelein Center Auditorium (#25). The title of the address is Markoff Surfaces, Numbers and Strong Approximation.

(Past lectures: ams.org)

Reception

Following the Erdős Lecture, the Department of Mathematics and Statistics will host a reception from 6:15 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., on the first floor of the new Institute for Environmental Sustainability (#37).

All are welcome to attend.

(*) Similar in spirit to Fermat's famous problem, the Beal Conjecture supposes \(a^x + b^y = c^z\), with \(a, b, c, x, y, z\) all integers, and \(x, y, z\) greater than 2. Conjecture: \(a, b\) and \(c\) must have a prime factor in common.