Date: Friday, March 25th, 2005
Speaker: German Enciso
Title: Infinite Dimensional Beer Glasses
Abstract:

The first time I heard of the Brower fixed point theorem was in Germany, where it was appropiately described to me in terms of beer: if one takes a glass of beer, and mixes it around with a spoon, then after it's settled down there is one point of liquid (a beer molecule, of sorts) that is in the same place as before mixing.

I will remind the audience of the usual argument for this result, and why it breaks down in infinite dimensions. Then I will talk about when 'nontrivial' fixed points are desired, and introduce the idea of nonejective fixed points, which are used to show the existence of periodic solutions of certain delay differential equations (this is related to Ben Kennedy's previous talk this semester). As usual, no beer - finite dimensional or otherwise - will be allowed into the room.