Kwangil Koh Lecture on Mathematics in Our Time

Donald Saari

Distinguished Professor
University of California, Irvine

Mathematics and the mystery of dark matter

Even after spending billions of dollars on experiments, we have not been able to find that mysterious thing hiding in the heavens called "dark matter." Sounds ominous! But what is it? Why do we believe it is important? As described in this expository lecture, mathematics is shedding significant new light on dark matter.

Monday April 16, 2012, 4:30 - 5:30 in SAS 2203
Reception 4:00 - 4:30 in SAS Hall second floor lobby

A native of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, Saari received his B.S. in mathematics from Michigan Technological University, and his M.S. and Ph.D. in mathematics from Purdue University. He was a faculty member at Northwestern University for more than three decades before moving to the University of California, Irvine in 2000. There he continues his research on the n-body problem, the mathematics of elections, and other applications of mathematics to the social sciences. Saari is particularly proud of his numerous teaching awards, including being selected twice by Northwestern students as the university's "Most Influential Professor." Saari is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, and a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters.

This public lecture is the first in an annual series honoring our late colleague Kwangil Koh. The goal of the Koh lectures is to communicate the importance of mathematics and its impact on science, technology and society.

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