These talks will be self-contained presentations of mathematical concepts
and theorems. They are intended to be accessible to all mathematics
students. Coffee, tea and drinks will be provided.
1 pm, Tuesday 6 March 2001
Science Lecture Theatre S14
The Great Wave of Translation
Dr Simon Clarke
Dept. of Mathematics & Statistics
Monash University
What do canal barges, the Great Red Spot of Jupiter, transatlantic
telephone links and the Mexican Wave have in common? The answer lies in
the mathematics of solitary waves. We will give a brief history of the
solitary wave, hopefully show some interactive demonstrations and finally,
use some recent developments to show why Russell's original solitary wave
is not actually a solitary wave.