Computer Science Distinguished Lecturer: Nicholas Pippenger
Nicholas Pippenger, professor of mathematics at Harvey Mudd College, will give a talk entitled "Spider-Web Networks."
Spider-web networks are communication networks for central switching (as in a telephone exchange). They are related to shuffle-exchange and butterfly networks, which have been studied as interconnection networks for parallel computation. This talk will survey what is known about spider-web networks, including their connections with card shuffling, juggling, and the extinction of family names in pre-Victorian England.