Research
My work uses differential geometry to solve topological and physical problems. My main current interest is in applying techniques from Riemannian and symplectic geometry and geometric probability to polymer network models and to statistical signal processing. My research is partially supported by the National Science Foundation (DMS–2107700), and previously by the Simons Foundation (#354225 and #709150).
Publications
Note: when possible, each collaborator’s name is linked to their website (or the nearest approximation thereof). Click the thumbnails for a more detailed description. See also my arXiv author page and my Google Scholar profile.
“On the existence of Parseval frames for vector bundles”
Joint with Samuel A. Ballas and Tom Needham
Transactions of the American Mathematical Society, to appear
arXiv: 2312.13488 [math.DG]“A faster direct sampling algorithm for equilateral closed polygons and the probability of knotting”
Joint with Jason Cantarella and Henrik Schumacher
Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical 57 (2024), no. 28, 285205 (journal link)
MR: 4767201; Zbl: 07881350; doi: 10.1088/1751–8121/ad54a8; arXiv: 2309.10163 [cond-mat.stat-mech]“Three proofs of the Benedetto–Fickus theorem”
Joint with Dustin G. Mixon, Tom Needham, and Soledad Villar
Stephen D. Casey, M. Maurice Dodson, Paulo J.S.G. Ferreira, Ahmed Zayed, editors, Sampling, Approximation, and Signal Analysis: Harmonic Analysis in the Spirit of J. Rowland Higgins, Applied and Numerical Harmonic Analysis, Birkhäuser, Cham, 2023, 371–391 (chapter link)
MR: 4696784; doi: 10.1007/978–3–031–41130–4_14; arXiv: 2112.02916 [math.MG]“Fusion frame homotopy and tightening fusion frames by gradient descent”
Joint with Tom Needham
Journal of Fourier Analysis and Applications 29 (2023), no. 4, 51 (journal link)
MR: 4621029; Zbl: 1527.42001; doi: 10.1007/s00041–023–10028–0; arXiv: 2208.11045 [math.FA]“Robocasting of ceramic Fischer–Koch S scaffolds for bone tissue engineering”
Joint with Vail Baumer, Erin Gunn, Valerie Riegle, Claire Bailey, and David Prawel
Journal of Functional Biomaterials 14 (2023), no. 5, 251 (journal link)
Selected as an Editor’s Choice
PMID: 37233361; doi: 10.3390/jfb14050251“New stick number bounds from random sampling of confined polygons”
Joint with Thomas D. Eddy
Experimental Mathematics 31 (2022), no. 4, 1373–1395 (journal link)
Special Issue on Illustration and Visualization in Mathematics Research
stick-knot-gen has supporting code and data, including bounds on stick number for knots through 10 crossings
MR: 4516264; Zbl: 07628940; doi: 10.1080/10586458.2021.1926000; arXiv: 1909.00917 [math.GT]“Radius of gyration, contraction factors, and subdivisions of topological polymers”
Joint with Jason Cantarella, Tetsuo Deguchi, and Erica Uehara
Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical 55 (2022), no. 47, 475202 (journal link)
MR: 4516726; doi: 10.1088/1751–8121/aca300; arXiv: 2004.06199 [cond-mat.stat-mech]“New superbridge index calculations from non-minimal realizations”
Journal of Knot Theory and Its Ramifications 31 (2022), no. 10, 2250063 (journal link)
stick-knot-gen has supporting code and data, including bounds on superbridge index for knots through 10 crossings
MR: 4496244; Zbl: 1504.57012; doi: 10.1142/S0218216522500638; arXiv: 2206.06950 [math.GT]“Toric symplectic geometry and full spark frames”
Joint with Tom Needham
Applied and Computational Harmonic Analysis 61 (2022), 254–287 (journal link)
MR: 4456799; Zbl: 1496.42041; doi: 10.1016/j.acha.2022.07.004; arXiv: 2110.11295 [math.FA]“All prime knots through 10 crossings have superbridge index ≤ 5”
Journal of Knot Theory and Its Ramifications 31 (2022), no. 4, 2250023 (journal link)
stick-knot-gen has supporting code and data, including bounds on stick number and superbridge index for knots through 10 crossings
MR: 4445215; Zbl: 1494.57011; doi: 10.1142/S0218216522500237; arXiv: 2112.10902 [math.GT]“Admissibility and frame homotopy for quaternionic frames”
Joint with Tom Needham
Linear Algebra and its Applications 645 (2022), 237–255 (journal link)
MR: 4404571; Zbl: 1492.42037; doi: 10.1016/j.laa.2022.03.023; arXiv: 2108.02275 [math.FA]“Exact evaluation of the mean square radius of gyration for Gaussian topological polymer chains”
Joint with Jason Cantarella, Tetsuo Deguchi, and Erica Uehara
Yasuyuki Tezuka and Tetsuo Deguchi, editors, Topological Polymer Chemistry: Concepts and Practices, Springer, Singapore, 2022, 37–63 (chapter link)
doi: 10.1007/978–981–16–6807–4_4“Expected distances on manifolds of partially oriented flags”
Joint with Brenden Balch and Chris Peterson
Proceedings of the American Mathematical Society 149 (2021), no. 8, 3553–3567 (journal link)
MR: 4273156; Zbl: 1467.53060; doi: 10.1090/proc/15521; arXiv: 2001.07854 [math.DG]“Symplectic geometry and connectivity of spaces of frames”
Joint with Tom Needham
Advances in Computational Mathematics 47 (2021), no. 1, 5 (journal link)
MR: 4202219; Zbl: 1464.42028; doi: 10.1007/s10444–020–09842–7; arXiv: 1804.05899 [math.FA]“Distributions of distances and volumes of balls in homogeneous lens spaces”
Joint with Brenden Balch and Chris Peterson
Differential Geometry and its Applications 74 (2021), 101712 (journal link)
MR: 4192043; Zbl: 1482.53066; doi: 10.1016/j.difgeo.2020.101712; arXiv: 2004.13196 [math.DG]“New computations of the superbridge index”
Journal of Knot Theory and Its Ramifications 29 (2020), no. 14, 2050096 (journal link)
stick-knot-gen has supporting code and data, including bounds on superbridge index for knots through 10 crossings
MR: 4216040; Zbl: 1460.57006; doi: 10.1142/S0218216520500960; arXiv: 2009.13648 [math.GT]“Knots with exactly 10 sticks”
Joint with Ryan Blair, Thomas D. Eddy, and Nathaniel Morrison
Journal of Knot Theory and Its Ramifications 29 (2020), no. 3, 2050011 (journal link)
MR: 4101605; Zbl: 1439.57005; doi: 10.1142/S021821652050011X; arXiv: 1909.06947 [math.GT]“A fractal dimension for measures via persistent homology”
Joint with Henry Adams, Manuchehr Aminian, Elin Farnell, Michael Kirby, Joshua Mirth, Rachel Neville, and Chris Peterson
Nils A. Baas, Gunnar E. Carlsson, Gereon Quick, Markus Szymik, and Marius Thaule, editors, Topological Data Analysis: The Abel Symposium 2018, volume 15 of Abel Symposia, Springer, Cham, 2020, 1–31 (proceedings link)
MR: 4338667; Zbl: 1448.62211; doi: 10.1007/978–3–030–43408–3_1; arXiv: 1808.01079 [math.DS]“Stiefel manifolds and polygons”
Proceedings of Bridges 2019: Mathematics, Art, Music, Architecture, Education, Culture, 187–194 (proceedings link)
arXiv: 1902.01486 [math.HO]“Random triangles and polygons in the plane”
Joint with Jason Cantarella, Tom Needham, and Gavin Stewart
The American Mathematical Monthly 126 (2019), no. 2, 113–134 (journal link)
MR: 3910627; Zbl: 1410.52004; doi: 10.1080/00029890.2019.1535735; arXiv: 1702.01027 [math.MG]“Spherical geometry and the least symmetric triangle”
Joint with Laney Bowden, Andrea Haynes, and Aaron Shukert
Geometriae Dedicata 198 (2019), 19–34 (journal link)
MR: 3933448; Zbl: 1418.53003; doi: 10.1007/s10711–018–0327–4; arXiv: 1708.01559 [math.MG]“The Paulsen problem made symplectic”
Joint with Martin Ehler, Milena Hering, Christopher Manon, and Tom Needham
Oberwolfach Reports 15 (2018), no. 4, 2790–2794 (proceedings link)
doi (for full proceedings): 10.14760/OWR–2018–46“Symplectic geometry and frame theory”
Joint with Tom Needham
Oberwolfach Reports 15 (2018), no. 4, 2786–2789 (proceedings link)
doi (for full proceedings): 10.14760/OWR–2018–46“Open and closed random walks with fixed edgelengths in ℝd”
Joint with Jason Cantarella, Kyle Chapman, and Philipp Reiter
Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical 51 (2018), no. 43, 434002 (journal link)
Special issue in honor of Stuart Whittington’s 75th birthday
MR: 3871192; Zbl: 1409.60069; doi: 10.1088/1751–8121/aade0a; arXiv: 1806.00079 [cond-mat.stat-mech]“The geometry of constrained random walks and an application to frame theory”
2018 IEEE Statistical Signal Processing Workshop (SSP), 343–347 (proceedings link)
doi: 10.1109/SSP.2018.8450816“Homotopy string links and the \(\kappa\)-invariant”
Joint with Frederick R. Cohen, Rafał Komendarczyk, and Robin Koytcheff
Bulletin of the London Mathematical Society 49 (2017), no. 2, 246–260 (journal link)
MR: 3656294; Zbl: 1381.55008; doi: 10.1112/blms.12025; arXiv: 1504.03233 [math.GT]“A fast direct sampling algorithm for equilateral closed polygons”
Joint with Jason Cantarella, Bertrand Duplantier and Erica Uehara
Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical 49 (2016), no. 27, 275202 (journal link)
Selected as a 2016 Highlight of J. Phys. A
MR: 3512103; Zbl: 1342.82063 doi: 10.1088/1751–8113/49/27/275202; arXiv: 1510.02466 [cond-mat.stat-mech]“The symplectic geometry of closed equilateral random walks in 3-space”
Joint with Jason Cantarella
Annals of Applied Probability 26 (2016), no. 1, 549–596 (journal link)
MR: 3449326; Zbl: 1408.53109 doi: 10.1214/15-AAP1100; arXiv: 1310.5924 [math.DG]; INI Preprint #NI13054-TOD“The expected total curvature of random polygons”
Joint with Jason Cantarella, Alexander Y. Grosberg, and Robert Kusner
American Journal of Mathematics 137 (2015), no. 2, 411–438 (journal link)
MR: 3337799; Zbl: 1357.60017; doi: 10.1353/ajm.2015.0015; arXiv: 1210.6537 [math.DG]; INI Preprint #NI12084-TOD
“Homotopy Brunnian links and the \(\kappa\)-invariant”
Joint with Frederick R. Cohen and Rafał Komendarczyk
Proceedings of the American Mathematical Society 143 (2015), no. 3, 1347–1362 (journal link)
MR: 3293747; Zbl: 1311.57009; doi: 10.1090/S0002–9939–2014–12331–8; arXiv: 1208.4587 [math.GT]; KITP Preprint #NSF-ITP–12–163“Probability theory of random polygons from the quaternionic viewpoint”
Joint with Jason Cantarella and Tetsuo Deguchi
Communications on Pure and Applied Mathematics 67 (2014), no. 10, 1658–1699 (journal link)
MR: 3251909; Zbl: 1300.60026; doi: 10.1002/cpa.21480; arXiv: 1206.3161 [math.DG]“The symplectic geometry of polygon space”
Joint with Jason Cantarella
Oberwolfach Reports 10 (2013), no. 2, 1347–1350 (proceedings link)
doi (for full proceedings): 10.14760/OWR–2013–22“Generalized Gauss maps and integrals for three-component links II”
Joint with Dennis DeTurck, Herman Gluck, Rafał Komendarczyk, Paul Melvin, Haggai Nuchi, and David Shea Vela-Vick
Algebraic & Geometric Topology, 13 (2013), no. 5, 2897–2923 (journal link)
MR: 3116307; Zbl: 1348.57007; doi: 10.2140/agt.2013.13.2897; arXiv: 1207.1793 [math.GT]“Poincaré duality angles and the Dirichlet-to-Neumann operator”
Inverse Problems 29 (2013), no. 4, 045007 (journal link)
MR: 3042083; Zbl: 1280.58003; doi: 10.1088/0266–5611/29/4/045007“Generalized Gauss maps and integrals for three-component links”
Joint with Dennis DeTurck, Herman Gluck, Rafał Komendarczyk, Paul Melvin, and David Shea Vela-Vick
Journal of Mathematical Physics 54 (2013), no. 1, 013515 (journal link)
MR: 3059903; Zbl: 1328.57007; doi: 10.1063/1.4774172; arXiv: 1101.3374 [math.GT]“The complete Dirichlet-to-Neumann map for differential forms”
Joint with Vladimir Sharafutdinov
Journal of Geometric Analysis 23 (2013), no. 4, 2063–2080 (journal link)
MR: 3107691; Zbl: 1283.58003; doi: 10.1007/s12220–012–9320–6; arXiv: 1011.1194 [math.DG]“Legendrian contact homology and nondestabilizability”
Joint with David Shea Vela-Vick
Journal of Symplectic Geometry 9 (2011), no. 1, 33–44 (journal link)
MR: 2787360; Zbl: 1226.57013; doi: 10.4310/JSG.2011.v9.n1.a3; arXiv: 0910.3914 [math.GT]“Higher-dimensional linking integrals”
Joint with David Shea Vela-Vick
Proceedings of the American Mathematical Society 139 (2011), no. 4, 1511–1519 (journal link)
MR: 2748445; Zbl: 1221.57038; doi: 10.1090/S0002–9939–2010–10603–2; arXiv: 0801.4022 [math.GT]“Triple linking numbers, ambiguous Hopf invariants and integral formulas for three-component links”
Joint with Dennis DeTurck, Herman Gluck, Rafał Komendarczyk, Paul Melvin, and David Shea Vela-Vick
Matemática Contemporânea 34 (2008), 251–283 (journal link)
Special volume in honor of Manfredo do Carmo’s 80th birthday
MR: 2588614; Zbl: 1194.57007; doi: 10.21711/231766362008/rmc3411; arXiv: 0901.1612 [math.GT]“Poincaré duality angles for Riemannian manifolds with boundary”
Ph.D. thesis, University of Pennsylvania, 2009
MR: 2713306; arXiv: 0909.1967 [math.DG]
Book Reviews
- Visual Differential Geometry and Forms: A Mathematical Drama in Five Acts
Reviewed by Clayton Shonkwiler
The American Mathematical Monthly 129 (2022), no. 8, 795–800 (journal link)
MR: 4486025; Zbl: 1495.00007; doi: 10.1080/00029890.2022.2094677
Submitted Papers
“Gaussian random embeddings of multigraphs”
Joint with Jason Cantarella, Tetsuo Deguchi, and Erica Uehara
arXiv: 2001.11709 [cond-mat.stat-mech]“Performance of the Uniform Closure Method for open knotting as a Bayes-type classifier”
Joint with Emily Tibor, Elizabeth M. Annoni, Erin Brine-Doyle, Nicole Kumerow, Madeline Shogren, Jason Cantarella, and Eric J. Rawdon
arXiv: 2011.08984 [math.GT]“Random graph embeddings with general edge potentials”
Joint with Jason Cantarella, Tetsuo Deguchi, and Erica Uehara
arXiv: 2205.09049 [cond-mat.stat-mech]“Geometric approaches to matrix normalization and graph balancing”
Joint with Tom Needham
arXiv: 2405.06190 [math.DG]; INI Preprint #NI23030-EMG“On the average squared radius of gyration of a family of embeddings of subdivision graphs”
Joint with Jason Cantarella and Henrik Schumacher
arXiv: 2409.18767 [math.CO]
Presentations
Invited Talks
Balancing Graphs Using Geometric Invariant Theory — Minisymposium on Interactions Among Analysis, Optimization and Network Science, 9th Annual Meeting of the SIAM Central States Section, Kansas City, MO, Oct. 5, 2024.
Finding Good Coordinates for Sampling: The Importance of Geometry — Mathematics Colloquium, Creighton University, Omaha, NE, Sept. 13, 2024.
Optimization Informed by Geometric Invariant Theory and Symplectic Geometry — Workshop on Recent Progress on Optimal Point Distributions and Related Fields, ICERM, Providence, RI, Jun. 3, 2024. Video
Generating (and Computing with) Very Large Ensembles of Random Polygonal Knots — Workshop on Knot Theory Informed by Random Models and Experimental Data, Banff International Research Station for Mathematical Innovation and Discovery, Banff, Canada, Apr. 4, 2024. Video
Optimization and Normal Matrices — AMS Special Session on Geometry and Symmetry in Data Science, AMS Spring Southeastern Sectional Meeting, Tallahassee, FL, Mar. 23, 2024.
Geometric Approaches to Frame Theory — Seminar GEOTOP-A, virtual, Nov. 17, 2023. Video
Frames as Loops — AMS Special Session on Applied Knot Theory, AMS Fall Central Sectional Meeting, Omaha, NE, Oct. 7, 2023.
Applications of Grassmannians and Flag Manifolds — Minisymposium on Aspects of Flag Manifolds with a View Towards Applications, SIAM Conference on Applied Algebraic Geometry (AG23), Eindhoven, Netherlands, July 11, 2023. Video
Frames, Optimization, and Geometric Invariant Theory — AMS Special Session on Harmonic Analysis and its Applications to Signals and Information, AMS Spring Central Sectional Meeting, Cincinnati, OH, Apr. 15, 2023.
Hodge and Gelfand Theory in Clifford Analysis and Tomography — Minisymposium “Geometric Methods in Inverse Problems”, dedicated to the 75th anniversary of Professor Vladimir Sharafutdinov, Quasilinear Equations, Inverse Problems and Their Applications (QIPA 2022), virtual, Aug. 26, 2022.
Finding Good Coordinates for Sampling Configuration Spaces — AMS Special Session on Presenting Research Mathematics Through Visual Storytelling: Slides Without Words and Equations, Joint Mathematics Meetings, Virtual, Apr. 9, 2022. Video
Geometric Approaches to Frame Theory — Algebraic Geometry and Geometric Topology Seminar, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, Mar. 21, 2022.
Geometric Approaches to Frame Theory — Geometric Analysis Seminar, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, Feb. 28, 2022.
Some Applications of Symplectic Geometry — Mathematics Colloquium, U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD, Nov. 18, 2021.
A Lie Algebraic Perspective on Frame Theory — Codes and Expansions (CodEx) Seminar, virtual, Oct. 12, 2021. Video
Random Graph Embeddings with General Edge Potentials — Minisymposium on Interactions Among Analysis, Optimization and Network Science, 6th Annual Meeting of the SIAM Central States Section, Virtual, Oct. 2, 2021.
Visualizing and Animating Mathematics — Wolfram Summer School 2021, Educational Innovation Track, July 8, 2021.
The (Symplectic) Geometry of Spaces of Frames — Geometric Structures Seminar, SISSA, Feb. 23, 2021.
Generating (and Computing with) Very Large Ensembles of Random Polygonal Knots — Geometry/Topology Seminar, University of California, Davis, Jan. 12, 2021.
An Introduction to Symplectic Geometry and Some Applications — RTG Seminar, School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, Arizona State University, Oct. 19, 2020. Video
New Stick Number Bounds from Random Sampling of Confined Polygons — AMS Special Session on Applied Knot Theory, AMS Fall Southeastern Sectional Meeting, virtual, Oct. 10, 2020. Video
New Stick Number Bounds from Random Sampling of Confined Polygons — AMS Special Session on Knot Theory and its Applications, AMS Spring Southeastern Sectional Meeting, Charlottesville, VA, Mar. 14, 2020 (the meeting was cancelled due to COVID–19 concerns, but the slides were already written, so here they are).
Hamiltonian Group Actions on Frame Spaces — AMS Special Session on Group Actions in Harmonic Analysis, Joint Mathematics Meetings, Denver, CO, Jan. 15, 2020.
Modeling Topological Polymers — Minisymposium on Interactions Among Analysis, Optimization and Network Science, 1st Annual Meeting of the SIAM Northern States Section, Laramie, WY, Sept. 28, 2019.
Symplectic Geometry and Frame Theory — Minisymposium on Algebra, Geometry, and Combinatorics of Subspace Packings, SIAM Conference on Applied Algebraic Geometry (AG19), Bern, Switzerland, July 13, 2019.
Tensors in Differential Geometry — Tensors: Algebra–Computation–Applications (TACA 2019), Boulder, CO, June 6, 2019. Video
Using Differential Geometry to Model Complex Biopolymers — Southeast Center for Mathematics and Biology Annual Symposium, Atlanta, GA, Jan. 28, 2019. (flyer)
Symplectic Geometry and Frame Theory — Geometry Seminar, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, Jan. 25, 2019.
What’s the Probability a Random Triangle is Obtuse? — Symposium of Physics and Mathematics, Morelia, Mexico, Nov. 26, 2018.
Symplectic Geometry and Frame Theory — Pure Math Seminar, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, Nov. 9, 2018.
Modeling Topological Polymers — Applied Math Seminar, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, Nov. 8, 2018.
The Geometry of Topologically Constrained Random Walks — Topology Geometry Seminar, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, Oct. 16, 2018.
Symplectic Geometry and Frame Theory — Mini-Workshop on Algebraic, Geometric, and Combinatorial Methods in Frame Theory, Mathematisches Forschungsinstitut Oberwolfach, Oberwolfach, Germany, Oct. 2, 2018.
Random Walks are Almost Closed, or Loop Closure is Surprisingly Non-Destructive — Session on Applications of Knot Theory to Physical Sciences, 33rd Summer Conference on Topology and its Applications, Bowling Green, KY, July 19, 2018.
Random Walks are Almost Closed, or Loop Closure is Surprisingly Non-Destructive — AMS Special Session on Topology of Biopolymers, Spring Eastern Sectional Meeting, Boston, MA, Apr. 21, 2018.
Equilateral Polygons, Shapes of Ring Polymers, and an Application to Frame Theory — AMS Special Session on Geometric Methods in Shape Analysis, Spring Central Sectional Meeting, Columbus, OH, Mar. 17, 2018.
A Natural Map from Random Walks to Equilateral Polygons in any Dimension — CMO–BIRS Workshop on the Geometry and Topology of Knotting and Entanglement in Proteins, Oaxaca, Mexico, Nov. 7, 2017. Video
A Geometric Approach to Sampling Loop Random Flights — Probability Seminar, University of Colorado Boulder, Oct. 19. 2017.
The Geometry of Polygon Space: Acute Triangles, Convex Quadrilaterals, Flag Means, and More — AMS Special Session on Differential Geometry of Smooth and Discrete Surfaces in Euclidean and Lorentz Spaces, Fall Central Sectional Meeting, Denton, TX, Sept. 9, 2017.
The Geometry of Polygon Space: Acute Triangles, Convex Quadrilaterals, Flag Means, and More — International Workshop on Knots and Polymers: Aspects of topological entanglement in DNA, proteins and graph-shaped polymers, Tokyo, Japan, Aug. 8, 2017.
Polyhedra, Sampling Algorithms for Random Polygons, and Applications to Ring Polymer Models — Minisymposium on Polyhedral and Combinatorial Biology, SIAM Conference on Applied Algebraic Geometry (AG17), Atlanta, GA, Aug. 1, 2017.
Concavity, a question of Sylvester, and how to generate random quadrilaterals — AMS Special Session on Knot Theory and its Applications, Spring Southeastern Sectional Meeting, Charleston, SC, Mar. 12, 2017.
From Obtuse Triangles to DNA Models and Synthetic Polymers: The Geometry of Random Polygons — Mathematics in Science and Society Lecture Series, University of Illinois, Nov. 29, 2016. (flyer)
The Symplectic Geometry of Polygon Space and How to Use It — Geometry, Groups, and Dynamics/GEAR Seminar, University of Illinois, Nov. 29, 2016. Video
What’s the Probability That a Random Triangle is Obtuse? — AMS Special Session on Knotting in Physical Systems, in celebration of Kenneth C. Millett’s 75th birthday, Fall Central Sectional Meeting, Minneapolis, MN, Oct. 30, 2016.
Applications of Geometry to Constrained Random Walks and Polymer Models – Geometry for Signal Processing and Machine Learning, Estes Park, CO, Oct. 14, 2016.
What’s the Probability That a Random Triangle is Obtuse? — Geometry–Topology Seminar, University of Pennsylvania, Sept. 15, 2016.
Simulating Constrained Random Walks for Applications to Polymer Models — Minisymposium on Molecular Biosciences and Biophysics – Macromolecular Structures and Interactions, SIAM Conference on the Life Sciences, Boston, MA, July 14, 2016.
Animating Mathematics — Workshop on Illustrating Mathematics, ICERM, June 30, 2016. Slides
Symplectic Geometry and Polygon Sampling: Sometimes Simpler is Also Faster — Geometry Seminar, University of Georgia, Mar. 18, 2016.
What Percentage of Triangles are Obtuse? — Video interview targeted to high school students with Geometry & Topology Today, Nov. 2015.
Random Polygons, Grassmannians, and Polymer Physics — Video interview targeted to graduate students with Geometry & Topology Today, Nov. 2015.
The Symplectic Geometry of Polygon Space and How to Use It — Topology/Virtual Seminar, Louisiana State University, Nov. 4, 2015. Video
A Geometric Perspective on Random Walks with Topological Constraints — Graduate Student Colloquium, Louisiana State University, Nov. 3, 2015. Video
15 Views of the Hypersphere — Undergraduate Student Colloquium, Louisiana State University, Nov. 2, 2015. (You will need the free Wolfram CDF Player to view this file. Also, beware: this is a 6.4 MB file.) Video
The Symplectic Geometry of Polygon Space and How to Use It — Workshop on Symplectic and Algebraic Geometry in the Statistical Physics of Polymers, Simons Center for Geometry and Physics, Oct. 12, 2015. Video
A Geometric Perspective on Random Walks with Topological Constraints — Mathematics Colloquium, Wake Forest University, Sept. 9, 2015.
The Geometric Structure of the Space of Stick Knots — BK21 Seminar, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Aug. 10, 2015.
The Geometry of Polygon Spaces — Minisymposium on Aspects of Grassmann Manifolds With a View Towards Applications, SIAM Conference on Applied Algebraic Geometry (AG15), Daejeon, South Korea, Aug. 7, 2015.
Minicourse on Differential Geometry and Grassmannians — Universidad de Costa Rica, Apr. 6–17, 2015.
Geometry of Random Polygons, Knots, and Biopolymers — Joint Center for Computational Mathematics and Discrete Mathematics Seminar, University of Colorado Denver, Feb. 2, 2015.
A New Algorithm for Sampling Closed Equilateral Random Walks — Geometry Seminar, University of Georgia, Jan. 16, 2015.
15 View of the Hypersphere — Math Club, University of Georgia, Jan. 15, 2015.
A New Algorithm for Sampling Closed Equilateral Random Walks — AMS Special Session on Knot Theory and Its Applications, Fall Southeastern Sectional Meeting, Greensboro, NC, Nov. 9, 2014.
15 Views of the Hypersphere — Math Club, Colorado State University, Oct. 1, 2014.
Closed Random Walks, Symplectic Geometry, and Ring Polymer Models — Joint Mathematics and Materials Science Colloquia, Colorado State University, Feb. 24, 2014.
Closed Random Walks and Symplectic Geometry — Mathematics Colloquium, Saint Louis University, Feb. 21, 2014.
Closed Random Walks and Symplectic Geometry — Mathematics Colloquium, California State University Fullerton, Feb. 18, 2014.
Closed Random Walks and Symplectic Geometry — Mathematics Colloquium, Ball State University, Feb. 14, 2014.
Unlocking the Geometry of Polygon Space by Taking Square Roots — Mathematics Colloquium, Gettysburg College, Feb. 11, 2014.
Unlocking the Geometry of Polygon Space by Taking Square Roots — Mathematics Colloquium, Amherst College, Feb. 6, 2014.
Closed Random Walks and Symplectic Geometry — Mathematics Colloquium, Butler University, Feb. 3, 2014.
Closed Random Walks and Symplectic Geometry — Mathematics Colloquium, University of Rochester, Jan. 28, 2014.
Closed Random Walks and Symplectic Geometry — Mathematics Colloquium, Utah State University, Jan. 9, 2014.
Grassmannians, Closed Random Walks, and Optimal Reconfiguration — Geometry, Mathematical Physics, and Computer Algebra Seminar, Utah State University, Jan. 9, 2014.
Closed Random Walks and Symplectic Geometry — Mathematics Colloquium, Wichita State University, Dec. 11, 2013.
Closed Random Walks and Symplectic Geometry — Mathematics Colloquium, Fordham University, Dec. 5, 2013.
Closed Random Walks and Symplectic Geometry — Mathematics Colloquium, Georgia Southern University, Nov. 22, 2013.
Closed Random Walks and Symplectic Geometry — Geometry–Topology Seminar, University of Pennsylvania, Oct. 31, 2013.
Unlocking the Geometry of Polygon Space by Taking Square Roots — Undergraduate Colloquium, University of Pennsylvania, Oct. 30, 2013.
The Quaternionic Method for Directly Sampling Framed Fixed-Length Polygons — 2013 Georgia Topology Conference, Athens, GA, July 11, 2013.
The Geometry of Random Polygons — Joint Analysis, Geometry & Stochastics and Bioinformatics seminars, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität, Jena, Germany, May 8, 2013.
The Symplectic Geometry of Polygon Space — Workshop on Geometric Knot Theory, Mathematisches Forschungsinstitut Oberwolfach, Oberwolfach, Germany, Apr. 29, 2013.
The Geometry and Topology of Random Polygons — Topology/Virtual Seminar, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, Mar. 13, 2013.
The Geometry of Random Polygons — Geometry Seminar, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK, Dec. 13, 2012.
The Dirichlet-To-Neumann Operator for Differential Forms — Geometry Seminar, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK, Dec. 11, 2012.
The Geometry of Random Polygons — Quantized Flux in Tightly Knotted and Linked Systems, Isaac Newton Institute for Mathematical Sciences, Cambridge, UK, Dec. 6, 2012.
Homotopy, Link Homotopy, and (Higher?) Helicity — Topological Dynamics Programme Seminar, Isaac Newton Institute for Mathematical Sciences, University of Cambridge, Oct. 2, 2012.
The Dirichlet-To-Neumann Operator for Differential Forms — Mini-Symposium on Inverse Problems in Geometry, Inverse Problems Conference in honor of Gunther Uhlmann, June 19, 2012.
Homotopy and Link Homotopy — AMS Special Session on Low-Dimensional Topology, Spring Southeastern Section Meeting, Tampa, FL, Mar. 11, 2012.
Grassmannians and Random Polygons — Geometry–Topology Seminar, Georgia Tech, Nov. 7, 2011.
Homotopy Periods of Link Maps and Milnor’s Invariants — AMS Special Session on Geometric Knot Theory and Its Applications, Fall Southeastern Section Meeting, Winston-Salem, NC, Sept. 25, 2011.
Rulings and Augmentations for Bordered Legendrian Knots — AMS Special Session on Low-Dimensional Topology and Geometry, Fall Southeastern Section Meeting, Winston-Salem, NC, Sept. 25, 2011.
Higher Helicities, Geometric Linking Integrals, and Koschorke’s Conjecture — Knots & Applications workshop on Entanglement and Linking, Centro di Ricerca Matematica Ennio de Giorgi, Pisa, Italy, May 18, 2011.
The Search for Higher Helicities — Southeast Geometry Conference, May 8, 2011.
The Complete Dirichlet-To-Neumann Map for Differential Forms — Geometry and Topology Seminar, Tulane University, Apr. 14, 2011.
The Search for Higher Helicities — AMS Special Session on Knots, Links, 3-Manifolds, and Physics, Joint Mathematics Meetings, New Orleans, Jan. 8, 2011.
The Complete Dirichlet-To-Neumann Map for Differential Forms — Geometry–Topology Seminar, University of Pennsylvania, Dec. 9, 2010.
The Search for Higher Helicities — VIGRE Colloquium, University of Georgia, Apr. 6, 2010.
Poincaré Duality Angles on Riemannian Manifolds With Boundary — Geometry and Topology Seminar, Tulane University, Mar. 9, 2010.
Poincaré Duality Angles on Riemannian Manifolds With Boundary — Geometry Seminar, University of Rochester, Mar. 4, 2010.
Legendrian Contact Homology and Nondestabilizability — Geometry–Topology Seminar, University of Pennsylvania, Dec. 10, 2009.
Triple Linking Numbers, Ambiguous Hopf Invariants and Integral Formulas for Three-Component Links — Geometry and Topology Seminar, Caltech, Oct. 16, 2009.
Poincaré Duality Angles on Riemannian Manifolds With Boundary — Geometry/Topology Seminar, Duke University, Sept. 15, 2009.
Linking Integrals in Hyperspheres — Bi-Co Math Colloquium, Bryn Mawr College, Apr. 13, 2009.
Poincaré Duality Angles for Riemannian Manifolds With Boundary — Geometry–Topology Seminar, Temple University, Dec. 2, 2008.
Linking Integrals in Hyperspheres — Sewanee Homecoming Lecture, The University of the South, Oct. 24, 2008.
Refereed Talks
Topological Polymers and Random Embeddings of Graphs — Workshop on Topological Methods in Mathematical Physics, International School of Mathematics, «Ettore Majorana» Foundation and Centre for Scientific Culture, Erice, Italy, Sept. 5, 2022. Video
Stiefel Manifolds and Polygons — Bridges 2019, Linz, Austria, July 18, 2019.
Homotopy String Links and the \(\kappa\)-Invariant — IUTAM Symposium on Helicity: Structure and Singularity in Fluid and Plasma Dynamics, Venice, Italy, Apr. 11, 2016.
The Geometry of Random Polygons — AMS Session on Geometry and Differential and Hyperbolic Geometry, Joint Mathematics Meetings, San Diego, Jan. 10, 2013.
Generalized Gauss Maps and Triple Linking Integrals — Workshop on Tangled Magnetic Fields in Astro- and Plasma Physics, International Centre for Mathematical Sciences, Edinburgh, UK, Oct. 18, 2012.
Poincaré Duality Angles on Riemannian Manifolds With Boundary — Lehigh University Geometry and Topology Conference, June 5, 2009.
Higher-Dimensional Linking Integrals — 2008 Graduate Student Topology Conference, Mar. 29, 2008.
Refereed Posters
- Geometry of Constrained Random Walks and an Application to Frame Theory — 2018 IEEE Statistical Signal Processing Workshop, Freiburg, Germany, June 11, 2018.
Local Talks
Frames, Geometric Invariant Theory, and Optimization — Fragment Seminar, Colorado State University, Oct. 13, 2022.
What is a Random Knot? And Why Do We Care? — Math 192 Guest Lecture, Colorado State University, Sept. 23, 2021.
What is (Applied) Symplectic Geometry? — Who Is/What Is? Seminar, Colorado State University, Sept. 29, 2020.
Visualizing Higher Dimensions — CSU Math Circles, June 17 & 18, 2019.
Symplectic Geometry and Frame Theory — Fragment Seminar, Colorado State University, Sept. 27, 2018.
What’s the probability that a random triangle is obtuse? or: What the heck is a random triangle, anyway? — Math 192 Guest Lecture, Colorado State University, Sept. 27, 2016.
The Symplectic Geometry of Polygon Space and How to Use It — Fragment Seminar, Colorado State University, Nov. 12, 2015.
A New Algorithm for Sampling Closed Equilateral Random Walks — Applied Math Seminar, Colorado State University, Nov. 13, 2014.
Grassmannians and Random Polygons — Pattern Analysis Lab Lecture Series, Colorado State University, Nov. 6, 2014.
15 Views of the Hypersphere — Math 192 Guest Lecture, Colorado State University, Oct. 10, 2014.
The Dirichlet-to-Neumann Operator for Differential Forms — Inverse Problems Seminar, Colorado State University, Sept. 11, 2014.
Closed Random Walks and Symplectic Geometry — Geometry Seminar, University of Georgia, Nov. 8, 2013.
Ambidextrous Knots Via Octonions — Geometry Seminar, University of Georgia, Sept. 6, 2013.
The Total Curvature of Random Polygons — Geometry Seminar, University of Georgia, Mar. 22, 2013.
Homotopy and Link Homotopy — Topology Seminar, University of Georgia, Aug. 20, 2012.
Generalized Gauss Maps and Triple Linking Integrals — Geometry Seminar, University of Georgia, Feb. 10, 2012.
Grassmannians and Random Polygons — Geometry Seminar, University of Georgia, Nov. 11, 2011.
The Complete Dirichlet-To-Neumann Map for Differential Forms — Geometry Seminar, University of Georgia, Sept. 2, 2011.
Poincaré Duality Angles for Riemannian Manifolds With Boundary — Geometry Seminar, University of Georgia, Aug. 26, 2011.
Poincaré Duality Angles for Riemannian Manifolds With Boundary — Ph.D. thesis defense, University of Pennsylvania, Apr. 13, 2009.
Recovering Cup Products from Boundary Data — Geometry–Topology Reading Seminar, University of Pennsylvania, Feb. 24, 2009.
Invariant Differential Forms in a Cohomogeneity One Manifold — Graduate Student Bridge Seminar, University of Pennsylvania, Feb. 18, 2009.
Poincaré Duality Angles for Riemannian Manifolds With Boundary — Graduate Student Geometry–Topology Seminar, University of Pennsylvania, Feb. 18, 2009.
The Dirichlet-To-Neumann Map for Differential Forms — Graduate Student Geometry–Topology Seminar, University of Pennsylvania, Oct. 1, 2008.
The Triple Linking Number Is an Ambiguous Hopf Invariant — Geometry–Topology Reading Seminar, University of Pennsylvania, Apr. 15, 2008.
What is a Poincaré Duality Angle? — Graduate Student Geometry–Topology Seminar, University of Pennsylvania, Apr. 2, 2008.
The Classification of Links up to Link-Homotopy (4 parts) — Philadelphia Area Contact/Topology Seminar, Bryn Mawr College, Nov. 8–Dec. 13, 2007.
Link Complements and the Classification of Links up to Link-Homotopy — Graduate Student Geometry–Topology Seminar, University of Pennsylvania, Oct. 31, 2007.
Geometric Linking Integrals in \(S^n \times \mathbb{R}^m\) — Pizza Seminar, University of Pennsylvania, Oct. 12, 2007.
Introduction to Minimal Surfaces — Pre-Colloquium Talk, University of Pennsylvania, Oct. 18, 2006.
The Four Vertex Theorem and its Converse — Pizza Seminar, University of Pennsylvania, Oct. 6, 2006.
The Gauss Linking Integral in \(S^3\) and \(H^3\) — Graduate Student Geometry–Topology Seminar, University of Pennsylvania, Sept. 27, 2006.
Four Isoperimetric Properties of Homogeneous Spherical Membranes — Graduate Student Geometry–Topology Seminar, University of Pennsylvania, Dec. 7, 2005.
Pictures and Syzygies: An Exploration of Pictures, Cellular Models and Free Resolutions — Senior Talk, The University of the South, Apr. 2003.
Picture Groups for Links — REU final presentation, Louisiana State University, Aug. 2002.
Notes
Some old research notes that will probably never be published.
“Linking integrals on \(S^n\)” — A general convolution formula for \(\text{Link}(K,L) + (- 1)^n \mathrm{Link}(K, -L)\), where \(K\) and \(L\) are closed, connected, oriented submanifolds of \(S^n\). This formula is arrived at using invariant forms on the unit tangent bundle for odd \(n\), then extended to the even case using a geometric trick. This result was superseded by the paper “Higher-dimensional linking integrals”, but may be of some independent interest.
“Principal angles in terms of inner products” — A technique for determining the principal angles between two \(k\)-planes using only the inner products between basis vectors for the \(k\)-planes. This was a warm-up exercise for the paper “Poincaré duality angles for Riemannian manifolds with boundary”.