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Mathematics & Statistics Colloquium: Do Dogs Know Calculus?

  • Thursday, September 15, 2022
  • 3:00 PM–4:00 PM
  • NH 276

The Mathematics & Statistics Department welcomes Tim Pennings as the speaker for the September 15 colloquium.

Join us this Thursday at 3:00 pm in NH 276 to hear Tim Pennings's lecture.

Title: Do Dogs Know Calculus? Bifurcations at the Beach

Abstract: We will show that dogs- at least my dog, Elvis- knew calculus. That is, Elvis could find the optimal -fastest- route to a ball thrown into the water some distance down the beach. But what happened when Elvis was positioned in the water and retrieved a ball that was also in the water? When should he swim straight to the ball, and when should he swim back in to the shore, run along the shore, and then swim back out to the ball? What is the bifurcation point for the change in optimal strategy? Did Elvis bifurcate? Did his fur bicate?

Location details

North Hall 276

September 2022
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