SMS scnews item created by Gareth White at Wed 14 May 2008 1655
Type: Seminar
Distribution: World
Expiry: 16 May 2008
Calendar1: 16 May 2008 1300-1400
CalLoc1: Carslaw 451
Auth: garethw@asti.maths.usyd.edu.au

SUMS Meeting: Zhu/Wang -- Using Markov Chains to Solve Some of your Problems

Hello everybody,

Thanks once again to all those people who turned up to last week’s non-talk.
Maybe I’ll give prizes to the people who manage to turn up to all of the
SUMS meetings this semester......

In any case, this week we’re returning to talks, and we’re doing something
special for this one.  For you see, this Friday we will have TWO speakers,
each of who will be talking for roughly half an hour. Jenny Zhu and Joanna
Wang (or, as I like to call them, Jenny Zhu and Joanna Wang), will both be
talking about Markov Chains (a rather interesting object in statistics), and
how they can be can be used to solve life’s major problems, such as:
- If I only carry an umbrella when it rains, what are the chances that I get
wet on the way home? and
- If I place my mouse in a maze containing a piece of cheese and a cat, will
my mouse get eaten? or even
- If I have a 10 minute shower, how many phone calls should I expect to
miss?

These are all problems that I’m sure you’ve been dying to have answered for
you, but thankfully Jenny and Joanna will answer them for you on Friday
(well, maybe not the shower one).  In any case, I’m sure it will be a good
talk, and I look forward to seeing you there!

Talk: Using Markov Chains To Solve Some of your Problems Speakers: Jenny Zhu
and Joanna Wang Location: Carslaw 451 Time: Friday, 16 May, 1-2pm

Oh, and also, I am going to be mentioning the SUMS concert at the beginning of
the meeting.  If you are interested in participating in the concert or would
like to know more about it, please come to the meeting early to get
information.  In any case, I will probably send an email about it next week
with all the details (that we have so far).

Gareth


If you are registered you may mark the scnews item as read.
School members may try to .