Challenging computability
Cooperating faculty member Dusko Pavlovic published a book in 2023 in Springer’s Theory and Applications of Computability series:
Programs as diagrams: From Categorical Computability to Computable Categories
In 2024, Bjørn Kjos-Hanssen‘s book
Automatic Complexity: A computable measure of irregularity
was published by De Gruyter.
The books challenge computability theory in different yet similar ways:
- Programs as diagrams argues that Turing machines can be replaced by category-theoretical diagrams for a more natural understanding of computability.
- Automatic complexity advocates replacing Turing machines by finite automata in the definition of Kolmogorov complexity, thus obtaining a computable notion that is “visual” in an analogous way to Pavlovic’s diagrams.
Putnam exam progress
The William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition is the preeminent mathematics competition for undergraduate students in the United States and Canada; it takes place in December each year.
The problems asked in the competition are fun, but a real challenge: solving just one of these problems takes serious work and insight.
This year, seven UH Mānoa managed to solve at least one problem, an excellent achievement that puts them in the top half of over 4000 participants in the US and Canada.
One student, Adam Inamasu, made the top 500 students nationwide: see page 16 of the full results.
Congratulations to all who took part!
Professor Pavel Guerzhoy runs a 1-credit ‘Putnam preparation’ course in the Fall semester for students who are interested in working on fun and challenging math problems. Please contact Professor Guerzhoy or a math advisor if you are interested in taking part.
Private tutoring
Interested in private tutoring?
Here is a list of graduate students who are willing to tutor
privately for the Spring 2024 term.
Moriah Aberle – maberle@hawaii.edu
Arturo Jaime – ajaime@hawaii.edu
Dennis Le – led6@hawaii.edu
Rico Vicente – rvicente@hawaii.edu
Kestrel Strom – kstrom2@hawaii.edu
Please contact them directly to make arrangements such as cost,
meeting time and place, etc. The Mathematics Department is not
responsible for these arrangements.