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Department of Mathematics,
University of California San Diego

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Math 196/296 - Student Colloquium

Justin Roberts

Professor, UCSD

Mathematical crystallography

Abstract:

A crystal is a shape which tessellates the plane (or space) in a periodicway, so that the pattern repeats at regular intervals in all directions.The group of symmetries (translational, rotational, reflectional) of sucha tessellation is called a crystallographic group. In two dimensions thereare exactly 17 different kinds of symmetry, the so-called "wallpapergroups", which I'll describe. I'll also talk about what happens in threedimensions, in hyperbolic space, and how you can make "quasiperiodic"tessellations (Penrose tilings) with five-fold symmetry.

Host:

November 13, 2002

11:00 AM

AP&M 2402

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