Forms, information for prospective student-athletes.
Our departmental seminar meets on (some) Tuesdays at 2:30.
Feb 7, 2012 in Snygg 304
Jeremy Berquist: Resolution of Plane Curve Singularities by Newton's Method of Rotating Rulers
Resolution of singularities is one of the oldest topics in algebraic geometry. Beginning with Newton, who resolved plane curve singularities with his method of rotating rulers, the subject has been continually intertwined with the development of algebraic geometry as a field of its own. The question as to whether the main objects in algebraic geometry, that is, projective varieties, admit resolutions is still somewhat of an open question. We present Newton's method, which is surprisingly simple and easy to understand, along with an example of how it works.