Charles R. DePrima Memorial Lecture in Mathematics
Charles R. DePrima Memorial Lecture in Mathematics
The Charles R. DePrima Memorial Undergraduate Mathematics Lecture was established by a gift from Charles R. DePrima and Margaret Thurmond DePrima. The Institute is privileged to honor the memory of Professor DePrima and his distinguished contribution to mathematics and Caltech, where he served as a faculty member for over forty years, with a lecture each year by an outstanding mathematician. Professor DePrima perceived that there were few or no special talks or seminars designed for undergraduates; he and Margaret DePrima intended that this lecture series would fill that need.
2024/25
"Using Math to Invent Solutions to Large-Scale Human Problems, Just in Time to Survive AI"
2023/24
"The Search for Supersingular Curves"
2022/23
"Diophantine Equations in Two Variables and the Arithmetic Shapes of Solutions"
2016/17
"Symmetry Through Geometry"
2015/16
"Hard Open Problems in Euclidean Geometry"
2014/15
David Gabai
"Poincare's work on Topology"
2013/14
Tom Apostol
"Geometrical Snapshots from Ancient Times to Modern Times"
2012/13
Bjorn Poonen
"Undecidability in number theory"
2011/12
Gunther L.M. Gornelissen
"Close Encounters with Tori"
2010/11
Benjamin Weiss
"The Road Coloring Problem and Symbolic Dynamics"
2009/10
Don Zagier
"Zeta functions, periods and Diophantine equations"
2008/09
Bernd Sturmfels
"Tropical Mathematics"
2007/08
Benedict Gross
"Extending N! to functions on the real and p-adic numbers, and their values at rational arguments"
2006/07
Bradley Efron
"Baseball, Shakespeare and Modern Statistical Theory"
2005/06
Roger Howe
"Birthdays, Curses and Primes"
2004/05
Jordan Ellenberg
"Diophantus, Fermat and Beyond"
2003/04
Peter Lax
"Multivariable Calculus Made Easy"
2002/03
Fan Chung Graham
"Can You Hear the Shape of a Network?"
2001/02
Persi Diaconis
"The Mathematics of Perfect Shuffles"
2000/01
Robert Osserman
"The Shape of the Universe"
1999/00
Cleve Moler
"How Math Might Save Your Life"
1998/99
"Mathematical Anatomy of Video"
1997/98
"Charlie DePrima and us"
1996/97
"Quadratic inequalities and their magical help"
1995/96
"Partitions in number theory, geometry and graphs"
1994/95
"What is the most surprising result in Mathematics"
1993/94
"Information, Probability and the Uniqueness of You and Me"
1992/93
Peter Lax
"Witty Mathematics"