Date: Monday, February 4, 2008 Time: 4:00 p.m. Room: LIT 121 Opening Remarks by Dr. Daniel Wubah Assoc. Provost for Undergraduate Studies

Abstract: Chapter 16 of Euler's Introductio in Analysin Infinitorum is titled "De Partitione Numerorum". The care with which Euler inaugurates the study of partitions has influenced all subsequent work in this area. We shall examine how exactly Euler began the theory of partitions, note some surprising connections with subsequent developments and reveal how Euler's bizarre presentation of an ancient chestnut (every nonzero integer is uniquely the sum or difference of distinct powers of 3, e.g. 55 = 3⁴ - 3³ + 3⁰) leads to new insights in the theory of partitions.

Evan Pugh Professor George E. Andrews of the Pennsylvania State University is the world's leading authority in the theory of partitions and on the work of Srinivasa Ramanujan. A survey article on the theme of this lecture appeared in the October 2007 issue of the Bulletin of The American Mathematical Society dedicated to Euler's 300th birthday. He is a Member of the National Academy of Sciences and was elected President of the American Mathematical Society this year.