Speaker:  Bob Connelly
Title:   Optimizing disk configurations
Time: 4:30 PM, Monday, March 3, 2008
Place:  Malott 205

Abstract:  Suppose that you are given n labeled disks of fixed radii, and a Boolean expression in terms of unions and intersections of these disks.  For example, take the intersection of a larger disk with the union of two smaller ones.  What configurations will maximize the area/volume of such a set?  We show that a formula of B. Csikos will determine the critical configurations, and allow us to find the answer in some small cases.  But there are more questions than answers.  The following shows the optimal configuration for the sample problem above.

February 27, 2008