Invited Paper Sessions are organized by mathematicians and designed to provide substantial mathematical content in the MAA program. Four to eight speakers are invited by the organizers to present on a designated topic for twenty-minute segments. MAA MathFest participants who come to these sessions will get the chance to hear from a diverse set of speakers on current or emerging topics in various areas of mathematics.

Please note: All times listed will be in Pacific Daylight Time

Invited Paper Session aligned with the Chan-Stanek-Ross Lecture
Lotteries in Math and Society

Lotteries are a great subject of study for mathematicians: All our tools from probability work well, yet the extreme numbers involved (large prize amounts, large numbers of people playing, small probability of winning) and heavy-tailed distributions challenge our intuitive interpretations of the answers. And all questions have the extra rizz of relating to life-changing windfalls of money. Lotteries are also a focus of study for scholars in other fields, such as public policy, economics, ethics, and sociology. This special session will bring together speakers from several disciplines to talk about lotteries from their perspective.

Organizer:
Skip Garibaldi, IDA Center for Communications Research, La Jolla

AWM-MAA Invited Paper Session aligned with the Falconer Lecture
Mathematical Insights at Different Biological Scales

Mathematical models of biological processes have traditionally focused on individual scales, from intracellular dynamics to population-level interactions across landscapes. In recent years, understanding how these scales interact has become essential for gaining deeper insights into complex biological systems. Bridging these scales presents significant mathematical challenges and remains a growing area of research within the mathematical biology community. This session will feature speakers addressing a range of biologically motivated problems that require diverse mathematical approaches to capture the connections and feedback mechanisms across scales. Through their work, they will highlight the biological insights gained from these methods.

Organizers:
Olivia (Prosper) Feldman, University of Tennessee
Lauren Childs, Virginia Tech
Jordan Pellett, University of Tennessee

Combinatorics and Computers

The purpose of this session is to bring together mathematicians interested in using computers to discover new theorems, find counterexamples, or even prove theorems in combinatorics. The famous 4-color theorem is a classic example, but with the renewed interest in artificial intelligence and deep learning we have seen new trends and opportunities arise. We plan to assemble a group of leading experts who have made contributions to graph theory, discrete geometry, combinatorial number theory, extremal combinatorics, and other areas of discrete combinatorial mathematics using computers.

Organizers:
Jesus A. De Loera, University of California Davis
William J. Wesley, University of California San Diego

Recent Developments in Math and the Arts

This invited paper session will feature leading researchers in the overlap of the fields of mathematics and the arts.  Some of the participants will describe new artworks they have created with mathematical content. Other participants will present current investigations into the mathematical content in existing artworks. Some may describe their artworks on display at the MathFest art exhibition.

Organizers: 
Douglas Dunham, University of Minnesota-Duluth
Douglas Norton, Villanova University

Philosophy of Mathematics: The View from Paradox

Logicians, it is said, abhor ambiguity but love paradox. This opening sentence of 'The Liar' by Barwise and Etchemendy captures some of the appeal of the notion of paradox, and there is no denying that paradoxes have had an influence on philosophy of mathematics over the millennia. From Zeno and the Liar through Gilbert and Sullivan to Russell and Yablo, paradoxes have been partners with which philosophers and theories have sparred. They have had an effect on mathematics as well. What is the status of a paradox like the set of all sets? At what stage does a paradox like Lowenheim-Skolem become a theorem? This session will be devoted to the role of paradoxes in the philosophy of mathematics and logic. There will be room for other topics in the philosophy of mathematics as time allows. This session is sponsored by the Philosophy of Mathematics Special Interest Group of the Mathematical Association of America.

Organizers:
Steven Deckelman, University of Wisconsin-Stout
Bonnie Gold, Monmouth University Retired
Thomas Drucker, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Retired

The Institute on the History of Mathematics and its Use in Teaching: 30 Years of Impact on Education and Research

The NSF-funded Institute on the History of Mathematics and its Use in Teaching (IHMT), directed by Victor Katz, V. Frederick Rickey, and Steven Schot in Washington, DC, from 1995 to 1999, trained a generation of historians of mathematics. These three cohorts of mathematicians authored hundreds of research papers and teaching modules, and they in turn mentored and influenced a second generation of educators and scholars. A few accomplishments include Edward Sandifer’s long-running “How Euler Did It” column, the ARITHMOS and ORESME original-source reading groups, organizations such as the Euler Society and HOM SIGMAA, and further NSF grants that established MAA Convergence and supported the highly-regarded TRansforming Instruction in Undergraduate Mathematics via Primary Historical Sources (TRIUMPHS) project. This session recognizes IHMT’s ongoing impact by inviting program participants—as well as those whose work has been shaped by IHMT participants—to share snapshots from their scholarship in the history of mathematics and its use in the teaching of mathematics. The session is sponsored by MAA Convergence, HOM SIGMAA, the TRIUMPHS Society, the Euler Society, the Canadian Society for History and Philosophy of Mathematics, and the Americas Section of the International Study Group on Relations between History and Pedagogy of Mathematics.

Organizers:
Amy Ackerberg-Hastings, MAA Convergence
Daniel Otero, Xavier University

The Next Frontier: AI Innovations in Mathematics Research

Explore the transformative impact of generative AI in mathematics research. Faculty will present cutting-edge applications, including data-driven modeling, automated theorem proving, and algorithm development. Discover how AI is reshaping mathematical inquiry, enhancing problem-solving capabilities, and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration. Join us to uncover the future of mathematics through innovative AI methodologies.

Organizers: 
Noureen A. Khan, University of North Texas at Dallas

Bridging Disciplines through Data Science

Data science, while mathematically and computationally rooted, is a field that spans almost all disciplines. How can we bridge the gap to bring data science to diverse audiences and reach beyond our community, especially those with less foundational knowledge? Can data science help de-silo the disciplines? This session will explore innovative strategies for teaching and integrating data science in various areas of knowledge, both in and out of traditional mathematics and statistics courses and majors, in community with non-mathematicians.

Current research includes evidence-based teaching approaches for teaching data science across disciplines as well as a focus on techniques for fostering collaboration amongst broad ranges of faculty expertise and results from such collaborations. This includes discipline-based projects or modules developed for data science and non-data science courses.

Organizers: 
Marcela Alfaro-Córdoba, University of California Santa Cruz
Julie Simons, University of California Santa Cruz

Trends in Mathematical and Computational Biology

Mathematical and computational biology encompasses a diverse range of biological phenomena and quantitative methods for exploring those phenomena. The pace of research at this junction continues to accelerate and substantial advancements in problems from gene regulation, genomics, phylogenetics, RNA folding, evolution, infectious disease dynamics, neuroscience, growth and control of populations, ecological networks, drug resistance modeling, and medical breakthroughs related to cancer therapies have increasingly ensued from utilizing mathematical and computational approaches. Our session on current trends will sample from this diversity of important questions from biology and medicine and their mathematical treatments, with a goal of maximizing the range of topics and research methods presented at the session. Mathematical approaches will include deterministic and stochastic continuous dynamical models, as well as finite dynamical systems and combinatorial and algebraic methods.

Organizers: 
Timothy Comar, Self-Employed
Anne Yust, University of Pittsburgh
Erin Bodine, Rhodes College

Sponsor:  SIGMAA on Mathematical and Computational Biology (SIGMAA BIO)

Advancing Justice through Research in Undergraduate Mathematics

This invited session, sponsored by the SIGMAA on Research in Undergraduate Mathematics Education, seeks to engage participants in critical conversations about justice in undergraduate mathematics education. We aim to contribute to a movement that seeks to dismantle barriers and elevate the voices of those historically marginalized in the field of mathematics. Invited speakers will share their research in this area of advancing justice in undergraduate mathematics education, explore mechanisms to overcome systemic barriers faced by underrepresented groups in undergraduate mathematics, and highlight innovative practices that promote inclusivity and equitable outcomes for students. By bringing together a diverse group of scholars, educators, and practitioners, we aim to create a space for sharing research and pedagogical strategies that contribute to the field’s ongoing efforts to advance justice in mathematics education.This session aims to inspire attendees to engage in advocacy and implement changes within their own institutions to promote justice in mathematics education.

Organizers: 
Kaitlyn Serbin, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Brian Katz, California State University Long Beach
Deborah Moore-Russo, The University of Oklahoma
Shandy Hauk, San Francisco State University

Early Career Research Initiatives from Project NExTBlue’24

The overarching theme of this session is to showcase members of the Project NExT Blues ‘24 cohort and their early career research contributions. Presentations highlight research done either individually or jointly with students. These presentations focus on applied mathematics, specifically with an emphasis on differential equations and operations research.

While topics are diverse, this session will provide a platform for early career faculty. Some specific topics for presentations include Large Eddy Simulations, which is used in computational fluid dynamics, development of numerical methods for solving partial differential equations, topological time series analysis, and the solution existence of quadratic optimization problems.

Organizer:
Alexander Joyce, Florida Polytechnic University