SUMS Meeting: Zhu/Wang -- Using Markov Chains to Solve Some of your Problems

Hello everybody, 

Thanks once again to all those people who turned up to last week’s non-talk.  
Maybe I’ll give prizes to the people who manage to turn up to all of the 
SUMS meetings this semester......  

In any case, this week we’re returning to talks, and we’re doing something
special for this one.  For you see, this Friday we will have TWO speakers, 
each of who will be talking for roughly half an hour. Jenny Zhu and Joanna 
Wang (or, as I like to call them, Jenny Zhu and Joanna Wang), will both be 
talking about Markov Chains (a rather interesting object in statistics), and
 how they can be can be used to solve life’s major problems, such as: 
- If I only carry an umbrella when it rains, what are the chances that I get
 wet on the way home? and 
- If I place my mouse in a maze containing a piece of cheese and a cat, will
 my mouse get eaten? or even 
- If I have a 10 minute shower, how many phone calls should I expect to 
miss? 

These are all problems that I’m sure you’ve been dying to have answered for 
you, but thankfully Jenny and Joanna will answer them for you on Friday 
(well, maybe not the shower one).  In any case, I’m sure it will be a good 
talk, and I look forward to seeing you there! 

Talk: Using Markov Chains To Solve Some of your Problems Speakers: Jenny Zhu 
and Joanna Wang Location: Carslaw 451 Time: Friday, 16 May, 1-2pm 

Oh, and also, I am going to be mentioning the SUMS concert at the beginning of 
the meeting.  If you are interested in participating in the concert or would 
like to know more about it, please come to the meeting early to get 
information.  In any case, I will probably send an email about it next week 
with all the details (that we have so far).  

Gareth