Title: Extremal Graph Theory and the Problem of Zarankiewicz
Speaker: Eion Mulrenin
Date/Time: Friday, March 25th and April 1st, 12:30 pm
Part 1:
Part 2:
Abstract: Extremal Combinatorics is an area of mathematics which seeks to maximize properties of a structure given certain restrictions placed upon it. One goal of Extremal Graph Theory, then, as one might expect, is to find the maximum number of edges in a graph which does not contain a given subgraph. In this talk, we will introduce the subject by examining its origins in several classic theorems and by exploring several old and interesting open problems in the field, primarily the problem of Zarankiewicz. No background in graph theory or combinatorics will be assumed.