Schedule of the 40th Anniversary Events

• Wednesday, March 26, 2008 at 10:30 am, LWSN B155
  
  Statistics 40th Anniversary talk joint with the Mathematical Statistics Seminar
  
  
  Speaker: Persi Diaconis
  
  Title: "Horseshoes and Politics"
  
  Abstract: A variety of dimensionality reduction techniques, principle components, isomap, and correspondence analysis often show distinctive "horseshoe" curves. This is illustrated with congressional roll call votes and explained by a new analysis, which gives an explicit parameterization by diagonalizing limiting operators. This is joint work with Sharad Goel and Susan Holmes.
  
  
  
• Wednesday, March 26, 2008 at 4:00pm, Math Library
  
  Refreshments will be served in the Math library preceding the talk at 4:30pm in MA 175.
  
  
• Wednesday, March 26, 2008 at 4:30 pm, MA 175
  
  Statistics 40th Anniversary talk joint with the Probability Seminar and the Department of Mathematics
  
  
  Speaker: Persi Diaconis
  
  Title: "What Do We Know About the Metropolis Algorithm"
  
  Abstract: The Metropolis algorithm is a popular tool of scientific computing. I will explain the algorithm and illustrate its use in cryptography and genomics. Analysis of the algorithm lies mostly in the future, but for the original problem studied by metropolis, random placement of non-overlapping discs in a box. Gilles Lebeau and I have used tools of micro-local analysis to get sharp rates of convergence to stationarity.
  
  
  
• Thursday, March 27, 2008 at 4:30 pm, MA 175
  
  Statistics 40th Anniversary talk joint with the Statistics Research Colloquium, and part of the College of Science Centennial Distinguished Lecture Series
  
  
  Speaker: Persi Diaconis
  
  Title: "On Coincidences"
  
  Abstract: Coincidences amaze us. They can affect where we live and what we do. I will review work of Jung and Freud and, also, show how sometimes, a little quantitative thinking shows that things are not so surprising after all.
  
  
  
• Thursday, March 27, 2008 from 6:00pm - 7:00pm, Reception in the Purdue Memorial Union, Anniversary Drawing Room, 2nd floor
  
  Please join us in the Purdue Memorial Union, Anniversary Drawing Room, 2nd floor, for a reception to honor Persi Diaconis and celebrate the Department of Statistics 40th Anniversary and the College of Science Centennial.