<ancis Bonahon, the Headley Distinguished Visitor-in-Residence, delivered his talk "Curvature: Mountain Passes and Summits, Soap Films, and the Internet" this Wednesday. The presentation revealed new applications of curve mathematics, such as analysis of traffic and geography.
The curvature of curves and surfaces in space is a classical mathematical concept, commonly taught in advanced calculus, he said, but his goal was to stay away from ugly formulas, and focus instead on the intuitive significance of curvature.
A professor at University of Southern California, Bonahon is the recipient of multiple degrees from the University of Paris 11 (Orsay) and previously served as a researcher at the French Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique.
