April 19, 2002 noon-1pm ScN321

The theory of finite group representations is one of the most beautiful subjects in all of mathematics. The key idea is to associate matrices to elements of a given group in such a way the group operation corresponds to matrix multiplication. The basics of the theory were developed about 100 years ago by Frobenius and Schur in Germany and Burnside in Britain. This talk will introduce the subject in a user-friendly way and will concentrate on the aspects of the theory that are most accessible to upper division mathematics majors. We will also discuss the relation of this material to possible changes in the undergraduate algebra curriculum. This talk should be accessible to students with previous exposure to the basics of group theory.