The academic year 2018-19 marks the fifth year of activity of the ETSU Abstract Algebra Club! We held our first meeting of Fall 2018 on Friday, September 21, 2018 at 1:40. The meeting was in Gilbreath 305-306 (the "Stat Cave").

On October 16, 1843 Sir William Rowan Hamilton (1805-1865) conceived the fundamental identities that determine the "4-dimensional number system" of the quaternions. He is alleged to have cut with a knife on a stone of Brougham Bridge (in Dublin, Ireland; now called "Broom Bridge") the formula with the symbols i, j, k: i² = j² = k² = ijk = -1. Today, we refer to the quaternions as the standard example of a noncommutative division ring. The club will celebrate the 175th anniversary of the quaternions this year and our annual t-shirts will reflect this. Dr. Bob will gave a presentation (after some technical difficulties and a room change) at the September 21 meeting titled "The Quaternions: An Algebraic Approach":

The audience dispersing after the meeting.

It was decided at the meeting to have grey shirts this year.

The second meeting of the semester was held on Friday, October 19 in Gilbreath 304 from 1:40 to 2:35. Dr. Beeler gave a presentation on "Graph Automorphism Groups." The presentation is posted online in PDF. Club shirts were distributed at the meeting and pizza from the Italian Pizza Pub was provided from funds resulting from shirt sales. There were 19 members in attendance.

The attendees at the October 19, 2018 meeting.

Dr. Robert Beeler sporting the new shirt.

Dr. Robert Beeler presenting.

Some of the audience.

Discussion following the presentation.

Pizza from the Italian Pizza Pub.

Return to Bob Gardner's home page
Last updated: October 21, 2018.