Invited Speaker
David Boyd
Professor
University of British Columbia
Vancouver, B.C.

Email:
boyd@math.ubc.ca
Homepage:
http://www.math.ubc.ca/people/faculty/boyd/boyd.html
Paper:
The Beta Expansion for Salem Numbers
Talk:
Are Salem numbers beta-numbers?
(QuickTime movie - 1.5M)
Abstract:
The beta transformation is the mapping on the unit interval defined by multiplication by $\beta$ mod 1. $\beta > 1$ is a beta-number if 1 is an eventually periodic point of this mapping. It is known that all Pisot numbers of any degree and all Salem numbers of degree 4 are beta-numbers. We describe computational and heuristic arguments which suggest that all Salem numbers of degree 6 are beta-numbers but that this is not true for higher degrees.


About Myself

Born: Canada
Education:
Undergraduate -- Carleton University, Ottawa Graduate -- University of Toronto
Family: Two of my children are artists and one is a budding author.
Interests: I am very interested in Music -- jazz and popular guitar especially. Also, I enjoy Hiking and Reading
Inspirations: I've been inspired to try out different areas of Mathematics by the many interesting mathematicians I have met over the years: to mention a few, Leo Moser, Marshall Hall and Kurt Mahler.