Nancy Scherich and student Nathaniel Song '26 gave an invited colloquium talk about their joint mathematics research in knot theory at Davidson College last week.
On Thursday March 5, Nancy Scherich, assistant professor of mathematics and statistics and the A.L. Hook Emerging Professor in Science and Mathematics, and student Nathaniel Song ’26 travelled to Davidson College to give an invited colloquium for the Mathematics and Computer Science department. The colloquium was well attended, with a packed room of over 40 attendees.
The colloquium lecture was titled “Knots and Braids with a Little Bit of Dance.” Scherich started off the lecture with an introduction to the mathematical field of knot theory, which is a subfield of topology. She showed her Math-Dance video “Algebra, Geometry, and Topology; What’s the difference?” which explains how the three fields of mathematics are different. (You can watch the video at this link.)
Twenty minutes into the lecture, Song took over the lecture to discuss their collaborative knot theory research project that they have been working on for a three semesters. The lecture concluded with Scherich returning to the stage to discuss her research about the danceability index, which is another student project she has been working on for two years with alumni Sol Addison ’25 and Lumen Scholar Lila Snodgrass ’26.