1:30 PM-3:30 PM
Plumeria &Tiare (Salon 9 & 10)
Symmetry is an extremely useful tool in the analysis of pattern formation. Many studies assume a symmetrical system and then use results from group theory and algebraic geometry to analyze it. No experimental apparatus is perfectly symmetrical, however, so it is important to study the effects of almost symmetrical systems. A small explicit symmetry breaking unfolding can have a large qualitative effect, such as the breaking of heteroclinic cycles or the appearance of bursting phenomena. Because of the importance of the original symmetry and the way it is broken, group theoretical methods are essential for an adequate understanding of these effects.
Organizer: Timothy K. Callahan