Series: Mathematics Colloquium

Date: Thursday, October 25, 2001

Time: 4:30 - 5:30 PM

Place: 102 McAllister Building

Host: Winnie Li

Refreshments: 4:00 - 4:30 PM, in 212 McAllister

Speaker: Jeffrey C. Lagarias, AT&T Research Labs

Title: Trisecting Angles: Morley's Theorem and Related Geometry

Abstract: 

Morley's theorem states that, given a triangle, the trisectors of the
three interior angles determine three points of intersection inside
the triangle which form an equilateral triangle.  In 1998 Alain Connes
found an intriguing new proof of Morley's theorem.  This talk presents
this proof, and the history of this problem and related problems in
geometry.  The talk will contain digressions, in the spirit of Philip
K. Davis' book ``The Thread: A Mathematical Yarn.''