Imbuzeiro presents the ‘random explorer’ to IMPA Tech students

04/07/2024

IMPA researcher Roberto Imbuzeiro gave a lecture to IMPA Tech students on Wednesday (3). With the theme “The random explorer in a maze of data”, Imbuzeiro spoke about probability and linear algebra. He used real-world examples to illustrate mathematical issues, such as election polls and the traditional heads or tails game, which were used to talk about data analysis and margins of error in studies.

“I wanted to talk about something interesting, something that had a connection with things that the students have already seen in high school or that they are going to study here as undergraduates, but that at the same time had a different ‘flavor’,” said the researcher. The subjects presented by Imbuzeiro will be studied in depth in the subject “Introduction to Probability”, which is part of the Mathematics of Technology and Innovation curriculum.

To pique the students’ interest, he also developed a random walk through large databases to explain the importance of chance when looking for objects in numerical searches. In addition, the researcher demonstrated that acting randomly is a good way of preventing the worst cases.

For student Gileade Coimbra, extracurricular activities are essential for a well-rounded education. “Although I’m not very interested in probability, I was intrigued by the topic presented. This kind of event is crucial to our university experience. To become quality scientists, we need to have access to the full experience of doing science. A university isn’t just made up of lectures and professors,” he said.

The meeting with IMPA Tech students continued a cycle of seminars with IMPA researchers at the Port Maravalley auditorium. The initiative aims to bring undergraduate students closer to the applied research areas developed at the institute, especially at the Pi Center (IMPA Projects and Innovation Center). Project scientist Lucas Nissenbaum was responsible for the first meeting, which took place on June 27. The next seminars will be announced soon.

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See also: Nissenbaum presents research methods to IMPA Tech students