Virtual Reality Pool in Curved Spaces (Guest Speaker: Jeff Weeks)

Dr. Jeff Weeks of Canton gives a presentation for the Mathematics Undergraduate Colloquium Series. Abstract: After a brief introduction to non-Euclidean 2D geometry using fleece surfaces, two volunteers will don a VR headset to shoot some pool in 3D spherical, Euclidean and hyperbolic spaces, with the rest of the audience following along on the lecture hall’s main screen. You'll see some surprising optical effects, which we’ll explain using the fleece surfaces. The VR Curved-Space Pool Hall game will remain available in the lecture hall for the hour after the talk to let as many people as possible try non-Euclidean pool for themselves. This talk is intended for a broad audience, from first-year undergraduates on up.