Links

Neutrino Oscillations

Transactional Quantum Mechanics

Complexity Theory

Mathematisches Institut

Georg-August-Universität Göttingen

Robert F. Scheyder

I am a student in the Mathematics Department at the University of Pennsylvania. We are located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This is my official university website. I am an adult student, which is a rarity in the undergraduate mathematics classes. While it poses no problems for me, I think sometimes that the younger students wonder what I am doing! What I am doing is enjoying myself while learning mathematics from some of the most eminent professionals in the field. This website describes my work and activities at Penn.

Mathematical Interests
I am interested in Complexity Theory in general. Complexity Theory forms the basis that describes how phenomena seemingly unrelated, such as weather patterns and planetary orbits, obey the same laws of Nature. The field is immense! For this reason alone, I am drawn to this area of inquiry. I have been fortunate to participate in projects that span the academic spectrum. I am always looking for new ways to apply what I have learnt and am still learning, and the cross fertilization across specific disciplines has been enormous.

Recent Academic Activities
I have been involved with many projects in addition to my formal course work. These projects include the following:

• Solar Neutrino Detector
  I worked with Professor Ken Lande of the Penn Physics Department.  I designed and built a prototype neutrino detector .  Subsequent testing using an artificial (non-solar)  neutrino source confirmed proof of concept.  I incorporated many new design elements into my detector.  I wrote a comprehensive paper that described both  the theoretical aspects and experimental results of my prototype detector.
• Neutrino Oscillation
  Under the direction of Professor Ken Lande I wrote a theoretical paper.  The central problem of solar neutrino research is explaining why the number of solar neutrinos observed experimentally is approximately half of the amount predicted theoretically.  Part of the explanation relies upon the predicted phenomenon of neutrino oscillation.  In order for this to occur however, neutrinos are assumed to have mass greater than zero.  I provided an account of the theoretical framework  that provides for neutrino mass existence.
• Neanderthal Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)
  I am currently working with Dr. Janet Monge of the Penn Anthropology Department. The primary literature seems to indicate that Homo neanderthalis did not interbreed with Homo sapiens. This conclusion is based upon results obtained from conducting PCR tests on Neanderthal mtDNA. This conclusion, however, I feel is in error. I am using chaos theory and other mathematics as well as the Computer Algebra System called Mathematica® to investigate the claim for non-interbreeding.