Cantor Sets: a brief survey

Abstract: Cantor sets were intoduced by the number theorist HJS Smith in 1875 and have been an important source of examples, counterexamples, and inspiration ever since. They are one of the prototypical fractals. And, they are an active focus of research to this day. This talk aims to introduce Cantor sets to Masters students. After the basic construction and some historical remarks, we will survey a few different ways that modern mathematicians are still learning new things about Cantor sets. Emphasis will be on pictures and big ideas.

Mathematics

Audience: general audience

Trends in Mathematical Research