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Seminar of Graph Theory - Martin Bachratý (15.12.2022)

Martin.Skoviera@fmph.uniba.sk — Mon, 12 Dec 2022 23:31:00 +0100

Martin Bachratý (STU Bratislava):
Orientably-regular maps with no non-trivial exponents
Abstract:
Given an orientable map M, and an integer e relatively prime to the valency of M, the e-th rotational power M^e of M is the map formed by replacing the cyclic rotation of edges around each vertex with its e-th power. If maps M and M^e are isomorphic, and the corresponding isomorphism preserves the orientation of the carrier surface, then we say that e is an exponent of M. In the talk we will give an outline of methods and results leading to a computer-free classification of orientably-regular maps of genus $p+1$ for all primes $p\le 83$ (and hence for all primes $p$). This is a report on a joint work with M. Bachraty, M. Conder and J. Siagiova.
More information

Student investigates the relationship between night light and food intake

pr@uniba.sk — Mon, 12 Dec 2022 16:49:00 +0100

Night lighting affects the functioning of the central circadian clock, causing changes to hormonal rhythms, food and water intake, as well as metabolism. Even very low intensity ambient light produced by street lamps or advertising signs which surround us in cities, represents a risk. Valentína Rumanová from the Faculty of Natural Sciences studies the mechanisms through which changes occur in the organism. She and her team carry out research on rats, whose metabolism is similar to that of humans. They discovered that even subdued ambient light at night disrupts the body's circadian rhythms, affecting both behaviour and molecular processes. The consequence is the disruption of internal rhythms, which could contribute to the emergence and more rapid progress of diseases. "During my study visit at the Medical Center of the University of Amsterdam, and while working in Professor Kalsbeek’s lab, I conduced an experiment in which we discovered that the disruptive effect of dim night lighting can, to some extent, be mitigated by limiting food intake to the active phase," Valentína Rumanová from CU explains how the research originated. Soft ambient lighting at night stimulates increased storage of fat in the liver, which is not adapted to long-term fat storage, causing a negative effect on various metabolic pathways. However, little is known about the consequent changes to the circadian rhythms of rats, mice, or humans. If the relationship between the time of food intake and ambient night lighting is confirmed, new therapies could be designed for people with metabolic diseases, obesity or diabetes. Eating at correct times could slow down the course of their disease or even suppress it.

Announcement of state examination

Thu, 08 Dec 2022 10:11:00 +0100

The regular State Examination from Pharmaceutical chemistry, Pharmacology and Pharmacognosy in...

Mlynská dolina has its own novel

nasa.univerzita@uniba.sk — Wed, 07 Dec 2022 14:22:00 +0100

Why did you decide to set your novel in the Mlyny Dormitories? I felt the need to create a record of my five years at the university. They were very colourful, full of experiences, some funny moments and some difficult moments. I wanted to give them a summary form, to create my own mini-memoir. I wrote "Droplets” in my dorm room, T 81, in the Atrium Houses. Who did you imagine as the reader of your book? Every student who sits destitute and sad on the bus no. 31, gets off, has a cheap soup in Venza or Eat, collapses on the bed of the dorm room and wants to recharge a little with joy. That's why the cover of the book is cheerful and I hope the text is too. "Droplets” begins as a story full of innocent, joyful and absurd stories of two friends, Mirko and Samko, who are looking for friendship and love on the campus. Gradually, however, the story receives a darker tint, and more serious topics are addressed. Was your goal to point out the problems that students will encounter at Mlyny? Yes, it was my intention to gradually darken the plot. I wanted the book to serve as a manual for college life, and I wanted to describe the brighter moments, but also the darker aspects. To show that students are not always happy, that they also deal with depressing problems and sometimes, unfortunately, they opt to use illegal substances as a way out. Is it a warning to aspiring students, not to be too naive? Partly, yes. I wanted to do it like some professors who, at the very beginning of their lectures, unload on the students everything they will have to master and fulfil. I also wanted the students to know right from the start what awaits them in dorm life, what they are getting into, so they don’t leave after a month. But it is also an invitation to study at a university, specifically Comenius University, and to stay at Mlyny. There are adventures to be had there. What do you think are the priorities of today’s students? The first priority is themselves. They search for themselves, they seek their own self. Relationships are the second priority - they arrive in a new environment, from all corners of Slovakia. I think their study only comes third, and I think that's right. Because those who put school first will not experience what they should experience during their five years at university. Money is also a priority – it’s a pretty essential commodity that accompanies university life. There are many stories in the book, some of which are quite incredible, for example, when students act as security guards or the "pop out for a kebab". How many of them really happened and how many are products of your imagination? Any event like that could happen, because Mlynská dolina is the birthplace of bizarre situations. Some really happened, for example the "pop out for a kebab" one. But it's still just a novel. In the book, you also point out things that don't work, or that work, but are not legal. Is this your message to the management of the Dorms to begin addressing these shortcomings? The Mlyny campus has its charms, although in many ways it looks exactly as it did fifty years ago. A student is a creature that becomes accustomed to anything, but I think it would be nice to create an environment for students where they would feel both safe and comfortable. As for the character in the novel who engages in not-quite-legal activities, that’s just a vehicle to dramatize the plot. How do readers respond so far? I've had feedback mainly from friends, and it's generally positive, they say it's a ‘page-turner’. My dorm roommates are trying to find themselves in the book, and I think each of them will discover a part of what we went through together. While reading 'Droplets’ one feels that you’re fairly well-read for a starting author. Who were your literary role models? I studied English and Slovak literature, and my favourites are, for example, Jack London, F.S. Fitzgerald, who describes a hedonistic life, but also Martin Kukučín, who focuses attention on the ordinary person. I also like Dostoyevsky and his treatment of the inner world of the characters. But I think I have created something new because no other literary work takes place at Mlynská dolina. Your book is written in a specific language which is modern, with a lot of words loaned from English that are sometimes literally transcribed into Slovak (for example, 'ajsik' for ISIC), but often whole sentences and quotes remain in English. Did you have to struggle with the editors when publishing the book? No, they mostly respected that it was my writing style. What they provided was rather "maternal guidance" to make sure the text flowed properly. The names of all the main characters are in diminutives - Mirko, Samko, Majka, Hanka. Why did you choose to do it this way? That way, I came to like them more easily. Their actions are not always positive, but I still tried to see some good in them. When they did something less than admirable, it allowed me to use the non-diminutive form to highlight that fact in the story. And I also think that the main character, Mirko, would use diminutives to call his friends. You never reveal what Mirko is studying. I saved that for the next book, where it will be revealed, but I don't think it's too important. So ‘Droplets’ will have a sequel? Yes, there were a lot of memories and they are and will be accumulating, because life has started at Mlyny again after the pandemic. I have already finished the second volume entitled Dážď (Rain) and I am working on the third - Búrka (Storm). The heroes remain, but they advance through the university and acquire new experiences. I am glad that through them, I'm experiencing the dorm life again.

Mgr. Matúš Mahút (1997)
grew up in Orava, and in 2022 he completed his studies of English and Slovak at the Faculty of Education of Comenius University. In 2021, he published an allegorical novel, ‘Tam hore’ (Up there) and in 2022 the novel ‘Kvapky’ (Droplets), the first part of a planned trilogy taking place in the dormitories of Mlynská dolina. In addition to writing, he enjoys sports, music, fitness training and crocheting.

Mgr. Matúš Mahút (1997)

grew up in Orava, and in 2022 he completed his studies of English and Slovak at the Faculty of Education of Comenius University. In 2021, he published an allegorical novel, ‘Tam hore’ (Up there) and in 2022 the novel ‘Kvapky’ (Droplets), the first part of a planned trilogy taking place in the dormitories of Mlynská dolina. In addition to writing, he enjoys sports, music, fitness training and crocheting.

Barbora Tancerová

University of Bern joins the ENLIGHT alliance, which also includes Comenius University

pr@uniba.sk — Wed, 07 Dec 2022 14:18:00 +0100

Through the ENLIGHT superuniversity, the largest Slovak university now has a new strategic partner for cooperation. The University of Bern is an excellent university and one of the best in Switzerland. In international rankings it regularly ranks around the 100th place. Approximately 19,500 students study at its eight faculties which offer state-of-the-art facilities. Swiss universities are fighting to retain their connections to European networks. They do so under difficult conditions since Switzerland was excluded from Horizon Europe and Erasmus+. This year, however, Swiss universities were given the opportunity to join European University alliances as "associated partners". ENLIGHT is an alliance of European universities and consists of 9 renowned research-intensive universities located in Ghent (Belgium), Tartu (Estonia), Bordeaux (France), Göttingen (Germany), Galway (Ireland), Groningen (the Netherlands), Uppsala (Sweden), Bratislava (Slovakia) and the Basque Country (Spain). On 1 December 2022, the University of Bern was elected as associated member by the ENLIGHT Governing Board. ENLIGHT offers mobility and education among its member universities. They offer a wide range of exchange opportunities and support transdisciplinary education in order to prepare students for the challenges of a connected world. “Even though our researchers still urgently need Switzerland's association to Horizon Europe, to be part of the most important research network in the world, joining ENLIGHT is an important step for us to retain our connections in Europe and promote exchanges as well as cooperation," says Christian Leumann, Rector of the University of Bern. The ENLIGHT universities cooperate closely in areas where the University of Bern can contribute actively, such as health, climate change, digitization or renewable energy.

Saint Nicholas, Old Man Frost, or Santa Claus? To each their own

nasa.univerzita@uniba.sk — Tue, 06 Dec 2022 09:16:00 +0100

The questions of traditions and their changes constitute the fundamental issues studied by ethnologists. Nicholas, Old Man Frost and Santa Claus are excellent material recording the significant changes that the Slovak society has undergone since World War II. „Together they form a somewhat grotesque trinity in the melting pot of globalized traditions. How were they accepted or welcomed in our lands? How did their representations change in a specific community? And what is the relationship between native and foreign cultural phenomena, between tradition and change?“ asks Professor Botiková. Saint Nicholas has been with us for centuries The one with the longest tradition of giving gifts prior to Christmas is St. Nicholas. A popular legend has it that in the 4th century AD, Bishop Nicholas from the city of Myra in Asia Minor saved three poor girls from prostitution by secretly giving their father a bag of dowry money through the window at night, so that the girls could marry honourably. Respect for this saint in our country dates back to the Middle Ages and he is the patron of many churches. Since Nicholas was also worshiped as the patron saint of students, they honoured his life by performing theatre plays on 6 December. Sometimes these performances turned into merry marches in costumes and masks through the town while the students begged for money and at times „liberated“something in the houses they visited. After complaints from the church and from honourable citizens, Emperor Joseph II banned the rowdy St. Nicholas processions at the end of the 18th century, and ordered that no St. Nicholas party may exceed three members - St. Nicholas himself, an angel and the devil. Gradually, in both urban and rural environments, Nicholas „withdrew“from the public space to families, and his educational dimension prevailed. Parents „ordered“ Nicholas and the devil into the household to teach their children a lesson. „Research data confirms that the masked trio was welcome in both religious and secular families. This was true particularly in towns. The children recited a short poem or prayer to Nicholas and received a gift as a reward. The lesson of the good old man who rewards children for good behaviour has become a stable part of winter,“ explains Professor Botikova. In the first half of the 20th century, when ethnographic researchers visited rural areas, Nicholas did not yet exhibit all the episcopal attributes of his disguise and had a habit of visiting girls during the spinning of wool, along with the other masks. Prayers addressed to him, albeit jocular, spoke to one of Nicholas's charities, which was to find an honourable groom for teenage girls.

Prof. PhDr. Marta Botiková, CSc.
works at the Department of Ethnology of the Faculty of Arts. Her main areas of interest include historical and contemporary family studies, the cycle of life, gender issues in culture, and visual ethnology and anthropology. She is the author and co-author of a number of papers, including books like ‘Traditions of the Slovak Family’ or ‘Girls and Women in Slovakia and in Hungary (1955-1989)’.

Prof. PhDr. Marta Botiková, CSc.

works at the Department of Ethnology of the Faculty of Arts. Her main areas of interest include historical and contemporary family studies, the cycle of life, gender issues in culture, and visual ethnology and anthropology. She is the author and co-author of a number of papers, including books like ‘Traditions of the Slovak Family’ or ‘Girls and Women in Slovakia and in Hungary (1955-1989)’.

Old Man Frost as a Soviet import After World War II when the communists took over power in Czechoslovakia, the Saint Bishop Nicholas became unacceptable on grounds on ideology because the official state doctrine was hostile to anything religious. In the Soviet Union, however, communists found a replacement - Old Man Frost. He originated in Russia from a 19th-century literary character, personifying the power of nature, being the good ruler of the frost from Siberia, who arrives with Snow White to dispense gifts to children. He was usually dressed in a white fur coat and a white sheepskin fur hat. „Old Man Frost came to Czechoslovakia as a Soviet import in the 1950s. As a character unencumbered by a religious background, he was a suitable substitute, and the 'politically correct' Snow White replaced the angel,“ says Professor Botiková. However, Old Man Frost only took over the public spaces in Czechoslovakia. He came on a sleigh or a carriage to light Christmas trees in town squares, to hand out gifts at trade union meetings or „meetings under the fir tree“ of the young 'Pioneers' (a sanitised, communist alternative to Scouts). However, he had no success penetrating into families. Ethnological research confirms that in those, including the families of communists, sweets were always delivered to children on 6 December by Saint Nicholas. „For some families, the tradition of Nicholas, the angel and the devil even took on the form of resistance against the official regime,“says Professor Botiková. Santa Claus and the U.S. The Christmas donor changed radically after the fall of communism in November 1989. During the 1990's Western culture flooded in and with it came Santa Claus. His red clothes resembled those of Nicholas, and the winter coat and beard reminded of Old Man Frost. „Despite his name, there is nothing specifically Christian about the appearance or activities of Santa Claus - he is neither a bishop nor a saint, but a kind of mysterious elf, and he is accepted by all ethnic groups in the U.S. Through the legend of Rudolph the Reindeer the educational function of rewarding good behaviour was superseded by the quintessential American dream - the mocked little reindeer with a red nose eventually achieves success,“ says Marta Botiková. In our country, Santa Claus has become omnipresent at Christmas time, even leading to frequent lamentations that he ‘displaces’ our traditional Saint Nicholas and baby Jesus, representing the same kind of foreign import like the Soviet Old Man Frost did. According to the ethnologist, however, acceptance of Santa into our culture is selective. „In the U.S., Santa Claus is the Christmas giver. On 25 December, he arrives on a sled pulled by his reindeer and drops presents down the chimney into stockings hung on the mantelpiece. But we are not really prepared to accept this narrative in our country, not least because our apartments generally lack fireplaces. In our lands, Santa Claus has not yet 'broken through' the strong Christian tradition in which it is baby Jesus who gives the presents.“ More often, Santa Claus is the character associated with Christmas shopping - residing in shopping malls and allowing children to take pictures with him. Each figure has its field of authority According to the ethnologist, the coexistence of all three figures, and the baby Jesus in our country is made possible by the fact that our winter-time gift-giving traditions are spread over time. Saint Nicholas gives gifts on 6 December, while baby Jesus arrives on Christmas Eve, 24 December. „The period between 6 December and the Christmas holidays is ‘available’ for Santa Claus to present himself in shopping centres. But Old Man Frost never left either. He is still present during Christmas school holidays through a popular movie fairy tale played frequently on TV, whose lines have become common lore. It’s like each of them found their own field of authority. None of them are forgotten, and similarities win over differences. Any differences manifest themselves in the different spaces where these characters appear,“thinks Professor Botiková. Young parents sometimes face the dilemma of explaining the complexity of Christmastime present-giving to their young children, who still believe in mysterious gift bearers. What would the ethnologist advise them? „During parenthood, we relive our childhood and our memories, seeking a model that evokes the positive emotions and memories. Why not repeat what we experienced when we were children? We could explain the children that 'here' we do it this way, and that elsewhere things are different. We can preserve family traditions. The child accepts it, and the other supernatural donors are accepted as supplements. Children certainly don't mind getting candy multiple times.“ Barbora Tancerová

CHECK OUT PROCESS

Tue, 20 Dec 2022 13:58:00 +0100

Each resident who wants to completely and successfully check-out must:

clean the room according to the instructions (INSTRUCTIONS),*
print a check-out ticket (CHECK-OUT TICKET) or pick it up at the gatehouse or the accommodation department,
call room control (the contact can be found on the check-out ticket),
if you had bed linen from the warehouse for bedsheets, please returned it there
with a confirmed check-out ticket, visit the accommodation department, where you will present the ISIC, ID, or other borrowed items (bike storage key, Salto card).
The entire check-out process must be carried out on weekdays between 7:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.
If you are leaving during the weekend or early morning (before 8:00 a.m):

You can check out your room the day before weekend/ your departure and stay as a visitor of your roommate (without paying)
You can ask your friend (roommate) to do the check-out process for you

Early check-out: According to the terms of Accommodation contract, we will not refund the rest of the payment that you paid for winter/summer semester
The deposit you paid at the beginning of the accommodation will be returned to your account after completing checkout – in case you have a Slovak or Czech account. If you do not have one, please tell us about it and you fill in refunding form.
When checking out, please observe the end date of the accommodation period as stated in the contract. The last day of the contract is also the last day you can check out. In case of late check-out, you will be penalized by an amount of €100 in accordance with Internal Regulations of the dormitory and twice the daily price for accommodation.

For the further questions, please contact your coordinator via e mail mlyny.ubytovanie@uniba.sk or step by our accommodation office in person. *If the guest does not clean his room according to the instructions, he will be charged a fine according to the valid price list of fees.

Student associations receive funding for their activities

pr@uniba.sk — Wed, 07 Dec 2022 14:14:00 +0100

One of the projects which received support is the TROJSTEN association operating at the Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics. It will use the grant to restore existing and purchase new technical equipment, to be used during its training sessions and competitions. The Slovak Association of Dentistry Students will use the grant money to buy virtual reality equipment, enabling the association to improve the quality of its extensive educational and awareness-raising activities. The equipment will be installed in the association’s meeting room and will help develop educational activities for students. Department of Zoology of the Faculty of Natural Sciences wants to publish a brief manual for the construction of various types of birdhouses, describing the most common types of cavity nesters using each type of birdhouse, and explaining how to maintain and properly place the birdhouses. The university also decided to support the 2023 Career Days of Pharmacists organized by the Slovak Association of Pharmacy Students. The goal of the event is to introduce career opportunities to pharmacy students, to mediate the initial contacts of future employees with their employers, and promote career opportunities at distribution or pharmaceutical companies. SEJK – The Association of Hungarian Medics in Bratislava will use the financial support to organise popular and successful events, develop new educational visions, buy books for the association’s library and procure teaching aids for the surgical suturing course. Last year, the university approved grants to the Gymnik folk art ensemble who bought costumes and organised an event to celebrate its 60th anniversary; the Association of Bratislava Medics to buy professional equipment or the Družba 17 Boxing Association which bought sport equipment for its gym. "We are pleased that even in these difficult times we can support our student associations, which are doing a great job. They show us that university study is not only about lectures and lab classes, but also about self-actualisation by trying to make the world around you better. We do our best to give support to such activities, because they are an inherent part of our university world." said the rector of Comenius University Marek Števček. List of student associations which receive grants

Iterative Learning Control for Equations with Fractional Derivatives and Impulses / JinRong Wang, Shengda Liu, Michal Fečkan

Michal.Feckan@fmph.uniba.sk — Fri, 02 Dec 2022 12:14:00 +0100

This book introduces iterative learning control (ILC) and its applications to the new equations such as fractional order equations, impulsive equations, delay equations, and multi-agent systems, which have not been presented in other books on conventional fields. ILC is an important branch of intelligent control, which is applicable to robotics, process control, and biological systems. The fractional version of ILC updating laws and formation control are presented in this book. ILC design for impulsive equations and inclusions are also established. The broad variety of achieved results with rigorous proofs and many numerical examples make this book unique. This book is useful for graduate students studying ILC involving fractional derivatives and impulsive conditions as well as for researchers working in pure and applied mathematics, physics, mechanics, engineering, biology, and related disciplines. Publisher:: Springer
ISBN: 978-981-16-8243-8
Year: 2022

Seminar of Department of Theoretical Physics - Eugenia Boffo (13.12.2022)

Peter.Matak@fmph.uniba.sk — Wed, 30 Nov 2022 12:41:00 +0100

Eugenia Boffo (Mathematical Institute of Charles University):
On the backgrounds of spinning particles
Abstract:
Spinning particles are models for point particles with spin degrees of freedom. They automatically feature N-supersymmetry on the worldline, with fixed albeit arbitrary N. After first quantization one obtains spin-N/2 states in the Hilbert space. Consistency conditions for second quantization, realized in the form of BRST quantization, can severely restrict the background fields in target space, putting them on-shell. In the N=2 case the target space can host a Yang-Mills gauge theory, while in N=4 it is possible to have Einstein's gravity and the NS-NS sector of Supergravity. After explaining these passages, I will present some new results involving the Ramond-Ramond fluxes, the topological sectors and a complex structure in the target. Based on a work with I. Sachs and an on-going work with O. Hulik and I. Sachs.