Title: Probability with Ants
Speaker: Serban Nacu

Abstract:
Ants make an interesting subject for the statistician or the probabilist. At
the low level, an ant colony consists of a large number of similar
individuals, performing fairly simple tasks, often with a random element.
Yet at the high level, the colony is capable of complex and robust behavior,
achieved without central control. Information is transmitted
across the colony by interactions among ants, and the behavior of
individuals is strongly influenced by these interactions. Ants are also very
succesful creatures; it is estimated they make up at least 10% of the
terrestrial animal biomass.

We discuss a series of experiments performed on a population of harvester
ants living in the Arizona desert, that illustrate some of these points.
Their analysis raises some interesting statistical and mathematical
questions. We also mention some problems in (pure) probability theory that
were inspired by the ants. No previous knowledge of ants will be assumed.

This talk is based in part on joint work with Deborah Gordon and Susan
Holmes.