By Martha Groppo

Zombies and mathematical equations— both might keep you awake at night, but now they have something else in common.

On Wednesday, zombies and math will be the subject at the UK Math Club’s meeting.

“We tried to look for something that was related to the season,” said Katie Volz, UK Math Club president.

The club’s guest speaker, Professor Alan Demlow, will use math to present a model zombie infection and to explain what could be done to stop a zombie infestation.

Demlow’s lecture will be based on an article published in an infectious disease publication. He will use the plots of popular zombie movies as a model for his hypothetical zombie infection.

“He’s going to be talking about what would happen if zombies attacked,” Volz said.

Demlow will also discuss what it would take for humans to reverse a zombie infection. According to the article that inspired Demlow’s lecture, “only quick, aggressive attacks can stave off the doomsday scenario: the collapse of society as zombies overtake us all.” The club is counting on the lecture subject not spoiling appetites as free pizza will be available after the discussion.

Despite the creepy topic, Volz hopes this event will make math seem a little less scary for students. She says the club, which became a student-run organization in September, hopes “to show people that math can be fun.”

The club seeks student-friendly topics at its meetings, which occur every 30 to 60 days on Wednesdays. At a previous meeting, the club learned about the mathematical systems used by Netflix.

“We are trying to figure out what kind of activities will attract students,” Volz said.

Volz hopes that the zombie meeting will break some stereotypes about people who love math.

“People tend to think math people are pretty strict … we can laugh and have fun too,” Volz said.

The Math Club members aren’t all math majors, and any student interested in math is welcome.

Zombie infections and mathematical equations can both be terrifying, but the Math Club hopes to prove that neither is as bad as it seems.

The zombie infection will take place Wednesday from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the Whitehall Classroom Building, room 204.