Past Events

E.g., Apr 29, 2025

Oliver Siebert

University of California, Davis
On the thermodynamic limit of interacting fermions in the continuum

March 6, 2025

ESB 4133

In this talk I will consider the dynamics of non-relativistic fermions in infinite volume in the continuum, interacting through a non-regularized pair potential. Employing methods developed by Buchholz in the framework of resolvent algebras for bosons, I will show how the CAR algebra can be... Read more

  • Mathematical Physics

Ilya Gekhtman

Technion
Stationary Actions of Countable Groups and What Are They Good For

March 6, 2025

UBC

Invariant random subgroups are conjugation invariant measures on the space of subgroups of a given group G. Their study provides a fertile playground for the interaction of algebra, geometry, probability and ergodic theory.

On one hand, they arise as point stabilizers for probability... Read more

Lily Reeves

Caltech
Chemical distance in hierarchical percolation

March 5, 2025

Hierarchical percolation is a toy model for percolation on $\mathbb{Z}^d$ that, much like the Euclidean model, is expected to exhibit mean-field behavior in high dimensions, non-mean-field behavior in low dimensions, and mean-field behavior with logarithmic corrections at the upper-critical... Read more

  • Probability

Stelios Varchanis

Flatiron Institute
Computational Rheology of Microscale Physical and Biological Systems

March 3, 2025

MATX 1100 and Zoom

Complex fluids—such as polymer solutions, crude oil, blood, foams, emulsions, and soft matter—exhibit nontrivial rheological properties, including viscoelasticity, plasticity, and time- dependent behavior. Understanding, predicting, and controlling their response is crucial for industrial... Read more

Stephen Pietromonaco

UBC
Curve Counting on Abelian Surface Fibrations and Quasi-Siegel Modular Forms

March 3, 2025

Math 126, Dept. of Mathematics, UBC

A big conjecture which emerged from the math-physics interface is that the Gromov-Witten potentials of a Calabi-Yau threefold are generalized quasi-modular objects. In on-going work, joint with Aaron Pixton, we study the case of Picard rank 3 Abelian surface fibrations, where quasi-modular forms... Read more

  • Algebra and Algebraic geometry

Aukosh Jagannath

University of Waterloo
The training dynamics and local geometry of high-dimensional learning

February 28, 2025

ESB 2012 and Zoom

Many modern data science tasks can be expressed as optimizing a complex, random function in high dimensions. The go-to method for such problems is Stochastic gradient descent (SGD), which performs remarkably well—c.f. the success of modern neural networks. However, the rigorous analysis of SGD... Read more

Rodolfo Brandao

Princeton University
Elastic filaments in viscous flows

February 27, 2025

Irving K Barber 261 and Zoom

Hydrodynamic interactions between elastic filaments and external flows play a fundamental role in various natural processes, including the locomotion of flagellated and ciliated organisms. In this talk, we explore key problems involving elastic filaments immersed in a viscous fluid and subjected... Read more

Rahul Dalal

University of Vienna
Automorphic Representations and Quantum Logic Gates

February 27, 2025

MATH 126

Any construction of a quantum computer requires finding a good set of universal quantum logic gates: abstractly, a finite set of matrices in U(2^n) such that short products of them can efficiently approximate arbitrary unitary transformations. The 2-qubit case n=2 is of particular practical... Read more

  • Number Theory

Anotida Madzvamuse


Unravelling the mathematics for single cell dynamics

February 26, 2025

Civil and Mechanical Engineering Building

Join us for an engaging presentation on "Unraveling the Mathematics of Single-Cell Dynamics" with Dr. Anotida Madzvamuse. This event is part of the UBC Applied Science Black Excellence in STEM (BEST) Speaker Series , in collaboration with the Faculties of Science, Forestry, and Land... Read more

  • Mathematical Biology

Aukosh Jagannath

University of Waterloo
Replica Symmetry Breaking, Shattering, and Metastability

February 26, 2025

The statics and dynamics of mean-field models of spin glasses have been studied in-depth by the physics community since the '70s. At the heart of this is the trade-off between the notions of replica symmetry breaking, shattering, and metastability. I will survey the current mathematical... Read more

  • Probability