Current Seminars
updated 11/28/ 2001
As of November 28-30
Statistical Mechanics Seminar
Topic: The (log t)^{2/3} law of the two-dimensional asymmetric simple exclusion process
Presenter: Horng-Tzer Yau, Courant Institute
Date: Wednesday, November 28, 2001, Time: 2:00 p.m., Location: Jadwin 343
Abstract: The two-dimensional asymmetric simple exclusion process will be discussed. A classic problem is to determine the diffusion coefficient for this process and we shall show that it diverges as (log t)^{2/3} to leading order. The method applies to nearest and non-nearest neighbor asymmetric simple exclusion processes.
Department Colloquium
Topic: Topology of Lagrangian submanifolds
Presenter: Yakov Eliashberg, Institute for Advanced Study
Date: Wednesday, November 28, 2001, Time: 4:30 p.m., Location: Fine Hall 314
Abstract: This will be a survey of old and new results, as well as outstanding problems about the topology of Lagrangian submanifolds and their embeddings.
Ergodic Theory and Statistical Mechanics Seminar
Topic: Statistical properties of unimodal maps (joint with C. G. Moreira)
Presenter: Artur de Melo, Instituto de Matemática Pura e Aplicada, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Date: Thursday, November 29, 2001, Time: 2:00 p.m., Location: Fine Hall 224
Abstract: We consider non-trivial analytic families of unimodal maps, the main example being the real quadratic family. We give a stochastic description of the dynamics of (Lebesgue) almost every non-hyperbolic parameter. To achieve this goal we control the critical orbit, showing positive Lyapunov exponent (Collet-Eckmann condition) and polynomial recurrence with exponent 1.
Coverings of 3-Manifolds Seminar
Topic: An overview of the proof
Presenter: Valentin Poenaru, Université de Paris-Sud (Orsay)
Date: Thursday, November 29, 2001, Time: 3:00 p.m., Location: Fine Hall 1201
Abstract: We will give a non technical discussion of the various ingredients of the proof (that universal coverings of closed 3-manifolds are simply connected at infinity) and show how they hang together.
Discrete Mathematics Seminar
Topic: Graph Homomorphisms and Long Range Action
Presenter: Peter Winkler, Bell Labs
Date: Thursday, November 29, 2001, Time: 4:00 p.m., Location: Fine Hall 224
Topology Seminar
Topic: The virtual fundamental class for Gromov-Witten invariants
Presenter: Tom Parker, Michigan State University and Institute for Advanced Study
Date: Thursday, November 29, 2001, Time: 4:00 p.m., Location: Fine Hall 314
Princeton/IAS Number Theory Seminar
Topic: Deformations, derived categories and orthogonal representations
Presenter: Ted Chinburg, University of Pennsylvania
Date: Thursday, November 29, 2001, Time: 4:30 p.m., Location: Fine Hall 322
Abstract: This talk will be about joint work with Frauke Bleher on two different extensions of the deformation theory of representations of a profinite group. The first of these concerns deformations of elements in the derived category of modules for the group. The second has to do with deformations of representations into a given smooth algebraic group. I'll discuss applications to the hypercohomology of abelian varieties, and to "universal" versions of the work of Serre and Frohlich on Stiefel-Whitney classes and Hasse-Witt invariants.
Geometric Analysis Seminar
Topic: Rolling stones with flat sides: all time regularity of the interface
Presenter: Panagiota Daskalopoulos, Columbia University
Date: Friday, November 30, 2001, Time: 3:00 p.m., Location: Fine Hall 314
Week of December 3-7
Analysis Seminar
Topic: Approximating Wave Maps
Presenter: Jalal Shata, Courant Institute
Date: Monday, December 3, 2001, Time: 4:00 p.m., Location: Fine Hall 314
PACM Colloquium
Topic: Lattice Boltzmann Method for fluid flows
Presenter: Shiyi Chen, Johns Hopkins University
Date: Monday, December 3, 2001, Time: 4:00 p.m., Location: Fine Hall 214
Abstract: The lattice Boltzmann method has become an alternative computational scheme for solving partial differential equations and modeling physical and engineering systems. In this talk, we will briefly introduce the basic principles of the lattice Boltzmann method, its mathematical background and numerical implementations. Comparisons of the lattice Boltzmann method with traditional numerical schemes, including finite difference schemes and pseudo-spectral methods, for solving the Navier-Stokes equations will be presented. The applications of the lattice Boltzmann method for simulating multiphase flows, flow through porous media, MEMS and suspended particle motions will be discussed.
Coverings of 3-Manifolds Seminar
Topic: Universal covering spaces of closed 3-manifolds Part I
Presenter: Valentin Poenaru, Université de Paris-Sud (Orsay)
Date: Tuesday, December 4, 2001, Time: 3:00 p.m., Location: Fine Hall 1201
Algebraic Geometry Seminar
Topic: New examples of non-K\"ahler homotopy types
Presenter: Tony Pantev, University of Pennsylvania
Date: Tuesday, December 4, 2001, Time: 4:30 p.m., Location: Fine Hall 314
Abstract: This is a report on a recent joint work with Ludmil Katzarkov and Bertrand Toen in which we construct new examples of homotopy types which are not realizable as complex projective manifolds. In order to carry out the construction we define new homotopy invariants of a space $X$ related to the action of its fundamental group $\pi_{1}(X,x)$ on the higher homotopy groups of the schematized homotopy type $(X\otimes {\mathbb C})^{\text{sch}}$ of $X$. When $X$ is a smooth projective variety we use the Hodge decomposition on $(X\otimes {\mathbb C})^{\text{sch}}$ to deduce restrictions on these invariants and construct explicit examples which do not satisfy these restrictions.
Department Colloquium
Topic: TBA
Presenter: Sergiu Klainerman, Princeton University
Date: Wednesday, December 5, 2001, Time: 4:30 p.m., Location: Fine Hall 314
Ergodic Theory and Statistical Mechanics Seminar
Topic: Central limit theorem for some models of random walks in random enviroment and model of directed polymers
Presenter: Robert A. Minlos, Institute for Information Transmission Problems, Moscow
Date: Thursday, December 6, 2001, Time: 2:00 p.m., Location: Fine 224
Coverings of 3-Manifolds Seminar
Topic: Universal covering spaces of closed 3-manifolds Part II
Presenter: Valentin Poenaru, Université de Paris-Sud (Orsay)
Date: Thursday, December 6, 2001, Time: 3:00 p.m., Location: Fine Hall 1201
Topology Seminar
Topic: Periodic Floer homology
Presenter: Michael Hutchings, Institute for Advanced Study and Berkeley University
Date: Thursday, December 6, 2001, Time: 4:00 p.m., Location: Fine Hall 314
Princeton/IAS Number Theory Seminar
Topic: On mu-Invariants of Elliptic Curves over Q
Presenter: Mak Trifkovic, Harvard University
Date: Thursday, December 6, 2001, Time: 4:30 p.m., Location: IAS SH-101
Abstract: The talk will survey some recent work on the Iwasawa mu-invariants of p-Selmer groups of elliptic curves relative to the cyclotomic Z_p-tower over Q. The guiding conjecture in the field is due to Ralph Greenberg, and asserts that any elliptic curve over Q is isogenous to one with mu-invariant zero. I will talk about what is known about this conjecture, both by way of proof and by way of computational verification, and will present some new examples of curves with mu=0.
Geometric Analysis Seminar
Topic: Effective Schottky problem
Presenter: Samuel Grushevsky, Harvard University
Date: Friday, December 7, 2001, Time: 3:00 p.m., Location: Fine Hall 314
Week of December 10-14
Analysis Seminar
Topic: TBA
Presenter: Steve Zelditch, Johns Hopkins University
Date: Monday, December 10, 2001, Time: 4:00 p.m., Location: Fine Hall 314
Coverings of 3-Manifolds Seminar
Topic: Universal covering spaces of closed 3-manifolds Part III
Presenter: Valentin Poenaru, Université de Paris-Sud (Orsay)
Date: Tuesday, December 11, 2001, Time: 3:00 p.m., Location: Fine Hall 1201
Algebraic Geometry Seminar
Topic: TBA
Presenter: Ron Donagi, University of Pennsylvania
Date: Tuesday, December 11, 2001, Time: 4:30 p.m., Location: Fine Hall 314
Department Colloquium
Topic: Universal covering spaces of closed 3 manifolds are simply connected at infinity
Presenter: Valentin Poenaru, Université de Paris-Sud (Orsay)
Date: Wednesday, December 12, 2001, Time: 4:30 p.m., Location: Fine Hall 314
Coverings of 3-Manifolds Seminar
Topic: Universal covering spaces of closed 3-manifolds Part IV
Presenter: Valentin Poenaru, Université de Paris-Sud (Orsay)
Date: Thursday, December 13, 2001, Time: 3:00 p.m., Location: Fine Hall 1201
Princeton/IAS Number Theory Seminar
Topic: Congruences between modular forms.
Presenter: James Parson, Princeton University
Date: Thursday, December 13, 2001, Time: 4:30 p.m., Location: TBA
Abstract: Since the 70s, the old subject of congruences between elliptic modular forms has been relevant to contemporary arithmetic issues. Some of the fundamental results on such congruences will be discussed and a new perspective based on the modular representation theory of reductive groups over local fields will be introduced.
Geometric Analysis Seminar
Topic: Harmonic map between spheres
Presenter: Tang Zizhou, Princeton University and Tsing Hua University
Date: Friday, December 14, 2001, Time: 3:00 p.m., Location: Fine Hall 314