Mon, 09 Nov 2026
16:00
C4

Smooth numbers and random multiplicative functions

Seth Hardy
(University of Oxford)
Abstract

In seminal work, Harper showed that the partial sums of random multiplicative functions enjoy "better than square-root cancellation". This surprising phenomenon gives rise to many questions; for example, recent research has focused on whether certain subsums possess this property. In this talk, I will introduce smooth numbers, discuss their "anatomy", and relate this to recent progress on random multiplicative functions over smooth numbers. This is based on joint work with Max Wenqiang Xu.

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