Planets Day is a one-day meeting for anyone interested in how planets work, how to observe them, and how they could support the development of complex life. Planets Day 2 will be held in the Cheng Yu Tung Building, Jesus College, on Monday, 16th March.

Mon, 09 Feb 2026
16:00
C6

Multiplicative recurrence and pretentious number theory

Sun Kai Leung
(University of Oxford)
Abstract

Recurrence is central in ergodic Ramsey theory, and its multiplicative analogue is only now emerging. In this talk, I will define multiplicative recurrence, give illustrative examples, and explain how pretentious number theory is applied to establish it.

Fri, 20 Feb 2026
13:00
L6

From Frames to Features: Fast Zigzag Persistence for Binary Videos

David Lanners
(Durham University)
Abstract

Zigzag persistence enables tracking topological changes in time-dependent data such as video streams. Nevertheless, traditional methods face severe computational and memory bottlenecks. In this talk, I show how the zigzag persistence of image sequences can be reduced to a graph problem, making it possible to leverage the near-linear time algorithm of Dey and Hou. By invoking Alexander duality, we obtain both H0 and H1 at the same computational cost, enabling fast computation of homological features. This speed-up brings us close to real-time analysis of dynamical systems, and, if time permits, I will outline how it opens the door to new applications such as the study of PDE dynamics using zigzag persistence, with the Gray-Scott diffusion equation as a motivating example.

Combining Hough Transform and Deep Learning Approaches to Reconstruct ECG Signals From Printouts
Krones, F Walker, B Lyons, T Mahdi, A Computing in Cardiology volume 51 (01 Jan 2024)
Fri, 20 Feb 2026
12:00
L5

Chiral Lattice Gauge Theories from Symmetry Disentanglers (**Special Seminar**)

Lukasz Fidkowski
(University of Washington)
Abstract
We propose a Hamiltonian framework for constructing chiral gauge

theories on the lattice based on symmetry disentanglers: constant-depth
circuits of local unitaries that transform not-on-site symmetries into on-
site ones. When chiral symmetry can be realized not-on-site and such a
disentangler exists, the symmetry can be implemented in a strictly local
Hamiltonian and gauged by standard lattice methods. Using lattice ro-
tor models, we realize this idea in 1+1 and 3+1 spacetime dimensions
for U (1) symmetries with mixed ’t Hooft anomalies, and show that sym-
metry disentanglers can be constructed when anomalies cancel. As an
example, we present an exactly solvable Hamiltonian lattice model of the
(1+1)-dimensional “3450” chiral gauge theory, and we argue that a related
construction applies to the U (1) hypercharge symmetry of the Standard
Model fermions in 3+1 dimensions. Our results open a new route toward
fully local, nonperturbative formulations of chiral gauge theories.

Collective transitions from orbiting to matrix invasion in three-dimensional multicellular spheroids
Kim, J Jeong, H Falcó, C Hruska, A Martinson, W Marzoratti, A Araiza, M Yang, H Fonseca, V Adam, S Franck, C Carrillo, J Guo, M Wong, I Nature Physics volume 22 issue 2 275-286 (26 Feb 2026)
Fri, 13 Feb 2026
15:00

On the uniqueness of Ricci flows from Reifenberg Alexandrov spaces

Laura Bradby
(University of Warwick )
Abstract

Hamilton’s Ricci flow is a widely studied tool of geometric analysis, with a variety of applications. It is sometimes possible to obtain existence results for Ricci flows coming out of singular spaces, which leads to the question of uniqueness in these cases. In this talk, we will discuss a new result on uniqueness of Ricci flows coming out of Reifenberg Alexandrov spaces, and give some indication of the methods used in the proof.

J Cole is a very successful US rapper and record producer. Andrew Wiles is a UK mathematician. J approached the Mathematical Institute to use this voiceover to promote his new album (out today). Andrew said yes. 

Mathematics is everywhere. 

PosterWritten by Esme Somerside Gregory and devised by Oxford student theatre company Cartesian Productions, "Noether" chronicles the life of Emmy Noether, a female, Jewish mathematician w

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