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Forthcoming events in this series
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17:30
Topological dynamics of automorphism groups and the Hrushovski constructions
Abstract
I will consider automorphism groups of countable structures acting continuously on compact spaces: the viewpoint of topological dynamics. A beautiful paper of Kechris, Pestov and Todorcevic makes a connection between this and the ‘structural Ramsey theory’ of Nesetril, Rodl and others in finite combinatorics. I will describe some results and questions in the area and say how the Hrushovski predimension constructions provide answers to some of these questions (but then raise more questions). This is joint work with Hubicka and Nesetril.
17:30
Interpreting formulas of divisible abelian l-groups in lattices of zero sets
Abstract
An abelian l-group G is essentially a partially ordered subgroup of functions from a set to a totally ordered abelian group such
that G is closed under taking finite infima and suprema. For example, G could be the continuous semi-linear functions defined on the open
unit square, or, G could be the continuous semi-algebraic functions defined in the plane with values in (0,\infty), where the group
operation is multiplication. I will show how G, under natural geometric assumptions, can be interpreted (in a weak sense) in its lattice of
zero sets. This will then be applied to the model theory of natural divisible abelian l-groups. For example we will see that the
aforementioned examples are elementary equivalent. (Parts of the results have been announced in a preliminary report from 1987 by F. Shen
and V. Weispfenning.)
16:00
Joint Number Theory/Logic Seminar: Two models for the hyperbolic plane and existence of the Poincare metric on compact Riemann surfaces
Abstract
11:00
Geometry without Points
Abstract
Ever since the compilers of Euclid's Elements gave the "definitions" that "a point is that which has no part" and "a line is breadthless length", philosophers and mathematicians have worried that the basic concepts of geometry are too abstract and too idealized. In the 20th century writers such as Husserl, Lesniewski, Whitehead, Tarski, Blumenthal, and von Neumann have proposed "pointless" approaches. A problem more recent authors have emphasized it that there are difficulties in having a rich theory of a part-whole relationship without atoms and providing both size and geometric dimension as part of the theory. A possible solution is proposed using the Boolean algebra of measurable sets modulo null sets along with relations derived from the group of rigid motions in Euclidean n-space.
17:30
Resolution of singularities and definability in a globally subanalytic setting
Abstract
Given a collection F of holomorphic functions, we consider how to describe all the holomorphic functions locally definable from F. The notion of local definability of holomorphic functions was introduced by Wilkie, who gave a complete description of all functions locally definable from F in the neighbourhood of a generic point. We prove that this description is not complete anymore in the neighbourhood of non-generic points. More precisely, we produce three examples of holomorphic functions which each suggest that at least three new definable operations need to be added to Wilkie's description in order to capture local definability in its entirety. The construction illustrates the interaction between resolution of singularities and definability in the o-minimal setting. Joint work with O. Le Gal, G. Jones, J. Kirby.
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17:30
Real Closed Fields and Models of Peano Arithmetic
Abstract
We say that a real closed field is an IPA-real closed field if it admits an integer part (IP) which is a model of Peano Arithmetic (PA). In [2] we prove that the value group of an IPA-real closed field must satisfy very restrictive conditions (i.e. must be an exponential group in the residue field, in the sense of [4]). Combined with the main result of [1] on recursively saturated real closed fields, we obtain a valuation theoretic characterization of countable IPA-real closed fields. Expanding on [3], we conclude the talk by considering recursively saturated o-minimal expansions of real closed fields and their IPs.
References:
[1] D'Aquino, P. - Kuhlmann, S. - Lange, K. : A valuation theoretic characterization ofrecursively saturated real closed fields ,
Journal of Symbolic Logic, Volume 80, Issue 01, 194-206 (2015)
[2] Carl, M. - D'Aquino, P. - Kuhlmann, S. : Value groups of real closed fields and
fragments of Peano Arithmetic, arXiv: 1205.2254, submitted
[3] D'Aquino, P. - Kuhlmann, S : Saturated o-minimal expansions of real closed fields, to appear in Algebra and Logic (2016)
[4] Kuhlmann, S. :Ordered Exponential Fields, The Fields Institute Monograph Series, vol 12. Amer. Math. Soc. (2000)
17:30
Extremal fields and tame fields
Abstract
In the year 2003 Yuri Ershov gave a talk at a conference in Teheran on
his notion of ``extremal valued fields''. He proved that algebraically
complete discretely valued fields are extremal. However, the proof
contained a mistake, and it turned out in 2009 through an observation by
Sergej Starchenko that Ershov's original definition leads to all
extremal fields being algebraically closed. In joint work with Salih
Durhan (formerly Azgin) and Florian Pop, we chose a more appropriate
definition and then characterized extremal valued fields in several
important cases.
We call a valued field (K,v) extremal if for all natural numbers n and
all polynomials f in K[X_1,...,X_n], the set of values {vf(a_1,...,a_n)
| a_1,...,a_n in the valuation ring} has a maximum (which is allowed to
be infinity, attained if f has a zero in the valuation ring). This is
such a natural property of valued fields that it is in fact surprising
that it has apparently not been studied much earlier. It is also an
important property because Ershov's original statement is true under the
revised definition, which implies that in particular all Laurent Series
Fields over finite fields are extremal. As it is a deep open problem
whether these fields have a decidable elementary theory and as we are
therefore looking for complete recursive axiomatizations, it is
important to know the elementary properties of them well. That these
fields are extremal could be an important ingredient in the
determination of their structure theory, which in turn is an essential
tool in the proof of model theoretic properties.
The notion of "tame valued field" and their model theoretic properties
play a crucial role in the characterization of extremal fields. A valued
field K with separable-algebraic closure K^sep is tame if it is
henselian and the ramification field of the extension K^sep|K coincides
with the algebraic closure. Open problems in the classification of
extremal fields have recently led to new insights about elementary
equivalence of tame fields in the unequal characteristic case. This led
to a follow-up paper. Major suggestions from the referee were worked out
jointly with Sylvy Anscombe and led to stunning insights about the role
of extremal fields as ``atoms'' from which all aleph_1-saturated valued
fields are pieced together.
16:00
Joint Number Theory/Logic Seminar: On a modular Fermat equation
Abstract
17:30
Compactifying subanalytic families of holomorphic functions and a uniform parametrization theorem
16:00
Joint Number Theory/Logic Seminar: Strongly semistable sheaves and the Mordell-Lang conjecture over function fields
Abstract
We shall describe a new proof of the Mordell-Lang conjecture in positive characteristic, in the situation where the variety under scrutiny is a smooth subvariety of an abelian variety. Our proof is based on the theory of semistable sheaves in positive characteristic, in particular on Langer's theorem that the Harder-Narasimhan filtration of sheaves becomes strongly semistable after a finite number of iterations of Frobenius pull-backs. Our proof produces a numerical upper-bound for the degree of the finite morphism from an isotrivial variety appearing in the statement of the Mordell-Lang conjecture. This upper-bound is given in terms of the Frobenius-stabilised slopes of the cotangent bundle of the variety.
17:30
Characterizing diophantine henselian valuation rings and ideals
Abstract
I will report on joint work with Arno Fehm in which we apply
our previous `existential transfer' results to the problem of
determining which fields admit diophantine nontrivial henselian
valuation rings and ideals. Using our characterization we are able to
re-derive all the results in the literature. Also, I will explain a
connection with Pop's large fields.
17:30
Near-henselian fields - valuation theory in the language of rings
Abstract
Abstract: (Joint work with Sylvy Anscombe) We consider four properties
of a field K related to the existence of (definable) henselian
valuations on K and on elementarily equivalent fields and study the
implications between them. Surprisingly, the full pictures look very
different in equicharacteristic and mixed characteristic.
11:00
JOINT LOGIC/PHILOSOPHY OF MATHEMATICS SEMINAR: Modal Logics of multiverses
Abstract
If you fix a class of models and a construction method that allows you to construct a new model in that class from an old model in that class, you can consider the Kripke frame generated from any given model by iterating that construction method and define the modal logic of that Kripke frame. We shall give a general definition of these modal logics in the fully abstract setting and then apply these ideas in a number of cases. Of particular interest is the case where we consider the class of models of ZFC with the construction method of forcing: in this case, we are looking at the so-called "generic multiverse".
17:30
Real, p-adic, and motivic oscillatory integrals
Abstract
In the real, p-adic and motivic settings, we will present recent results on oscillatory integrals. In the reals, they are related to subanalytic functions and their Fourier transforms. In the p-adic and motivic case, there are furthermore transfer principles and applications in the Langlands program. This is joint work with Comte, Gordon, Halupczok, Loeser, Miller, Rolin, and Servi, in various combinations.
17:30
Restricted trochotomy in dimension 1
Abstract
Let M be an algebraic curve over an algebraically closed field and let
$(M, ...)$ be a strongly minimal non-locally modular structure with
basic relations definable in the full Zariski language on $M$. In this
talk I will present the proof of the fact that $(M, ...)$ interprets
an algebraically closed field.
17:30
Decidability of the Zero Problem for Exponential Polynomials
Abstract
We consider the decision problem of determining whether an exponential
polynomial has a real zero. This is motivated by reachability questions
for continuous-time linear dynamical systems, where exponential
polynomials naturally arise as solutions of linear differential equations.
The decidability of the Zero Problem is open in general and our results
concern restricted versions. We show decidability of a bounded
variant---asking for a zero in a given bounded interval---subject to
Schanuel's conjecture. In the unbounded case, we obtain partial
decidability results, using Baker's Theorem on linear forms in logarithms
as a key tool. We show also that decidability of the Zero Problem in full
generality would entail powerful new effectiveness results concerning
Diophantine approximation of algebraic numbers.
This is joint work with Ventsislav Chonev and Joel Ouaknine.
17:30
Joint Number Theroy/Logic Seminar: A minimalistic p-adic Artin-Schreier
Abstract
In contrast to the Artin-Schreier Theorem, its p-adic analog(s) involve infinite Galois theory, e.g., the absolute Galois group of p-adic fields. We plan to give a characterization of p-adic p-Henselian valuations in an essentially finite way. This relates to the Z/p metabelian form of the birational p-adic Grothendieck section conjecture.
17:30
Definability in algebraic extensions of p-adic fields
Abstract
In the course of work with Jamshid Derakhshan on definability in adele rings, we came upon various problems about definability and model completeness for possibly infinite dimensional algebraic extensions of p-adic fields (sometimes involving uniformity across p). In some cases these problems had been closely approached in the literature but never explicitly considered.I will explain what we have proved, and try to bring out many big gaps in our understanding of these matters. This seems appropriate just over 50 years after the breakthroughs of Ax-Kochen and Ershov.
Almost small absolute Galois groups
Abstract
Already Serre's "Cohomologie Galoisienne" contains an exercise regarding the following condition on a field F: For every finite field extension E of F and every n, the index of the n-th powers (E*)^n in the multiplicative group E* is finite. Model theorists recently got interested in this condition, as it is satisfied by every superrosy field and also by every strongly2 dependent field, and occurs in a conjecture of Shelah-Hasson on NIP fields. I will explain how it relates to the better known condition that F is bounded (i.e. F has only finitely many extensions of degree n, for any n - in other words, the absolute Galois group of F is a small profinite group) and why it is not preserved under elementary equivalence. Joint work with Franziska Jahnke.
*** Note unusual day and time ***
On the Consistency Problem for Quine's New Foundations, NF
Abstract
In 1937 Quine introduced an interesting, rather unusual, set theory called New Foundations - NF for short. Since then the consistency of NF has been a problem that remains open today. But there has been considerable progress in our understanding of the problem. In particular NF was shown, by Specker in 1962, to be equiconsistent with a certain theory, TST^+ of simple types. Moreover Randall Holmes, who has been a long-term investigator of the problem, claims to have solved the problem by showing that TST^+ is indeed consistent. But the working manuscripts available on his web page that describe his possible proofs are not easy to understand - at least not by me.
Examples of quasiminimal classes
Abstract
I will explain the framework of quasiminimal structures and quasiminimal classes, and give some basic examples and open questions. Then I will explain some joint work with Martin Bays in which we have constructed variants of the pseudo-exponential fields (originally due to Boris Zilber) which are quasimininal and discuss progress towards the problem of showing that complex exponentiation is quasiminimal. I will also discuss some joint work with Adam Harris in which we try to build a pseudo-j-function.
Some effective instances of relative Manin-Mumford
Abstract
In a series of recent papers David Masser and Umberto Zannier proved the relative Manin-Mumford conjecture for abelian surfaces, at least when everything is defined over the algebraic numbers. In a further paper with Daniel Bertrand and Anand Pillay they have explained what happens in the semiabelian situation, under the same restriction as above.
At present it is not clear that these results are effective. I'll discuss joint work with Philipp Habegger and Masser and with Harry Schimdt in which we show that certain very special cases can be made effective. For instance, we can effectively compute a bound on the order of a root of unity t such that the point with abscissa 2 is torsion on the Legendre curve with parameter t.
**Note change of room**