Tue, 09 Oct 2012

14:30 - 15:30
L3

Tiling Euclidean space with a polytope, by translations

Sinai Robins
(Nanyang Technological University)
Abstract

We study the problem of covering R^d by overlapping translates of a convex polytope, such that almost every point of R^d is covered exactly k times. Such a covering of Euclidean space by a discrete set of translations is called a k-tiling. The investigation of simple tilings by translations (which we call 1-tilings in this context) began with the work of Fedorov and Minkowski, and was later extended by Venkov and McMullen to give a complete characterization of all convex objects that 1-tile R^d. By contrast, for k ≥ 2, the collection of polytopes that k-tile is much wider than the collection of polytopes that 1-tile, and there is currently no known analogous characterization for the polytopes that k-tile. Here we first give the necessary conditions for polytopes P that k-tile, by proving that if P k-tiles R^d by translations, then it is centrally symmetric, and its facets are also centrally symmetric. These are the analogues of Minkowski’s conditions for 1-tiling polytopes, but it turns out that very new methods are necessary for the development of the theory. In the case that P has rational vertices, we also prove that the converse is true; that is, if P is a rational, centrally symmetric polytope, and if P has centrally symmetric facets, then P must k-tile R^d for some positive integer k.

Tue, 09 Oct 2012

14:00 - 15:00
SR1

Donaldson-Thomas theory of toric CY 3-folds I

Zheng Hua
(Kansas State)
Abstract

I will explain an approach to study DT theory of toric CY 3-folds using $L_\infty$ algebras. Based on the construction of strong exceptional collection of line bundles on Fano toric stack of dimension two, we realize any bounded families of sheaves on local surfaces support on zero section as critical sets of the Chern-Simons functions. As a consequence of this construction, several interesting properties of DT invariants on local surfaces can be checked.

Mon, 08 Oct 2012

17:00 - 18:00
Gibson 1st Floor SR

Blow-up & Stationary States

José Antonio Carrillo de la Plata
(Imperial College)
Abstract
We will discuss how optimal transport tools can be used to analyse the qualitative behavior of continuum systems of interacting particles by fully attractive or short-range repulsive long-range attractive potentials.
Mon, 08 Oct 2012

15:45 - 16:45
Oxford-Man Institute

Higher order spatial approximations for degenerate parabolic SPDEs

ERIC JOSEPH HALL
(Edinburgh University)
Abstract

Abstract: We consider an implicit finite difference
scheme on uniform grids in time and space for the Cauchy problem for a second
order parabolic stochastic partial differential equation where the parabolicity
condition is allowed to degenerate. Such equations arise in the nonlinear
filtering theory of partially observable diffusion processes. We show that the
convergence of the spatial approximation can be accelerated to an arbitrarily
high order, under suitable regularity assumptions, by applying an extrapolation
technique.

Mon, 08 Oct 2012

14:15 - 15:15
Oxford-Man Institute

Behaviour near the extinction time in self-similar fragmentation chains

CHRISTINA GOLDSCHMIDT
(Oxford University)
Abstract

Suppose we have a collection of blocks, which gradually split apart as time goes on. Each block waits an exponential amount
of time with parameter given by its size to some power alpha, independently of the other blocks. Every block then splits randomly,but according to the same distribution. In this talk, I will focus on the case where alpha is negative, which
means that smaller blocks split faster than larger ones. This gives rise to the phenomenon of loss of mass, whereby the smaller blocks split faster and faster until they are reduced to ``dust''. Indeed, it turns out that the whole state is reduced to dust in a finite time, almost surely (we call this the extinction time). A natural question is then: how do the block sizes behave as the process approaches its extinction time? The answer turns out to involve a somewhat unusual ``spine'' decomposition for the fragmentation, and Markov renewal theory.

This is joint work with Bénédicte Haas (Paris-Dauphine).

Mon, 08 Oct 2012

12:00 - 13:00
L3

Lines on the Dwork Pencil of Quintic Threefolds

Philip Candelas
(Oxford)
Abstract
I will discuss some of the subtleties involved in counting lines on Calabi-Yau threefolds and then discuss the lines on the Dwork pencil of quintic threefolds. It has been known for some time that the manifolds of the pencil contain continuous families of lines and it is known from the work of Angca Mustata that there are 375 discrete lines and also two families parametrized by isomorphic curves that are 125:1 covers of genus six curves $C_{\pm\varphi}$. The surprise is that an explicit parametrization of these families is not as complicated as might have been anticipated.  We find, in this way, what should have anticipated from the outset, that the curves $C_\varphi$ are the curves of the Wiman pencil.  
Thu, 04 Oct 2012

14:00 - 15:00
Gibson Grd floor SR

The Science of Ice Sheets: the Mathematical Modeling and Computational Simulation of Ice Flows

Professor Max Gunzburger
(Florida State University)
Abstract

The melting of ice in Greenland and Antarctica would, of course, be by far the major contributor any possible sea level rise. Thus, to make science-based predictions about sea-level rise, it is crucial that the ice sheets covering those land masses be accurately mathematically modeled and computationally simulated. In fact, the 2007 IPCC report on the state of the climate did not include predictions about sea level rise because it was concluded there that the science of ice sheets was not developed to a sufficient degree. As a result, predictions could not be rationally and

confidently made. In recent years, there has been much activity in trying to improve the state-of-the-art of ice sheet modeling and simulation. In

this lecture, we review a hierarchy of mathematical models for the flow of ice, pointing out the relative merits and demerits of each, showing how

they are coupled to other climate system components (ocean and atmosphere), and discussing where further modeling work is needed. We then discuss algorithmic approaches for the approximate solution of ice sheet flow models and present and compare results obtained from simulations using the different mathematical models.

Tue, 02 Oct 2012

14:00 - 15:00
SR1

$W$-algebras and moduli spaces of sheaves on $A^2$ I

Olivier Schiffmann
(Jussieu)
Abstract

Motivated by a conjecture of Alday, Gaiotto and Tachikawa (AGT

conjecture), we construct an action of

a suitable $W$-algebra on the equivariant cohomology of the moduli

space $M_r$ of rank r instantons on $A^2$ (i.e.

on the moduli space of rank $r$ torsion free sheaves on $P^2$,

trivialized at the line at infinity). We show that

the resulting $W$-module is identified with a Verma module, and the

characteristic class of $M_r$ is the Whittaker vector

of that Verma module. One of the main ingredients of our construction

is the so-called cohomological Hall algebra of the

commuting variety, which is a certain associative algebra structure on

the direct sum of equivariant cohomology spaces

of the commuting varieties of $gl(r)$, for all $r$. Joint work with E. Vasserot.

Fri, 28 Sep 2012

15:05 - 15:45
L1

Efficient computation of Rankin $p$-adic L-functions

Alan Lauder
(Oxford)
Abstract

I will present an efficient algorithm for computing certain special values of Rankin triple product $p$-adic L-functions and give an application of this to the explicit construction of rational points on elliptic curves.

Fri, 28 Sep 2012

14:00 - 15:00
L1

p-adic iterated integrals and rational points on elliptic curves

Henri Darmon
(McGill)
Abstract

The $p$-adic Gross-Zagier formula for diagonal cycles and the $p$-adic Beilinson formulae described in the lectures of Rotger and Bertolini respectively suggest a connection between certain  {\em $p$-adic iterated integrals} attached to modular forms and rational points on elliptic curves. I will describe an ongoing project (in collaboration with Alan Lauder and Victor Rotger) whose goal is to explore these relationships numerically, with the goal of better understanding the notion of {\em Stark-Heegner points}. It is hoped that these experiments might suggest new perspectives on Stark-Heegner points based on suitable {\em $p$-adic deformations} of the global objects--diagonal cycles, Beilinson-Kato and Beilinson-Flach elements-- described in the lectures of Rotger, Bertolini, Dasgupta, and Loeffler, following  the influential approach to $p$-adic $L$-functions pioneered by Coates-Wiles, Kato, and Perrin-Riou.

Fri, 28 Sep 2012

11:00 - 12:00
L1

Eisenstein cocycle on ${\rm GL}_n$ and computation \\ of $p$-adic L-functions of totally real fields

Pierre Charollois
(Paris VI)
Abstract

We define an integral version of Sczech cocycle on ${\rm GL}_n(\mathbf{Z})$ by raising the level at a prime $\ell$.As a result, we obtain a new construction of the $p$-adic L-functions of Barsky/Cassou-Nogu\`es/Deligne-Ribet. This cohomological construction further allows for a study of the leading term of these L-functions at $s=0$:\\1) we obtain a new proof that the order of vanishing is at least the oneconjectured by Gross. This was already known as result of Wiles.\\2) we deduce an analog of the modular symbol algorithm for ${\rm GL}_n$ from the cocyclerelation and LLL. It enables for the efficient computation of the special values of these $p$-adic L-functions.\\When combined  with a refinement of the Gross-Stark conjecture, we obtain some examples of numerical construction of $\mathfrak p$-units in class fields of totally real (cubic) fields.This is joint work with Samit Dasgupta.

Fri, 28 Sep 2012

09:30 - 10:30
L1

Euler systems for Rankin--Selberg convolutions of modular forms

David Loeffler
(Warwick)
Abstract

I will describe a construction of special cohomology classes over the cyclotomic tower for the product of the Galois representations attached to two modular forms, which $p$-adically interpolate the "Beilinson--Flach elements" of Bertolini, Darmon and Rotger. I will also describe some applications to the Iwasawa theory of modular forms over imaginary quadratic fields.

Thu, 27 Sep 2012

16:00 - 17:00
L1

Factorization of $p$-adic Rankin L-series

Samit Dasgupta
(UCSC)
Abstract


We show that the $p$-adic L-function associated to the tensor square of a $p$-ordinary eigenform factors as the product of the symmetric square $p$-adic L-function of the form with a Kubota-Leopoldt $p$-adic L-function.  Our method of proof follows that of Gross, who proved a factorization for Katz's $ p$-adic L-function for a character arising as the restriction of a Dirichlet character.  We prove certain special value formulae for classical and $p$-adicRankin L-series at non-critical points.  The formula of Bertolini, Darmon, and Rotger in the $p$-adic setting is a key element of our proof.  As demonstrated by Citro, we obtain as a corollary of our main result a proof of the exceptional zero conjecture of Greenberg for the symmetric square.

Thu, 27 Sep 2012

14:45 - 15:25
L1

$p$-adic Beilinson's formulas for Rankin $p$-adic L-functions and applications

Massimo Bertolini
(Milan)
Abstract

I will report on $p$-adic Beilinson's formulas, relating the values of certain Rankin $p$-adic L-functions outside their range of classical interpolation, to $p$-adic syntomic regulators of Beilinson-Kato and Beilinson-Flach elements. Applications to the theory of Euler systems and to the Birch and Swinnerton-Dyer conjecture will also be discussed. This is joint work with Henri Darmon and Victor Rotger.

Thu, 27 Sep 2012

14:00 - 14:40
L1

Triple product $p$-adic L-functions and diagonal cycles

Victor Rotger
(UP Catalunya)
Abstract

In this lecture I shall introduce certain generalised Gross-Kudla-Schoen diagonal cycles in the product of three Kuga-Sato varieties and a $p$-adic formula of Gross-Zagier type which relates the images of these diagonal cycles under the $p$-adic Abel-Jacobi map to special values of the $p$-adic L-function attached to the Garrett triple convolution of three  Hida families of  modular forms. This formula has applications to the Birch--Swinnerton-Dyer conjecture and the theory of Stark-Heegner points. (Joint work with Henri Darmon.)

Thu, 27 Sep 2012

11:00 - 12:00
L1

Recovering curves from L-series

Gunther Cornelissen
(Utrecht)
Abstract

The main result of the talk is that two curves over a finite field are isomorphic, up to automorphisms of the ground field, if and only if there is an isomorphism of groups of Dirichlet characters such that the corresponding L-series are all equal. This can be shown by combining Uchida's proof of the anabelian theorem for global function fields with methods from (noncommutative) dynamical systems. I will also discuss how to turn this theorem into a theoretical algorithm that, given a listing of L-functions, determines an equation for the corresponding curve(s).

Thu, 27 Sep 2012

09:30 - 10:30
L1

$\ell$-adic representations of etale fundamental group of curves

Anna Cadoret
(Ecole Polytechnique)
Abstract

I will present an overview of a series of joint works with Akio Tamagawa about l-adic representations of etale fundamental group of curves (to simplify, over finitely generated fields of characteristic 0).
More precisely, when the generic representation is GLP (geometrically Lie perfect) i.e. the Lie algebra of the geometric etale fundamental group is perfect, we show that the associated local $\ell$-adic Galois representations satisfies a strong uniform open image theorem (ouside a `small' exceptional locus). Representations on l-adic cohohomology provide an important example of GLP representations. In that case, one can even provethat the exceptional loci that appear in the statement of our stronguniform open image theorem are independent of $\ell$, which was predicted by motivic conjectures.
Without the GLP assumption, we prove that the  associated local l-adic Galois representations still satisfy remarkable rigidity properties: the codimension of the image at the special fibre in the image at the generic fibre is at most 2 (outside a 'small' exceptional locus) and its Lie algebra is controlled by the first terms of the derived series of the Lie algebra of the image at the generic fibre.
I will state the results precisely, mention a few applications/open questions and draw a general picture of the proof in the GLP case (which,in particular, intertwins via the formalism of Galois categories, arithmetico-geometric properties of curves and $\ell$-adic geometry). If time allows, I will also give a few hints about the $\ell$-independency of the exceptional loci or the non GLP case.

Wed, 26 Sep 2012

16:00 - 17:00
SR2

The concept of p-deficiency and its applications

Anitha Thillaisundaram
Abstract

We use Schlage-Puchta's concept of p-deficiency and Lackenby's property of p-largeness to show that a group having a finite presentation with p-deficiency greater than 1 is large. What about when p-deficiency is exactly one? We also generalise a result of Grigorchuk on Coxeter groups to odd primes.