Tue, 24 Feb 2009

17:00 - 18:00
L2

Endomorphisms of tensor space and cellular algebras

Gus Lehrer
(University of Sydney)
Abstract
I shall show how cellularity may be used to obtain presentations of the
endomorphism algebras in question, both in the classical and quantum cases.
Tue, 24 Feb 2009

14:30 - 15:30
L3

Synchronization and homomorphisms

Peter Cameron
(QMUL)
Abstract

A graph homomorphism is a mapping of vertices which takes edges to edges. The endomorphisms of a graph (homomorphisms to itself) form a submonoid of he full transformation monoid on the vertex set. In the other direction, there is a construction of a graph from a transformation monoid, which will be described in the talk. Composing these maps gives closure operators on graphs and on monoids which have some interesting properties. There are also connections with finite automata and permutation groups.

Tue, 24 Feb 2009
12:00
L3

Asymptotic Quasinormal Frequencies for d-Dimensional Black Holes

Jose Maciel Natario
(Lisboa)
Abstract

I will explain what quasinormal modes are and how to obtain asymptotic formulae for the quasinormal frequencies of static, spherically symmetric black hole spacetimes in d dimensions in the limit of very large imaginary part.

Mon, 23 Feb 2009
17:00
Gibson 1st Floor SR

Some mathematical aspects of Density functional theory

Eric Cances
(CERMICS (ENPC))
Abstract

Electronic structure calculations are commonly used to understand and predict the electronic, magnetic and optic properties of molecular systems and materials. They are also at the basis of ab initio molecular dynamics, the most reliable technique to investigate the atomic scale behavior of materials undergoing chemical reactions (oxidation, crack propagation, ...).

In the first part of my talk, I will briefly review the foundations of the density functional theory for electronic structure calculations. In the second part, I will present some recent achievements in the field, as well as open problems. I will focus in particular on the mathematical modelling of defects in crystalline materials.

Mon, 23 Feb 2009

16:00 - 17:00
SR1

Ostrowski's Theorem and other diversions

Jahan Zahid
(Oxford)
Abstract

Aside from a few tangential problems, this seminar will include a proof of Ostrowski's Theorem. This states than any norm over the rationals is equivalent to either the Euclidean norm or the $p$-adic norm, for some prime $p$.

Mon, 23 Feb 2009
15:45
Oxford-Man Institute

Random walks on transversally confomal foliations (on a joint work with B.Deroin).

Dr Victor Kleptsyn
(Université de Rennes)
Abstract

Given a foliation of a compact manifold, leaves of which are equipped with a Riemannian metric, one can consider the associated "leafwise"

Brownian motion, and study its asymptotic properties (such as asymptotic distribution, behaviour of holonomy maps, etc.).

Lucy Garnet studied such measures, introducing the notion of a harmonic measure -- stationary measure of this process; the name "harmonic" comes from the fact that a measure is stationary if and only if with respect to it integral of every leafwise Laplacian of a smooth function equals zero (so, the measure is "harmonic" in the sense of distributions).

It turns out that for a transversally conformal foliation, unless it possesses a transversally invariant measure (which is a rather rare case), the associated random dynamics can be described rather precisely. Namely, for every minimal set in the foliation there exists a unique harmonic measure supported on it -- and this gives all the possible ergodic harmonic measures (in particular, there is a finite number of them, and they are always supported on the minimal sets).

Also, the holonomy maps turn out to be (with probability one) exponentially contracting -- so, the Lyapunov exponent of the dynamics is negative. Finally, for any initial point almost every path tends to one of the minimal sets and is asymptotically distributed with respect to the corresponding harmonic measure -- and the functions defining the probabilities of tending to different sets form a base in the space of continuous leafwise harmonic functions.

An interesting effect that is a corollary of this consideration is that for transversally conformal foliations the number of the ergodic harmonic measures does not depend on the choice of Riemannian metric on the leaves. This fails for non-transversally conformal foliations:

there is an example, recently constructed in a joint with S.Petite (following B.Deroin's technique).

Mon, 23 Feb 2009
15:45
L3

Chromatic phenomena in equivariant stable homotopy

Neil Strickland
(Sheffield)
Abstract

There is a well-known relationship between the theory of formal group schemes and stable homotopy theory, with Ravenel's chromatic filtration and the nilpotence theorem of Hopkins, Devinatz and Smith playing a central role. It is also familiar that one can sometimes get a more geometric understanding of homotopical phenomena by examining how they interact with group actions. In this talk we will explore this interaction from the chromatic point of view.

Mon, 23 Feb 2009
14:15
Oxford-Man Institute

Stochastic geometry and telecommunications modelling

Dr Sergei Zuev
(University of Strathclyde)
Abstract

Stochastic geometry gradually becomes a necessary theoretical tool to model and analyse modern telecommunication systems, very much the same way the queuing theory revolutionised studying the circuit switched telephony in the last century. The reason for this is that the spatial structure of most contemporary networks plays crucial role in their functioning and thus it has to be properly accounted for when doing their performance evaluation, optimisation or deciding the best evolution scenarios.  The talk will present some stochastic geometry models and tools currently used in studying modern telecommunications.  We outline specifics of wired, wireless fixed and ad-hoc systems and show how the stochastic geometry modelling helps in their analysis  and optimisation.

Mon, 23 Feb 2009

12:00 - 13:00
L3

Non-relativistic holography and massive Kaluza-Klein reductions

Dario Martelli
(Swansea)
Abstract
I discuss different approaches for developing a holographic correspondence for theories with non-relativistic conformal symmetry. In particular, I will describe certain gravity backgrounds with non-relativistic conformal symmetry and their embedding in string theory. One method uses supergravity solution generating techniques. Another method is based on certain novel consistent Kaluza-Klein truncations with massive modes. These truncations have also other applications, in the context of the AdS/CFT correspondence, or otherwise.
Mon, 23 Feb 2009
11:00
L3

Revisiting the image of J

Neil Strickland
(Sheffield)
Abstract
I'll discuss my ongoing attempt to modernise the theory of the image of J.
Some features
that I would like to have are as follows:

1) Most of the spectra involved in the story should be E_\infty (or strictly
commutative)
    ring spectra, and most of the maps involved should respect this structure.  New
    machinery for dealing with E_\infty rings should be used systematically.

2) As far as possible the constructions used should not depend on arbitrary choices
     or on gratuitous localisation.

3) The Bernoulli numbers should enter via their primary definition as coefficients of a
     certain power series.

4) The image of J spectrum should be defined as the Bousfield localisation of S^0 with
    respect to KO, and other properties or descriptions should be deduced from this one.

5) There should be a clear conceptual explanation for the parallel appearance of
    Bernoulli numbers in the homotopy groups of J, K(Z) and in spectra related to
    surgery theory.

Fri, 20 Feb 2009
14:15
DH 1st floor SR

High order discretization schemes for the CIR process: application to Affine Term Structure and Heston models

Aurélien Alfonsi
(ENPC)
Abstract
This paper presents weak second and third order schemes for the Cox-Ingersoll-Ross (CIR) process,  without any restriction on its
parameters. At the same time, it gives a general   recursive
construction method to get weak second-order schemes that extends the one introduced by Ninomiya and Victoir. Combining these both results, this allows to propose a second-order scheme for more general affine diffusions. Simulation examples are given to illustrate the convergence of these schemes on CIR and Heston models

Thu, 19 Feb 2009

17:00 - 18:00
L3

Some results on lovely pairs of geometric structures

Gareth Boxall
(Leeds)
Abstract

Let T be a (one-sorted first order) geometric theory (so T

has infinite models, T eliminates "there exist infinitely many" and

algebraic closure gives a pregeometry). I shall present some results

about T_P, the theory of lovely pairs of models of T as defined by

Berenstein and Vassiliev following earlier work of Ben-Yaacov, Pillay

and Vassiliev, of van den Dries and of Poizat. I shall present

results concerning superrosiness, the independence property and

imaginaries. As far as the independence property is concerned, I

shall discuss the relationship with recent work of Gunaydin and

Hieronymi and of Berenstein, Dolich and Onshuus. I shall also discuss

an application to Belegradek and Zilber's theory of the real field

with a subgroup of the unit circle. As far as imaginaries are

concerned, I shall discuss an application of one of the general

results to imaginaries in pairs of algebraically closed fields,

adding to Pillay's work on that subject.

Thu, 19 Feb 2009

16:30 - 17:30
DH 1st floor SR

Formation of defects in the harmonic map heat flow

Jan Bouwe van den Berg
(Amsterdam)
Abstract

The harmonic map heat flow is a model for nematic liquid crystals and also has origins in geometry. We will introduce the model and discuss some of its mathematical properties. In particular, we will focus on the possibility that singularities may develop.

The rate at which singularities develop is investigated in settings with certain symmetries. We use the method of matched asymptotic expansions and identify different scenarios for singularity formation. More specifically, we distinguish between singularities that develop in finite time and those that need infinite time to form.

Finally, we discuss which results can be proven rigorously, as well as some open problems, and we address stability issues (ongoing work with JF Williams).

Thu, 19 Feb 2009

14:00 - 15:00
Comlab

Numerical methods for palindromic eigenvalue problems

Dr Christian Mehl
(University of Birmingham)
Abstract

We discuss numerical methods for the solution of the palindromic eigenvalue problem Ax=λ ATx, where A is a complex matrix. Such eigenvalue problems occur, for example, in the vibration analysis of rail tracks.

The structure of palindromic eigenvalue problems leads to a symmetry in the spectrum: all eigenvalues occur in reciprocal pairs. The need for preservation of this symmetry in finite precision arithmetic requires the use of structure-preserving numerical methods. In this talk, we explain how such methods can be derived.

Thu, 19 Feb 2009
13:00
DH 1st floor SR

SP/A Portfolio Choice Model in Continuous Time

Xuedong He
Abstract

In this paper we employ the quantile formulation to solve the SP/A portfolio choice model in continuous time. We show that the original version of the SP/A model proposed by Lopes is ill-posed in the continuous-time setting. We then generalise the SP/A model to one where a utility function is included, while the probability weighting

(distortion) function is still present. The feasibility and well-posedness of the model are addressed and an explicit solution is derived. Finally, we study how the aspiration level and the probability weighting function affect the optimal solution

Thu, 19 Feb 2009

12:00 - 13:00
SR1

The moduli space of vector bundles on a Riemann surface

Dirk Schlueter
(Oxford)
Abstract

I will briefly discuss the construction of the moduli spaces of (semi)stable bundles on a given curve. The main aim of the talk will be to describe various features of the geometry and topology of these moduli spaces, with emphasis on methods as much as on results. Topics may include irreducibility, cohomology, Verlinde numbers, Torelli theorems.

Thu, 19 Feb 2009
11:00
DH 3rd floor SR

Levy Processes

Shilan Mistry
(Oxford)
Thu, 19 Feb 2009

09:00 - 10:00
Gibson 1st Floor SR

OxMOS Team Meeting

Gareth Jones and Richard Norton
(Oxford)