Quantum representations and their algebraic properties
Abstract
In this part, I will redefine the
quantum representations for $G = SU(2)$ making no mention of flat
connections at all, instead appealing to a purely combinatorial
construction using the knot theory of the Jones polynomial.
Using these, I will discuss some of the properties of the
representations, their strengths and their shortcomings. One of their
main properties, conjectured by Vladimir Turaev and proved by Jørgen
Ellegaard Andersen, is that the collection of the representations
forms an infinite-dimensional faithful representation. As it is still an
open question whether or not mapping class groups admit faithful
finite-dimensional representations, it becomes natural to consider the
kernels of the individual representations. Furthermore,
I will hopefully discuss Andersen's proof that mapping class groups of
closed surfaces do not have Kazhdan's Property (T), which makes
essential use of quantum representations.
Multi-Component Ultracold Quantum Gases: Themes from Condensed Matter Physics and Beyond
Abstract
Ultracold atomic gases have recently proven to be enormously rich
systems from the perspective of a condensed matter physicist. With
the advent of optical lattices, such systems can now realise idealised
model Hamiltonians used to investigate strongly correlated materials.
Conversely, ultracold atomic gases can exhibit quantum phases and
dynamics with no counterpart in the solid state due to their extra
degrees of freedom and unique environments virtually free of
dissipation. In this talk, I will discuss examples of such behaviour
arising from spinor degrees of freedom on which my recent research has
focused. Examples will include bosons with artificially induced
spin-orbit coupling and the non-equilibrium dynamics of spinor
condensates.
Shimura Decomposition and Tunnell-like formulae.
Abstract
Let k be an odd integer and N be a positive integer divisible by 4. Let g be a newform of weight k - 1, level dividing N/2 and trivial character. We give an explicit algorithm for computing the space of cusp forms of weight k/2 that are 'Shimura-equivalent' to g. Applying Waldspurger's theorem to this space allows us to express the critical values of the L-functions of twists of g in terms of the coefficients of modular forms of half-integral weight. Following Tunnell, this often allows us to give a criterion for the n-th twist of an elliptic curve to have positive rank in terms of the number of representations of certain integers by certain ternary quadratic forms.
Triangulated defect categories
Abstract
We will define certain Verdier quotients of the singularity category of a ring R, called defect categories. The triviality of these defect
categories determine, for example, whether a commutative local ring is Gorenstein, or a complete intersection. The dimension (in the sense of Rouquier) of the defect category thus gives a measure of how close such a ring is to being Gorenstein, respectively, a complete intersection. Examples will be given. This is based on joint work with Petter Bergh and Steffen Oppermann.
Optimally Blended Spectral-Finite Element Scheme for Wave Propagation and Non-Standard Reduced Integration
Abstract
We study the dispersion and dissipation of the numerical scheme obtained by taking a weighted averaging of the consistent (finite element) mass matrix and lumped (spectral element) mass matrix for the small wave number limit. We find and prove that for the optimum blending the resulting scheme
(a) provides $2p+4$ order accuracy for $p$th order method (two orders more accurate compared with finite and spectral element schemes);
(b) has an absolute accuracy which is $\mathcal{O}(p^{-3})$ and $\mathcal{O}(p^{-2})$ times better than that of the pure finite and spectral element schemes, respectively;
(c) tends to exhibit phase lag.
Moreover, we show that the optimally blended scheme can be efficiently implemented merely by replacing the usual Gaussian quadrature rule used to assemble the mass and stiffness matrices by novel nonstandard quadrature rules which are also derived.
Witten--Reshetikhin--Turaev invariants of mapping tori via skein theory
Abstract
A purely mechanical approach to the formation and propagation of aneurysms
Abstract
One of the main problems occurring in the aorta is the development of aneurysms, in which case the artery wall thickens and its diameter increases. Suffice to say that many other factors may be involved in this process. These include, amongst others, geometry, non-homogeneous material, anisotropy, growth, remodeling, age, etc. In this talk, we examine the bifurcation of inflated thick-walled cylindrical shells under axial loading and its interpretation in terms of the mechanical response of arterial tissue and the formation and propagation of aneurysms. We will show that this mechanical approach is able to capture features of the mechanisms involved during the formation and propagation of aneurysms.
The formation of shocks for the classical compressible Euler equations
Abstract
In this talk I shall discuss about the classical compressible Euler equations in three
space dimensions for a perfect fluid with an arbitrary equation of state.
We considered initial data which outside a sphere coincide with the data corresponding
to a constant state, we established theorems which gave a complete description of the
maximal development. In particular, we showed that the boundary of the domain of the
maximal development has a singular part where the inverse density of the wave fronts
vanishes, signaling shock formation.
Counting and packing Hamilton cycles in dense graphs and oriented graphs
Abstract
In this talk we present a general method using permanent estimates in order to obtain results about counting and packing Hamilton cycles in dense graphs and oriented graphs. As a warm up we prove that every Dirac graph $G$ contains at least $(reg(G)/e)^n$ many distinct Hamilton cycles, where $reg(G)$ is the maximal degree of a spanning regular subgraph of $G$. We continue with strengthening a result of Cuckler by proving that the number of oriented Hamilton cycles in an almost $cn$-regular oriented graph is $(cn/e)^n(1+o(1))^n$, provided that $c$ is greater than $3/8$. Last, we prove that every graph $G$ of minimum degree at least $n/2+\epsilon n$ contains at least $reg_{even}(G)-\epsilon n$ edge-disjoint Hamilton cycles, where $reg_{even}(G)$ is the maximal even degree of a spanning regular subgraph of $G$. This proves an approximate version of a conjecture made by Osthus and K\"uhn. Joint work with Michael Krivelevich and Benny Sudakov.
An introduction to mathematical finance : market completeness, arbitrage and backward stochastic differential equations
Abstract
I will present the basics of mathematical finance, and what probabilists do there. More specifically, I will present the basic concepts of replication of a derivative contract by trading, market completeness, arbitrage, and the link with Backward Stochastic Differential Equations (BSDEs).
Crystalline solids with a uniform distribution of dislocations
Abstract
Crystalline solids are descibed by a material manifold endowed
with a certain structure which we call crystalline. This is characterized by
a canonical 1-form, the integral of which on a closed curve in the material manifold
represents, in the continuum limit, the sum of the Burgers vectors of all the dislocation lines
enclosed by the curve. In the case that the dislocation distribution is uniform, the material manifold
becomes a Lie group upon the choice of an identity element. In this talk crystalline solids
with uniform distributions of the two elementary kinds of dislocations, edge and screw dislocations,
shall be considered. These correspond to the two simplest non-Abelian Lie groups, the affine group
and the Heisenberg group respectively. The statics of a crystalline solid are described in terms of a
mapping from the material domain into Euclidean space. The equilibrium configurations correspond
to mappings which minimize a certain energy integral. The static problem is solved in the case of
a small density of dislocations.
That which we call a manifold ...
Abstract
It's well known that the mapping space of two finite dimensional
manifolds can be given the structure of an infinite dimensional manifold
modelled on Frechet spaces (provided the source is compact). However, it is
not that the charts on the original manifolds give the charts on the mapping
space: it is a little bit more complicated than that. These complications
become important when one extends this construction, either to spaces more
general than manifolds or to properties other than being locally linear.
In this talk, I shall show how to describe the type of property needed to
transport local properties of a space to local properties of its mapping
space. As an application, we shall show that applying the mapping
construction to a regular map is again regular.
Towards a rigorous justification of kinetic theory: The gainless heterogeneous Boltzmann equation.
Abstract
We study the asymptotic behavior of deterministic dynamics of many interacting particles with random initial data in the limit where the number of particles tends to infinity. A famous example is hard sphere flow, we restrict our attention to the simpler case where particles are removed after the first collision. A fixed number of particles is drawn randomly according to an initial density $f_0(u,v)$ depending on $d$-dimensional position $u$ and velocity $v$. In the Boltzmann Grad scaling, we derive the validity of a Boltzmann equation without gain term for arbitrary long times, when we assume finiteness of moments up to order two and initial data that are $L^\infty$ in space. We characterize the many particle flow by collision trees which encode possible collisions. The convergence of the many-particle dynamics to the Boltzmann dynamics is achieved via the convergence of associated probability measures on collision trees. These probability measures satisfy nonlinear Kolmogorov equations, which are shown to be well-posed by semigroup methods.
Scattering Amplitudes in Three Dimensions
Abstract
16:30
Numerical Methods for Tsunami Modeling and Hazard Assessment
Abstract
Many geophysical flows over topography can be modeled by two-dimensional
depth-averaged fluid dynamics equations. The shallow water equations
are the simplest example of this type, and are often sufficiently
accurate for simulating tsunamis and other large-scale flows such
as storm surge. These hyperbolic partial differential equations
can be modeled using high-resolution finite volume methods. However,
several features of these flows lead to new algorithmic challenges,
e.g. the need for well-balanced methods to capture small perturbations
to the ocean at rest, the desire to model inundation and flooding,
and that vastly differing spatial scales that must often be modeled,
making adaptive mesh refinement essential. I will discuss some of
the algorithms implemented in the open source software GeoClaw that
is aimed at solving real-world geophysical flow problems over
topography. I'll also show results of some recent studies of the
11 March 2011 Tohoku Tsunami and discuss the use of tsunami modeling
in probabilistic hazard assessment.