Thu, 18 Feb 2010 12:00 -
Thu, 18 Mar 2010 13:00
SR1

Monodromy of Higgs bundles

Laura Schaposnik
(Oxford)
Abstract

We will consider the monodromy action on mod 2 cohomology for SL(2) Hitchin systems. We will study Copeland's approach to the subject and use his results to compute the monodromy action on mod 2 cohomology. An interpretation of our results in terms of geometric properties of fixed points of a natural involution on the moduli space is given.

Thu, 18 Feb 2010
11:00
DH 3rd floor SR

Submarine Hunting and Other Applications of the Mathematics of Tracking. (NOTE Change of speaker and topic)

Trevor Wood
(Oxford)
Abstract

The background for the multitarget tracking problem is presented

along with a new framework for solution using the theory of random

finite sets. A range of applications are presented including

submarine tracking with active SONAR, classifying underwater entities

from audio signals and extracting cell trajectories from biological

data.

Wed, 17 Feb 2010

11:30 - 12:30
ChCh, Tom Gate, Room 2

$\pi$

George Wellen
(Bradfield College)
Tue, 16 Feb 2010

17:00 - 18:00
L2

Monstrous moonshine and black holes

John Duncan
(Cambridge)
Abstract

\ \ In 1939 Rademacher derived a conditionally convergent series expression for the modular j-invariant, and used this expression---the first Rademacher sum---to verify its modular invariance. We may attach Rademacher sums to other discrete groups of isometries of the hyperbolic plane, and we may ask how the automorphy of the resulting functions reflects the geometry of the group in question.

\\

\ \ In the case of a group that defines a genus zero quotient of the hyperbolic plane the relationship is particularly striking. On the other hand, of the common features of the groups that arise in monstrous moonshine, the genus zero property is perhaps the most elusive. We will illustrate how Rademacher sums elucidate this phenomena by using them to formulate a characterization of the discrete groups of monstrous moonshine.

\\

\ \ A physical interpretation of the Rademacher sums comes into view when we consider black holes in the context of three dimensional quantum gravity. This observation, together with the application of Rademacher sums to moonshine, amounts to a new connection between moonshine, number theory and physics, and furnishes applications in all three fields.

Tue, 16 Feb 2010

15:45 - 16:45
L3

Moduli Spaces of Sheaves on Toric Varieties

Martijn Kool
(Oxford)
Abstract

Extending work of Klyachko, we give a combinatorial description of pure equivariant sheaves on a nonsingular projective toric variety X and use this description to construct moduli spaces of such sheaves. These moduli spaces are explicit and combinatorial in nature. Subsequently, we consider the moduli space M of all Gieseker stable sheaves on X and describe its fixed point locus in terms of the moduli spaces of pure equivariant sheaves on X. As an application, we compute generating functions of Euler characteristics of M in case X is a toric surface. In the torsion free case, one finds examples of new as well as known generating functions. In the pure dimension 1 case using a conjecture of Sheldon Katz, one obtains examples of genus zero Gopakumar-Vafa invariants of the canonical bundle of X.

Tue, 16 Feb 2010

14:30 - 15:30
L3

Boundary properties of graphs

Vadim Lozin
(Warwick)
Abstract

The notion of a boundary graph property is a relaxation of that of a

minimal property. Several fundamental results in graph theory have been obtained in

terms of identifying minimal properties. For instance, Robertson and Seymour showed that

there is a unique minimal minor-closed property with unbounded tree-width (the planar

graphs), while Balogh, Bollobás and Weinreich identified nine minimal hereditary

properties of labeled graphs with the factorial speed of growth. However, there are

situations where the notion of minimal property is not applicable. A typical example of this type

is given by graphs of large girth. It is known that for each particular value of k, the

graphs of girth at least k are of unbounded tree-width and their speed of growth is

superfactorial, while the limit property of this sequence (i.e., the acyclic graphs) has bounded

tree-width and its speed of growth is factorial. To overcome this difficulty, the notion of

boundary properties of graphs has been recently introduced. In the present talk, we use this

notion in order to identify some classes of graphs which are well-quasi-ordered with

respect to the induced subgraph relation.

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 17:00 -
Mon, 15 Mar 2010 18:00
Gibson 1st Floor SR

Regularity results for functionals with general growth

Bianca Stroffolini
(University of Naples)
Abstract
In this talk I will present some results on functionals with general growth, obtained in collaboration with L. Diening and A. Verde.

Let $\phi$ be a convex, $C^1$-function and consider the functional: $$ (1)\qquad \mathcal{F}(\bf u)=\int_{\Omega} \phi (|\nabla \bf u|) \,dx $$ where $\Omega\subset \mathbb{R}^n$ is a bounded open set and $\bf u: \Omega \to \mathbb{R}^N$. The associated Euler Lagrange system is $$ -\mbox{div} (\phi' (|\nabla\bf u|)\frac{\nabla\bf u}{|\nabla\bf u|} )=0 $$ In a fundamental paper K.~Uhlenbeck proved everywhere $C^{1,\alpha}$-regularity for local minimizers of the $p$-growth functional with $p\ge 2$. Later on a large number of generalizations have been made. The case $1

{\bf Theorem.} Let $\bfu\in W^{1,\phi}_{\loc}(\Omega)$ be a local minimizer of (1), where $\phi$ satisfies suitable assumptions. Then $\bfV(\nabla \bfu)$ and $\nabla \bfu$ are locally $\alpha$-Hölder continuous for some $\alpha>0$.

We present a unified approach to the superquadratic and subquadratic $p$-growth, also considering more general functions than the powers. As an application, we prove Lipschitz regularity for local minimizers of asymptotically convex functionals in a $C^2$ sense.

Mon, 15 Feb 2010

16:00 - 17:00
SR1

TBA

TBA
(Mathematical Institute, Oxford)
Mon, 15 Feb 2010
15:45
Eagle House

THE BEHAVIOR OF THE CURRENT FLUCTUATION FIELD IN WEAKLY ASYMMETRIC EXCLUSION

Sigurd Assing
(University of Warwick)
Abstract

We consider the time average of the (renormalized) current fluctuation field in one-dimensional weakly asymmetric simple exclusion.

The asymmetry is chosen to be weak enough such that the density fluctuation field still converges in law with respect to diffusive scaling. Remark that the density fluctuation field would evolve on a slower time scale if the asymmetry is too strong and that then the current fluctuations would have something to do with the Tracy-Widom distribution. However, the asymmetry is also chosen to be strong enough such that the density fluctuation field does not converge in law to an infinite-dimensional Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process, that is something non-trivial is happening.

We will, at first, motivate why studying the time average of the current fluctuation field helps to understand the structure of this non-trivial scaling limit of the density fluctuation field and, second, show how one can replace the current fluctuation field by a certain functional of the density fluctuation field under the time average. The latter result provides further evidence for the common belief that the scaling limit of the density fluctuation field approximates the solution of a Burgers-type equation

Mon, 15 Feb 2010
14:15
Eagle House

Fractional Stockastic Fields and Wavelet Methods

Antoine Ayache
(University of Lille)
Abstract

Abstract: The goal of this talk is to discuss threeproblems on fractional and related stochastic fields, in which wavelet methodshave turned out to be quite useful.

  The first problemconsists in constructing optimal random series representations of Lévyfractional Brownian field; by optimal we mean that the tails of the seriesconverge to zero as fast as possible i.e. at the same rate as the l-numbers.Note in passing that there are close connections between the l-numbers of aGaussian field and its small balls probabilities behavior.

  The secondproblem concerns a uniform result on the local Hölder regularity (the pointwiseHölder exponent) of multifractional Brownian motion; by uniform we mean thatthe result is satisfied on an event with probability 1 which does not depend onthe location.

  The third problemconsists in showing that multivariate multifractional Brownian motion satisfiesthe local nondeterminism property. Roughly speaking, this property, which wasintroduced by Berman, means that the increments are asymtotically independentand it allows to extend to general Gaussian fields many results on the localtimes of Brownian motion.

 

Mon, 15 Feb 2010

12:00 - 13:00
L3

N=2 Superconformal Theories and M5 branes

Sergio Benvenuti
(Imperial College)
Abstract
In 2009 there was progress in understanding and classifying the set of four dimensional field theories with N=2 SUSY. These models arise as M5 branes wrapped over a Riemann surface. We review this construction and describe a five dimensional point of view, using (p,q)-webs of 5-branes in Type IIB string theory. This point of view makes many properties of the theories explicit. We will also touch on the AGT correspondence, that associates a 2-dimensional CFT, similar to the Liouville CFT, to the protected sector of four dimensional N=2 models.
Fri, 12 Feb 2010
14:15
L1

Order book resilience, price manipulation, and Fredholm integral equations

Alexander Scheid
Abstract

The viability of a market impact model is usually considered to be equivalent to the absence of price manipulation strategies in the sense of Huberman & Stanzl (2004). By analyzing a model with linear instantaneous, transient, and permanent impact components, we discover a new class of irregularities, which we call transaction-triggered price manipulation strategies. Transaction-triggered price manipulation is closely related to the non-existence of measure-valued solutions to a Fredholm integral equation of the first kind. We prove that price impact must decay as a convex decreasing function of time to exclude these market irregularities along with standard price manipulation. We also prove some qualitative properties of optimal strategies and provide explicit expressions for the optimal strategy in several special cases of interest. Joint work with Aurélien Alfonsi, Jim Gatheral, and Alla Slynko.

Fri, 12 Feb 2010

11:30 - 13:00
OCCAM Common Room (RI2.28)

OCCAM group meeting

Various
(Oxford)
Fri, 12 Feb 2010

10:00 - 11:15
DH 1st floor SR

Why wound healers need models

Dr Raj Mani
(University of Southampton)
Abstract

The significance of the effects of non-healing wounds has been the topic of many research papers and lectures during the last 25 years. Efforts have been made to understand the effects of long-standing venous hypertension, diabetes, the prevalence of wounds in such conditions with as well as the difficulties faced in managing such wounds with some success. Successful efforts to define standard care regimes have also been made. However, attempts to introduce innovative therapy have been much less successful. Is this merely because we have not understood the intricacies of the problem? And would system based modelling be an untried technique?

Venous ulcers are the majority of lower extremity wounds, and a clinical challenge. A previously developed model of venous ulcers permits some understanding of why compression bandaging is successful but fails to accommodate complications such as exudate and infection. Could this experimental model be improved by system based modelling?

Chronic wounds need to be modelled however the needs for such models should be examined in order that the outcome permits advances in our thinking as well in clinical management.

Thu, 11 Feb 2010
17:00
L3

Pseudofinite groups and groups of finite Morley rank

Alexandre Borovik
(Manchester)
Abstract

The talks will discuss relations between two major conjectures in the theory of groups of finite Morley rank, a modern chapter of model theoretic algebra. One conjecture, the famous the Cherlin-Zilber Algebraicity Conjecture formulated in 1970-s states that infinite simple groups of finite Morley rank are isomorphic to simple algebraic groups over algebraically closed fields. The other conjecture, due to Hrushovski and more recent, states that a generic automorphism of a simple group of finite Morley rank has pseudofinite group of fixed points.

Hrushovski showed that the Cherlin-Zilber Conjecture implies his conjecture. Proving Hrushovski's Conjecture and reversing the implication would provide a new efficient approach to proof of Cherlin-Zilber Conjecture.

Meanwhile, the machinery that is already available for the work at pseudofinite/finite Morley rank interface already yields an interesting

result: an alternative proof of the Larsen-Pink Theorem (the latter says, roughly speaking, that "large" finite simple groups of matrices are Chevalley groups over finite fields).

Thu, 11 Feb 2010

16:30 - 17:30
DH 1st floor SR

Spinning viscous sheets, or pizza, pancakes and doughnuts

Peter Howell (OCIAM)
Abstract

We study the axisymmetric stretching of a thin sheet of viscous fluid

driven by a centrifugal body force. Time-dependent simulations show that

the sheet radius tends to infinity in finite time. As the critical time is

approached, the sheet becomes partitioned into a very thin central region

and a relatively thick rim. A net momentum and mass balance in the rim leads

to a prediction for the sheet radius near the singularity that agrees with the numerical

simulations. By asymptotically matching the dynamics of the sheet with the

rim, we find that the thickness in the central region is described by a

similarity solution of the second kind. For non-zero surface tension, we

find that the similarity exponent depends on the rotational Bond number B,

and increases to infinity at a critical value B=1/4. For B>1/4, surface

tension defeats the centrifugal force, causing the sheet to retract rather

than stretch, with the limiting behaviour described by a similarity

solution of the first kind.

Thu, 11 Feb 2010

14:00 - 15:00
Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, nr Didcot

Resolution of sharp fronts in the presence of model error in variational data assimilation

Dr. Melina Freitag
(University of Bath)
Abstract

We show that data assimilation using four-dimensional variation

(4DVar) can be interpreted as a form of Tikhonov regularisation, a

familiar method for solving ill-posed inverse problems. It is known from

image restoration problems that $L_1$-norm penalty regularisation recovers

sharp edges in the image better than the $L_2$-norm penalty

regularisation. We apply this idea to 4DVar for problems where shocks are

present and give some examples where the $L_1$-norm penalty approach

performs much better than the standard $L_2$-norm regularisation in 4DVar.

Thu, 11 Feb 2010

12:00 - 13:00
SR1

An overview of the SYZ conjecture and calibrated geometry

Hwasung Mars Lee
(Oxford)
Abstract

We will present a physical motivation of the SYZ conjecture and try to understand the conjecture via calibrated geometry. We will define calibrated submanifolds, and also give sketch proofs of some properties of the moduli space of special Lagrangian submanifolds. The talk will be elementary and accessible to a broad audience.

Tue, 09 Feb 2010
16:00
SR1

The Alexander Polynomial

Jessica Banks
(Oxford)
Abstract

The Alexander polynomial of a link was the first link polynomial. We give some ways of defining this much-studied invariant, and derive some of its properties.

Tue, 09 Feb 2010

14:30 - 15:30
L3

Combinatorial theorems in random sets

David Conlon
(Cambridge)
Abstract

The famous theorem of Szemerédi says that for any natural number $k$ and any $a>0$ there exists $n$ such that if $N\ge n$ then any subset $A$ of the set $[N] =\{1, 2,\ldots , N\}$ of size $|A| \ge a N$ contains an arithmetic progression of length $k$. We consider the question of when such a theorem holds in a random set. More precisely, we say that a set $X$ is $(a, k)$-Szemerédi if every subset $Y$ of $X$ that contains at least $a|X|$ elements contains an arithmetic progression of length $k$. Let $[N]_p$ be the random set formed by taking each element of $[N]$ independently with probability $p$. We prove that there is a threshold at about $p = N^{-1/(k-1)}$ where the probability that $[N]_p$ is $(a, k)$-Szemerédi changes from being almost surely 0 to almost surely 1.

There are many other similar problems within combinatorics. For example, Turán’s theorem and Ramsey’s theorem may be relativised, but until now the precise probability thresholds were not known. Our method seems to apply to all such questions, in each case giving the correct threshold. This is joint work with Tim Gowers.

Mon, 08 Feb 2010

16:00 - 17:00
SR1

Fast reduction in the de Rham cohomology groups of projective hypersurfaces

Sebastian Pancratz
(Mathematical Institute, Oxford)
Abstract

Let $X$ be a smooth hypersurface in projective space over a field $K$ of characteristic zero and let $U$ denote the open complement. Then the elements of the algebraic de Rham cohomology group $H_{dR}^n(U/K)$ can be represented by $n$-forms of the form $Q \Omega / P^k$ for homogeneous polynomials $Q$ and integer pole orders $k$, where $\Omega$ is some fixed $n$-form. The problem of finding a unique representative is computationally intensive and typically based on the pre-computation of a Groebner basis. I will present a more direct approach based on elementary linear algebra. As presented, the method will apply to diagonal hypersurfaces, but it will clear that it also applies to families of projective hypersurfaces containing a diagonal fibre. Moreover, with minor modifications the method is applicable to larger classes of smooth projective hypersurfaces.

Mon, 08 Feb 2010
15:45
Eagle House

'Quenched Exit Estimates and Ballisticity Conditions for Higher-Dimensional Random Walk in Random Environment'

Alexander Drewitz
(Technical University of Berlin)
Abstract

 

ABSTRACT "We give a short introduction to randomwalk in random environment

(RWRE) and some open problems connected to RWRE.

Then, in dimension larger than or equal to four we studyballisticity conditions and their interrelations. For this purpose, we dealwith a certain class of ballisticity conditions introduced by Sznitman anddenoted $(T)_\gamma.$ It is known that they imply a ballistic behaviour of theRWRE and are equivalent for parameters $\gamma \in (\gamma_d, 1),$ where$\gamma_d$ is a constant depending on the dimension and taking values in theinterval $(0.366, 0.388).$ The conditions $(T)_\gamma$ are tightly interwovenwith quenched exit estimates.

As a first main result we show that the conditions are infact equivalent for all parameters $\gamma \in (0,1).$ As a second main result,we prove a conjecture by Sznitman concerning quenched exit estimates.

Both results are based on techniques developed in a paperon slowdowns of RWRE by Noam Berger.

 

(joint work with Alejandro Ram\'{i}rez)"

 

Mon, 08 Feb 2010
14:15
Eagle House

A class of Weakly Interactive Particle Systems and SPDEs

Lei Jin
(University of Oxford)
Abstract

We investigate a class of weakly interactive particle systems with absorption. We assume that the coefficients in our model depend on an "absorbing" factor and prove the existence and uniqueness of the proposed model. Then we investigate the convergence of the empirical measure of the particle system and derive the Stochastic PDE satisfied by the density of the limit empirical measure. This result can be applied to credit modelling. This is a joint work with Dr. Ben Hambly.

Mon, 08 Feb 2010

12:00 - 13:00
L3

Holographic Superconductors in M-Theory

Jerome Gauntlett
(Imperial College)
Abstract
By constructing black hole solutions of D=11 supergravity we analyse the phase diagram of a certain class of three dimensional conformal field theories at finite temperature and finite charge density. The system exhibits superconductivity at lotemperatures and furthermore at zero tmeperature and finite charge density the system exhibits an emergent quantum critical behaviour with conformal symmetry. The construction of the black hole solutions rely on a new understanding of Kaluza-Klein reductions on seven dimensional Sasaki-Einstein manifolds.
Fri, 05 Feb 2010

11:00 - 12:00
Oxford-Man Institute

Rollover Risk and Credit Risk

Wei Xiong
(Princeton University)
Abstract

This paper models a firm’s rollover risk generated by con.ict of interest between debt and equity holders. When the firm faces losses in rolling over its maturing debt, its equity holders are willing to absorb the losses only if the option value of keeping the firm alive justifies the cost of paying off the maturing debt. Our model shows that both deteriorating market liquidity and shorter debt maturity can exacerbate this externality and cause costly firm bankruptcy at higher fundamental thresholds. Our model provides implications on liquidity- spillover effects, the flight-to-quality phenomenon, and optimal debt maturity structures.

Fri, 05 Feb 2010

10:00 - 11:15
DH 1st floor SR

Irrational Signal Processing

Trevor Wishart
(University of Durham)
Abstract

Trevor Wishart writes "I realise 'irrational' means something very specific to a mathematician, and I'm not using the word in that sense."

Abstract:

Trevor Wishart will discuss the use of Digital Signal Processing as a tool in musical composition, ranging from the application of standard analysis procedures (e.g. windowed Fourier Transforms), and common time-domain methods (Brassage), to more unconventional approaches (e.g. waveset distortion, spectral tracing, iterative-extension). He will discuss the algorithms involved and illustrate his talk with musical examples taken from his own work.

This workshop is linked to a musical performance of "Two Women" and "Globalalia" by Trevor Wishart in the Jacqueline du Pre concert hall that evening (5th Feb) at 8pm as part of the Music Department's "New Music Forum". Tickets are £12 (or £8 concession) but if you are interested please let me know (Rebecca Gower, @email or 152312) as we may be able to negotiate a much lower price for members of the Mathematical Institute in a group associated with his workshop.

Trevor will also be giving two lectures in the Denis Arnold Hall, Faculty of Music on the 3rd and 4th Feb which are open to the public and admission is free.

Thu, 04 Feb 2010
17:00
L3

Generic dimension groups

Philip Scowcroft
(Wesleyan/Oxford)
Abstract

I will discuss the special properties of dimension groups obtained by model-theoretic forcing

Thu, 04 Feb 2010

16:30 - 17:30
DH 1st floor SR

Breathers and Kinks in FPU lattices

Jonathan Wattis
(Nottingham)
Abstract

The FPU lattice is a coupled system of ordinary differential equations in which each atom in a chain is coupled to its nearest neighbour by way of a nonlinear spring.

After summarising the properties of travelling waves (kinks) we use asymptotic analysis to describe more complicate envelope solutions (breathers). The interaction of breathers and kinks will then be analysed. If time permits, the method will be extended to two-dimensional lattices.