Thu, 25 Nov 2010

16:00 - 17:30
DH 1st floor SR

Spectral discrete solitons: from cnoidal waves to spatio-temporal helical beams

Andrey Gorbach
(University of Bath)
Abstract

In my talk I will introduce the concept of spectral discrete solitons

(SDSs): solutions of nonlinear Schroedinger type equations, which are localized on a regular grid in frequency space. In time domain such solitons correspond to periodic trains of pulses. SDSs play important role in cascaded four-wave-mixing processes (frequency comb generation) in optical fibres, where initial excitation by a two-frequency pump leads to the generation of multiple side-bands. When free space diffraction is taken into consideration, a non-trivial generalization of 1D SDSs will be discussed, in which every individual harmonic is an optical vortex with its own topological charge. Such excitations correspond to spatio-temporal helical beams.

Thu, 25 Nov 2010

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

Primal-dual active set methods for solving Non-local Allen-Cahn Systems

Dr. Vanessa Styles
(University of Sussex)
Abstract

We propose and analyze a primal-dual active set method for local and non-local vector-valued Allen-Cahn variational inequalities.

We show existence and uniqueness of a solution for the non-local vector-valued Allen-Cahn variational inequality in a formulation involving Lagrange multipliers for local and non-local constraints. Furthermore, convergence of the algorithm is shown by interpreting the approach as a semi-smooth Newton method and numerical simulations are presented.

Thu, 25 Nov 2010

13:00 - 14:00
SR1

Constructing manifolds with special holonomy by resolving orbifolds

Robert Clancy
(University of Oxford)
Abstract

All of Joyce's constructions of compact manifolds with special holonomy are in some sense generalisations of the Kummer construction of a K3 surface. We will begin by reviewing manifolds with special holonomy and the Kummer construction. We will then describe Joyce's constructions of compact manifolds with holonomy G_2 and Spin(7).

Wed, 24 Nov 2010

12:00 - 13:00
L3

Lectures on global Springer theory II

Zhiwei Yun
(MIT)
Abstract

Extend the affine Weyl group action in Lecture I to double affine Hecke algebra action, and (hopefully) more examples.

Tue, 23 Nov 2010

15:45 - 16:45
L3

Gravitational instantons from rational elliptic surfaces

Hans-Joachim Hein
(Imperial College London)
Abstract

Gravitational instantons are complete hyperkaehler 4-manifolds whose Riemann curvature tensor is square integrable. They can be viewed as Einstein geometry analogs of finite energy Yang-Mills instantons on Euclidean space. Classical examples include Kronheimer's ALE metrics on crepant resolutions of rational surface singularities and the ALF Riemannian Taub-NUT metric, but a classification has remained largely elusive. I will present a large, new connected family of gravitational instantons, based on removing fibers from rational elliptic surfaces, which contains ALG and ALH spaces as well as some unexpected geometries.

Tue, 23 Nov 2010

10:00 - 11:00
L3

Lectures on global Springer theory I

Zhiwei Yun
(MIT)
Abstract

Introduce the parabolic Hitchin fibration, construct the affine Weyl group action on its fiberwise cohomology, and study one example.

Mon, 22 Nov 2010

17:00 - 18:00
Gibson 1st Floor SR

Keller-Segel, Fast-Diffusion and Functional Inequalities

Jose Carillo de la Plata
(Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona)
Abstract

It will be shown how the critical mass classical Keller-Segel system and

the critical displacement convex fast-diffusion equation in two

dimensions are related. On one hand, the critical fast diffusion

entropy functional helps to show global existence around equilibrium

states of the critical mass Keller-Segel system. On the other hand, the

critical fast diffusion flow allows to show functional inequalities such

as the Logarithmic HLS inequality in simple terms who is essential in the

behavior of the subcritical mass Keller-Segel system. HLS inequalities can

also be recovered in several dimensions using this procedure. It is

crucial the relation to the GNS inequalities obtained by DelPino and

Dolbeault. This talk corresponds to two works in preparation together

with E. Carlen and A. Blanchet, and with E. Carlen and M. Loss.

Mon, 22 Nov 2010

16:00 - 17:00
SR1

TBA

Sebastian Pancratz
(Oxford)
Mon, 22 Nov 2010

15:45 - 16:45
L3

tba

Nicholas Touikan
(Oxford)
Mon, 22 Nov 2010
15:45
Eagle House

Some aspects of measures on path spaces

Xue-Mei Li
Abstract

Probability measures in infinite dimensional spaces especially that induced by stochastic processes are the main objects of the talk. We discuss the role played by measures on analysis on path spaces, Sobolev inequalities, weak formulations and local versions of such inequalities related to Brownian bridge measures.

Mon, 22 Nov 2010
14:15
Eagle House

Directed polymers and the quantum Toda lattice

Neil O’Connell
Abstract

We relate the partition function associated with a certain Brownian directed polymer model to a diffusion process which is closely related to a quantum integrable system known as the quantum Toda lattice. This result is based on a `tropical' variant of a combinatorial bijection known as the Robinson-Schensted-Knuth (RSK) correspondence and is completely analogous to the relationship between the length of the longest increasing subsequence in a random permutation and the Plancherel measure on the dual of the symmetric group.

Mon, 22 Nov 2010

12:00 - 13:00
L3

Constraining F-theory GUTs

Sakura Schafer-Nameki
(Kings College London)
Abstract
String theory phenomenology generically suffers from either too much flexibility (and lack of predictability) or from the a high specialization to case by case studies. I will discuss how F-theory GUT model building manages to get around these pitfalls, in particular, I will explain, how to systematically include global string consistency conditions, which are independent of the specific compactification, and which come with the benefit of highly constraining the class of GUT models that can arise from F-theory.