Thu, 18 May 2017
12:00
L4

Diffusion-approximation for some hydrodynamic limits

Julien Vovelle
(Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1)
Abstract

We determine the hydrodynamic limit of some kinetic equations with either stochastic Vlasov force term or stochastic collision kernel. We obtain stochastic second-order parabolic equations at the limit. In the regime we consider, we also observe (or do not observe) some phenomena of enhanced diffusion. Joint works with Nils Caillerie, Arnaud Debussche, Martina Hofmanová.
 

Mon, 24 Apr 2017

14:15 - 15:15
L4

Soliton resolution conjecture

Roland Grinis
(Oxford)
Abstract

We will give an overview of the Soliton Resolution Conjecture, focusing mainly on the Wave Maps Equation. This is a program about understanding the formation of singularities for a variety of critical hyperbolic/dispersive equations, and stands as a remarkable topic of research in modern PDE theory and Mathematical Physics. We will be presenting our contributions to this field, elaborating on the required background, as well as discussing some of the latest results by various authors.

Fri, 19 May 2017

10:00 - 11:00
L4

Neutron reflection from mineral surfaces: Through thick and thin

Stuart Clarke
(BP Institute at Cambridge University)
Abstract

Conventional neutron reflection is a very powerful tool to characterise surfactants, polymers and other materials at the solid/liquid and air/liquid interfaces. Usually the analysis considers molecular layers with coherent addition of reflected waves that give the resultant reflected intensity. In this short workshop talk I will illustrate recent developments in this approach to address a wide variety of challenges of academic and commercial interest. Specifically I will introduce the challenges of using substrates that are thick on the coherence lengthscale of the radiation and the issues that brings in the structural analysis. I also invite the audience to consider if there may be some mathematical analysis that might lead us to exploit this incoherence to optimise our analysis. In particular, facilitating the removal of the 'background substrate contribution' to help us focus on the adsorbed layers of most interest.

Tue, 09 May 2017
14:30
L3

Ill-conditioning and numerical stability in radial basis functions (RBFs) using frame theory

Cécile Piret
(Michigan Technological University)
Abstract

We analyse the numerical approximation of functions using radial basis functions in the context of frames. Frames generalize the notion of a basis by allowing redundancy, while being restricted by a so-called frame condition. The theory of numerical frame approximations allows the study of ill-conditioning, inherently due to their redundancy, and suggests discretization techniques that still offer numerical stability to machine precision. We apply the theory to radial basis functions.

 

Mon, 12 Jun 2017

15:45 - 16:45
L3

A weak universality result for the parabolic Anderson model

NICOLAS PERKOWSKI
(HU Berlin)
Abstract

We consider a class of nonlinear population models on a two-dimensional lattice which are influenced by a small random potential, and we show that on large temporal and spatial scales the population density is well described by the continuous parabolic Anderson model, a linear but singular stochastic PDE. The proof is based on a discrete formulation of paracontrolled distributions on unbounded lattices which is of independent interest because it can be applied to prove the convergence of a wide range of lattice models. This is joint work with Jörg Martin.

Mon, 05 Jun 2017

15:45 - 16:45
L3

A coupling approach to the kinetic Langevin equation

ANDREAS EBERLE
(University of Bonn)
Abstract


The (kinetic) Langevin equation is an SDE with degenerate noise that describes the motion of a particle in a force field subject to damping and random collisions. It is also closely related to Hamiltonian Monte Carlo methods. An important open question is, why in certain cases kinetic Langevin diffusions seem to approach equilibrium faster than overdamped Langevin diffusions. So far, convergence to equilibrium for kinetic Langevin diffusions has almost exclusively been studied by analytic techniques. In this talk, I present a new probabilistic approach that is based on a specific combination of reflection and synchronous coupling of two solutions of the Langevin equation. The approach yields rather precise bounds for convergence to equilibrium at the borderline between the overdamped and the underdamped regime, and it may help to shed some light on the open question mentioned above.

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