Existence results in large for fully non-linear compressible multi-fluid models are in the mathematical literature in a short supply (if not non-existing). In this talk, we shall recall the main ideas of Lions' proof of the existence of weak solutions to the compressible (mono-fluid) Navier-Stokes equations in the barotropic regime. We shall then eplain how this approach can be adapted to the construction of weak solutions to some simple multi-fluid models. The main tools in the proofs are renormalization techniques for the continuity and transport equations. They will be discussed in more detail.

Topological field theories (TFT's) are physical theories depending only on the topological properties of spacetime as opposed to also depending on the metric of spacetime.  This talk will introduce topological field theories, and the work of Freed and Hopkins on how a class of TFT's called "invertible" TFT's describe certain states of matter, and are classified by maps of spectra.  Constructions of field theories corresponding to specific maps of spectra will be described.
 

The birth of fixed-wing, powered flight in the first decade of the twentieth century brought with it significant potential for pilots to return to Earth by unintended, often fatal, means. I will discuss the nature of the contemporary mathematical and engineering debates associated with these facets of flight, and the practical steps taken to facilitate safer aircraft and more robust operating procedures.

We prove that for closed surfaces of fixed topological type, orientable or non-orientable, there exists a unit volume metric, smooth away from finitely many conical singularities, that
maximizes the first eigenvalue of the Laplace operator among all unit volume metrics. The key ingredient are several monotonicity results, which have partially been conjectured to hold before. This
is joint work with Henrik Matthiesen.