Thu, 21 Jan 2016

16:00 - 17:00
L3

Group Meeting

Tmoslav Plesa, John Ockendon, Hilary Ockendon
Abstract

Tmoslav Plesa: Chemical Reaction Systems with a Homoclinic Bifurcation: An Inverse Problem, 25+5 min;

John Ockendon: Wave Homogenisation, 10 min + questions; 

Hilary Ockendon: Sloshing, 10 min + questions
 

 

Mon, 18 Jan 2016

16:00 - 17:00
L3

4th moment of quadratic Dirichlet L-functions in function fields

Alexandra Florea
(Stanford University)
Abstract

We discuss moments of $L$-functions in function fields, in the hyperelliptic ensemble, focusing on the fourth moment of quadratic Dirichlet $L$-functions at the critical point. We explain how to obtain an asymptotic formula with some of the secondary main terms.

Mon, 23 Nov 2015

17:00 - 18:00
L3

Functors of points and moduli problems

Alexander Betts
(Oxford University)
Abstract

In algebraic and arithmetic geometry, there is the ubiquitous notion of a moduli space, which informally is a variety (or scheme) parametrising a class of objects of interest. My aim in this talk is to explain concretely what we mean by a moduli space, going through the functor-of-points formalism of Grothendieck. Time permitting, I may also discuss (informally!) a natural obstruction to the existence of moduli schemes, and how one can get around this problem by taking a 2-categorical point of view.

Mon, 16 Nov 2015

12:00 - 13:00
L3

Energy Gaps and Casimir Energies in Holographic CFTs

Andrew Hickling
(Imperial College)
Abstract

Two interesting properties of static curved space QFTs are Casimir Energies, and the Energy Gaps of fluctuations. We investigate what AdS/CFT has to say about these properties by examining holographic CFTs defined on curved but static spatially closed spacetimes. Being holographic, these CFTs have a dual gravitational description under Gauge/Gravity duality, and these properties of the CFT are reflected in the geometry of the dual bulk.  We can turn this on its head and ask, what does the existence of the gravitational bulk dual imply about these properties of the CFTs? In this talk we will consider holographic CFTs where the dual vacuum state is described by pure Einstein gravity with negative cosmological constant.  We will argue using the bulk geometry first, that if the CFT spacetime's spatial scalar curvature is positive there is a lower bound on the gap for scalar fluctuations, controlled by the minimum value of the boundary Ricci scalar. In fact, we will show that it is precisely the same bound as is satisfied by free scalar CFTs, suggesting that this bound might be something that applies more generally than just in a Holographic context. We will then show, in the case of 2+1 dimensional CFTs, that the Casimir energy is non-positive, and is in fact negative unless the CFT's scalar curvature is constant. In this case, there is no restriction on the boundary scalar curvature, and we can even allow singularities in the bulk, so long as they are 'good' singularities. If time permits, we will also describe some new results about the Hawking-Page transition in this context. 

 
 
Mon, 02 Nov 2015
17:00
L3

Non-Archimedean Analytic Geometry..etc.

Nicholas Wentzlaff
Abstract

I want to give an introduction into non-Archimedean Geometry, and show how Model Theory was used to prove the recent results of Hrushovski-Loeser on topological properties of analytic spaces. This may also be of interest with view towards Zilber's programme for syntax-semantics dualities.

Mon, 09 Nov 2015

12:00 - 13:00
L3

Yang-Mills origin of gravitational symmetries

Mike Duff
(Imperial College)
Abstract

By regarding gravity as the convolution of left and right Yang-Mills theories together with a spectator scalar field in the bi-adjoint representation, we derive in linearised approximation the gravitational symmetries of general covariance, p-form gauge invariance, local Lorentz invariance and local supersymmetry from the flat space Yang-Mills symmetries of local gauge invariance and global super-Poincare. As a concrete example we focus on the new-minimal (12+12) off-shell version of simple four-dimensional supergravity obtained by tensoring the off-shell Yang-Mills multiplets (4+4,NL =1)and(3+0,NR =0). 

 
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