Fri, 06 Jun 2008

15:15 - 16:15
L3

Fixed-Point Logics and Inductive Definitions

Stephan Kreutzer
(Oxford Comlab)
Abstract

Fixed-point logics are a class of logics designed for formalising

recursive or inductive definitions. Being initially studied in

generalised recursion theory by Moschovakis and others, they have later

found numerous applications in computer science, in areas

such as database theory, finite model theory, and verification.

A common feature of most fixed-point logics is that they extend a basic

logical formalism such as first-order or modal logic by explicit

constructs to form fixed points of definable operators. The type of

fixed points that can be formed as well as the underlying logic

determine the expressive power and complexity of the resulting logics.

In this talk we will give a brief introduction to the various extensions

of first-order logic by fixed-point constructs and give some examples

for properties definable in the different logics. In the main part of

the talk we will concentrate on extensions of first-order

logic by least and inflationary fixed points. In particular, we

compare the expressive power and complexity of the resulting logics.

The main result will be to show that while the two logics have rather

different properties, they are equivalent in expressive power on the

class of all structures.

Fri, 16 May 2008
15:15
L3

Schanuel’s Conjecture and free E-rings in o-minimal structures

Giuseppina Terzo
(Universidade de Lisboa and Oxford)
Abstract

In recent years Schanuel’s Conjecture (SC) has played a fundamental role

in the Theory of Transcendental Numbers and in decidability issues.

Macintyre and Wilkie proved the decidability of the real exponential field,

modulo (SC), solving in this way a problem left open by A. Tarski.

Moreover, Macintyre proved that the exponential subring of R generated

by 1 is free on no generators. In this line of research we obtained that in

the exponential ring $(\mathbb{C}, ex)$, there are no further relations except $i^2 = −1$

and $e^{i\pi} = −1$ modulo SC. Assuming Schanuel’s Conjecture we proved that

the E-subring of $\mathbb{R}$ generated by $\pi$ is isomorphic to the free E-ring on $\pi$.

These results have consequences in decidability issues both on $(\mathbb{C}, ex)$ and

$(\mathbb{R}, ex)$. Moreover, we generalize the previous results obtaining, without

assuming Schanuel’s conjecture, that the E-subring generated by a real

number not definable in the real exponential field is freely generated. We

also obtain a similar result for the complex exponential field.

Fri, 02 May 2008
15:15
L3

Definability in differential Hasse fields and related geometric questions

Franck Benoist
(University of Leeds)
Abstract

I will give a few model theoretic properties for fields with a Hasse derivation which are existentially closed. I will explain how some type-definable sets allow us to understand properties of some algebraic varieties, mainly concerning their field of definition.

Tue, 06 May 2008

12:00 - 13:00
L3

Full control by locally induced relaxation

Daniel Burgarth
Abstract

We demonstrate a scheme for controlling a large quantum system by acting

on a small subsystem only. The local control is mediated to the larger

system by some fixed coupling Hamiltonian. The scheme allows to transfer

arbitrary and unknown quantum states from a memory to the large system

("upload access") as well as the inverse ("download access").

We give sufficient conditions of the coupling Hamiltonian for the

controllability

of the system which can be checked efficiently by a colour-infection game on

the graph

that describes the couplings.

Mon, 30 Jun 2008

14:15 - 15:15
L3

Donaldson-Thomas and Gromov-Witten theory of Calabi-Yau orbifolds

Jim Bryan
(UBC, Vancouver)
Abstract

There are two basic theories of curve counting on Calabi-Yau threefolds. Donaldson-Thomas theory arises by considering curves as subschemes; Gromov-Witten theory arises by considering curves as the image of maps. Both theories can also be formulated for orbifolds. Let X be a dimension three Calabi-Yau orbifold and let

Y --> X be a Calabi-Yau resolution. The Gromov-Witten theories of X and Y are related by the Crepant Resolution Conjecture. The Gromov-Witten and Donaldson-Thomas theories of Y are related by the famous MNOP conjecture. In this talk I will (with some provisos) formulate the remaining equivalences: the crepant resolution conjecture in Donaldson-Thomas theory and the MNOP conjecture for orbifolds. I will discuss examples to illustrate and provide evidence for the conjectures.

Thu, 24 Apr 2008

14:30 - 15:30
L3

Hall algebras and Quantum Frobenius

Kevin McGerty
(Imperial College, London)
Abstract

Lusztig discover an integral lift of the Frobenius morphism for algebraic groups in positive characteristic to quantum groups at a root of unity. We will describe how this map may be constructed via the Hall algebra realization of a quantum group.

Tue, 22 Apr 2008

12:00 - 13:00
L3

A Statistical Physicist's role in molecular biology

David Hoyle (Manchester)
Abstract

Modern molecular biology research produces data on a massive scale. This

data

is predominantly high-dimensional, consisting of genome-wide measurements of

the transcriptome, proteome and metabalome. Analysis of these data sets

often

face the additional problem of having small sample sizes, as experimental

data

points may be difficult and expensive to come by. Many analysis algorithms

are

based upon estimating the covariance structure from this high-dimensional

small sample size data, with the consequence that the eigenvalues and eigenvectors

of

the estimated covariance matrix are markedly different from the true values.

Techniques from statistical physics and Random Matrix Theory allow us to

understand how these discrepancies in the eigenstructure arise, and in

particular locate the phase transition points where the eigenvalues and

eigenvectors of the estimated covariance matrix begin to genuinely reflect

the

underlying biological signals present in the data. In this talk I will give

a

brief non-specialist introduction to the biological background motivating

the

work and highlight some recent results obtained within the statistical

physics

approach.

Mon, 12 May 2008
17:00
L3

High frequency limit of Helmholtz equations : refraction by sharp interfaces

Elise Fouassier
(Université de Toulouse)
Abstract

We compute the high frequency limit of the Hemholtz equation with source term, in the case of a refraction index that is discontinuous along a sharp interface between two unbounded media. The asymptotic propagation of energy is studied using Wigner measures. First, in the general case, assuming some geometrical hypotheses on the index and assuming that the interface does not capture energy asymptotically, we prove that the limiting Wigner measure satisfies a stationary transport equation with source term. This result encodes the refraction phenomenon. Second, we study the particular case when the index is constant in each media, for which the analysis goes further: we prove that the interface does not capture energy asymptotically in this case.

Mon, 28 Apr 2008
17:00
L3

Concerning the Ladyzhenskaya-Smagorinsky turbulence model - The regularity problem

H. Beirao da Veiga
(Pisa)
Abstract

we present some sharp regularity results for the stationary and the evolution Navier-Stokes equations with shear dependent viscosity, under the no-slip boundary condition. This is a classical turbulence model, considered by von Neumann and Richtmeyer in the 50's, and by Smagorinski in the beginning of the 60's (for p= 3). The model was extended to other physical situations, and deeply studied from a mathematical point of view, by Ladyzhenskaya in the second half of the 60's. We consider the shear thickening case p>2. We are interested in regularity results in Sobolev spaces, up to the boundary, in dimension n=3, for the second order derivatives of the velocity and the first order derivatives of the pressure. In spite of the very rich literature on the subject, sharp regularity results up to the boundary are quite new.

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