Tue, 21 Feb 2017
14:30
L6

Extremal Problems on Colourings in Cubic Graphs via the Potts Model

Ewan Davies
(London School of Economics)
Abstract

We prove tight upper and lower bounds on an observable of the antiferromagnetic Potts model. From this we deduce the case d=3 of a conjecture of Galvin and Tetali on maximising the number of proper colourings in d-regular graphs.

Thu, 23 Feb 2017
16:00
L6

Wach modules, regulator maps, and ε-isomorphisms in families

Otmar Venjakob
(Heidelberg)
Abstract

In this talk on joint work with REBECCA BELLOVIN we discuss the “local ε-isomorphism” conjecture of Fukaya and Kato for (crystalline) families of G_{Q_p}-representations. This can be regarded as a local analogue of the global Iwasawa main conjecture for families, extending earlier work of Kato for rank one modules, of Benois and Berger for crystalline representations with respect to the cyclotomic extension as well as of Loeffler, Venjakob and Zerbes for crystalline representations with respect to abelian p-adic Lie extensions of Q_p. Nakamura has shown Kato’s - conjecture for (ϕ,\Gamma)-modules over the Robba ring, which means in particular only after inverting p, for rank one and trianguline families. The main ingredient of (the integrality part of) the proof consists of the construction of families of Wach modules generalizing work of Wach and Berger and following Kisin’s approach via a corresponding moduli space.
 

Tue, 31 Jan 2017
14:30
L6

Increasing Sequences of Integer Triples

Jason Long
(Cambridge University)
Abstract

We will consider the following deceptively simple question, formulated recently by Po Shen Loh who connected it to an open problem in Ramsey Theory. Define the '2-less than' relation on the set of triples of integers by saying that a triple x is 2-less than a triple y if x is less than y in at least two coordinates. What is the maximal length of a sequence of triples taking values in {1,...,n} which is totally ordered by the '2-less than' relation?

In his paper, Loh uses the triangle removal lemma to improve slightly on the trivial upper bound of n^2, and conjectures that the truth should be of order n^(3/2). The gap between these bounds has proved to be surprisingly resistant. We shall discuss joint work with Tim Gowers, giving some developments towards this conjecture and a wide array of natural extensions of the problem. Many of these extensions remain open.
 

Tue, 07 Feb 2017
14:30
L6

Designs Beyond Quasirandomness

Stefan Glock
(Birmingham University)
Abstract

In a recent breakthrough, Peter Keevash proved the Existence conjecture for combinatorial designs, which has its roots in the 19th century. In joint work with Daniela Kühn, Allan Lo and Deryk Osthus, we gave a new proof of this result, based on the method of iterative absorption. In fact, `regularity boosting’ allows us to extend our main decomposition result beyond the quasirandom setting and thus to generalise the results of Keevash. In particular, we obtain a resilience version and a minimum degree version. In this talk, we will present our new results within a brief outline of the history of the Existence conjecture and provide an overview of the proof.

Tue, 24 Jan 2017
14:30
L6

Gowers Norms of the Thue-Morse and Other Automatic Sequences

Jakub Konieczny
(Oxford University)
Abstract

The Thue-Morse sequence is perhaps the simplest example of an automatic sequence. Various pseudorandomness properties of this sequence have long been studied. During the talk, I will discuss a new result in this direction, asserting that the Gowers uniformity norms of the Thue-Morse sequence are small in a quantitative sense. Similar results hold for the Rudin-Shapiro sequence, as well as for a much wider class of automatic sequences which will be introduced during the talk.

The talk is partially based on joint work with Jakub Byszewski.

Thu, 02 Feb 2017
17:30
L6

On algebraically closed fields of characteristic 1

Boris Zilber
(Oxford)
Abstract

I will start with a motivation of what algebraic and model-theoretic properties an algebraically closed field of characteristic 1 is expected to have. Then I will explain how these properties forces one to follow the route of Hrushovski's construction/Schanuel-type conjecture analysis. Then I am able to formulate very precise axioms that such a field must satisfy.  The main theorem then states that under the axioms the structure has the desired algebraic properties.
The axioms have a form of statements about existence of solutions to systems of equations in terms of a 'multi-dimansional' valuation theory and the validity of these statements is an open problem to be discussed. 

 

Thu, 19 Jan 2017
16:00
L6

Joint Logic/Number Theory Seminar: Formality and higher Massey products in Galois cohomology

Adam Topaz
(Oxford)
Abstract

There are several conjectures in the literature suggesting that absolute Galois groups of fields tend to be "as free as possible," given their "almost-abelian" data.
This can be made precise in various ways, one of which is via the notion of "1-formality" arising in analogy with the concept in rational homotopy theory.
In this talk, I will discuss several examples which illustrate this phenomenon, as well as some surprising diophantine consequences.
This discussion will also include some recent joint work with Guillot, Mináč, Tân and Wittenberg, concerning the vanishing of mod-2 4-fold Massey products in the Galois cohomology of number fields.

Tue, 17 Jan 2017
14:30
L6

Parking On A Random Tree

Michał Przykucki
(Oxford University)
Abstract

Consider the following particle system. We are given a uniform random rooted tree on vertices labelled by $[n] = \{1,2,\ldots,n\}$, with edges directed towards the root. Each node of the tree has space for a single particle (we think of them as cars). A number $m \le n$ of cars arrive one by one, and car $i$ wishes to park at node $S_i$, $1 \le i \le m$, where $S_1, S_2, \ldots, S_m$ are i.i.d. uniform random variables on $[n]$. If a car wishes to park at a space which is already occupied, it follows the unique path oriented towards the root until it encounters an empty space, in which case it parks there; if there is no empty space, it leaves the tree. Let $A_{n,m}$ denote the event that all $m$ cars find spaces in the tree. Lackner and Panholzer proved (via analytic combinatorics methods) that there is a phase transition in this model. Set $m = \lfloor \alpha n \rfloor$. Then if $\alpha \le 1/2$, $\mathbb{P}(A_{n,\lfloor \alpha n \rfloor}) \to \frac{\sqrt{1-2\alpha}}{1-\alpha}$, whereas if $\alpha > 1/2$ we have $\mathbb{P}(A_{n,\lfloor \alpha n \rfloor}) \to 0$. In this talk, we will give a probabilistic explanation for this phenomenon, and an alternative proof via the objective method.

Joint work with Christina Goldschmidt.

Thu, 09 Mar 2017

16:00 - 17:00
L6

Euclidean lattices of infinite rank and Diophantine applications

Jean-Benoît Bost
(Paris-Sud, Orsay)
Abstract

I will discuss the definitions and the basic properties of some infinite dimensional generalizations of Euclidean lattices and of their invariants defined in terms of theta series. Then I will present some of their applications to transcendence theory and Diophantine geometry.

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