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.

Thu, 02 Mar 2017

16:15 - 17:15
L6

Minimal weights of mod-p Hilbert modular forms

Payman Kassaei
(Kings College London)
Abstract

I will discuss results on the characterization of minimal weights of mod-p Hilbert modular forms using results on stratifications of Hilbert Modular Varieties.  This is joint work with Fred Diamond.

Thu, 16 Feb 2017

16:00 - 17:00
L6

P-adic representations attached to vector bundles on smooth complete p-adic varieties

Christopher Deninger
(Münster)
Abstract

We discuss vector bundles with numerically stable reduction on smooth complete varieties over a p-adic number field and sketch the construction of associated p-adic representations of the geometric fundamental group. On projective varieties, such bundles are semistable with respect to every polarization and have vanishing Chern classes. One of the main problems in the construction consisted in getting rid of infinitely many obstruction classes. This is achieved by adapting a theory of Bhatt based on de Jongs's alteration method. One also needs control over numerically flat bundles on arbitrary singular varieties over finite fields. The singular Riemann Roch Theorem of Baum Fulton Macpherson is a key ingredient for this step. This is joint work with Annette Werner.
 

Thu, 09 Feb 2017

16:00 - 17:00
L6

A logarithmic interpretation of Edixhoven's jumps for Jacobians

Johannes Nicaise
(Imperial College London)
Abstract

Let A be an abelian variety over a strictly henselian discretely valued field K. In his 1992 paper "Néron models and tame ramification", Edixhoven has constructed a filtration on the special fiber of the Néron model of A that measures the behaviour of the Néron model with respect to tamely ramified extensions of K. The filtration is indexed by rational numbers in [0,1], and if A is wildly ramified, it is an open problem whether the places where it jumps are always rational. I will explain how an interpretation of the filtration in terms of logarithmic geometry leads to explicit formulas for the jumps in the case where A is a Jacobian, which confirms in particular that they are rational. This is joint work with Dennis Eriksson and Lars Halvard Halle.

Thu, 02 Feb 2017

16:00 - 17:00
L6

Finding Arithmetic Implications of Mirror Symmetry

Tyler Kelly
(Cambridge)
Abstract

Mirror symmetry is a duality from string theory that states that given a Calabi-Yau variety, there exists another Calabi-Yau variety so that various geometric and physical data are exchanged. The investigation of this mirror correspondence has its roots in enumerative geometry and hodge theory, but has been later interpreted by Kontsevich in a categorical setting. This exchange in data is very powerful, and has been shown to persist for zeta functions associated to Calabi-Yau varieties, although there is no rigorous statement for what arithmetic mirror symmetry would be. Instead of directly trying to state and prove arithmetic mirror symmetry, we will instead use mirror symmetry as an intuitional framework to obtain arithmetic results for special Calabi-Yau pencils in projective space from the Hodge theoretic viewpoint. If time permits, we will discuss work in progress in starting to find arithmetic implications of Kontsevich's Homological Mirror Symmetry.

Thu, 26 Jan 2017

16:00 - 17:00
L6

CANCELED: 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.
 

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