Wed, 17 Oct 2018
11:00
N3.12

Rogers-Ramanujan Type Identities and Partitions

Adam Keilthy
(University of Oxford)
Abstract

In this talk, we shall introduce various identities among partitions of integers, and how these can be expressed via formal power series. In particular, we shall look at the Rogers Ramanujan identities of power series, and discuss possible combinatorial proofs using partitions and Durfree squares.

Mon, 22 Oct 2018

13:00 - 14:00
N3.12

Mathematrix lunches - Friendly food

Abstract

Our meeting will be a relaxed opportunity to have informal discussions about issues facing minorities in academia and mathematics over lunch. In particular, if anyone would like to suggest a topic to start a discussion about (either in advance or on the day) then please feel free to do this, and it could be a spring board for organised sessions on the same topics in future terms!

Wed, 10 Oct 2018
11:00
N3.12

Hilbert's 10th Problem: What We Know and What We Don't

Brian Tyrrell
(University of Oxford)
Abstract

In this talk I will introduce Hilbert's 10th Problem (H10) and the model-theoretic notions necessary to explore this problem from the perspective of mathematical logic. I will give a brief history of its proof, talk a little about its connection to decidability and definability, then close by speaking about generalisations of H10 - what has been proven and what has yet to be discovered.

Mon, 08 Oct 2018

13:00 - 14:00
N3.12

Mathematrix lunches - Meet and Greet

Abstract

This is a welcome to everyone who is interested in discussing and learning more about topics relating to life in academia and issues faced by minorities. We will tell you more about Mathematrix and the events upcoming in the term, as well as discussing ideas for future terms.

All staff, ECRs and postgrad students are invited to join. The lunches are free, relaxed and informal, and people may come and go as they please.
 

Mon, 15 Oct 2018

13:00 - 14:00
N3.12

Mathematrix lunches - Imposter Syndrome

Abstract

The meeting on Monday 15th October will be on Impostor Syndrome. In this meeting we will discuss what impostor syndrome is, what might be the causes of it, and some advice for people who are struggling with it. For anyone who wants to read up on what it is and some different types of impostor syndrome in advance, we recommend this blog post: https://www.themuse.com/advice/5-different-types-of-imposter-syndrome-a…. If you have a smart phone or tablet that you can bring with you, we encourage you to, as we will have some anonymous voting, and the more of you that can join in, the better!

We hope to see many of you there again: Quillen Room (N3.12), Monday 1-2pm.

Wed, 31 Oct 2018
16:00
N3.12

Non-Abelian Hodge Theory for curves

Eloise Hamilton
(Oxford University)
Abstract

The aim of this talk is to tell the story of Non-Abelian Hodge Theory for curves. The starting point is the space of representations of the fundamental group of a compact Riemann surface. This space can be endowed with the structure of a complex algebraic variety in three different ways, giving rise to three non-algebraically isomorphic moduli spaces called the Betti, de Rham and Dolbeault moduli spaces respectively. 

After defining and outlining the construction of these three moduli spaces, I will describe the (non-algebraic) correspondences between them, collectively known as Non-Abelian Hodge Theory. Finally, we will see how the rich structure of the Dolbeault moduli space can be used to shed light on the topology of the space of representations.

Mon, 11 Jun 2018
14:00
N3.12

Co-occurrence simplicial complexes in mathematics: identifying the holes of knowledge

Renaud Lamboitte
(Oxford University)
Abstract

In the last years complex networks tools contributed to provide insights on the structure of research, through the study of collaboration, citation and co-occurrence networks. The network approach focuses on pairwise relationships, often compressing multidimensional data structures and inevitably losing information. In this paper we propose for the first time a simplicial complex approach to word co-occurrences, providing a natural framework for the study of higher-order relations in the space of scientific knowledge. Using topological methods we explore the conceptual landscape of mathematical research, focusing on homological holes, regions with low connectivity in the simplicial structure. We find that homological holes are ubiquitous, which suggests that they capture some essential feature of research practice in mathematics. Holes die when a subset of their concepts appear in the same article, hence their death may be a sign of the creation of new knowledge, as we show with some examples. We find a positive relation between the dimension of a hole and the time it takes to be closed: larger holes may represent potential for important advances in the field because they separate conceptually distant areas. We also show that authors' conceptual entropy is positively related with their contribution to homological holes, suggesting that polymaths tend to be on the frontier of research.

Subscribe to N3.12