Colloquia & Seminars

Title: CMSA Special Seminar: Deformations to the Complex Plane, Novel Asymptotic Techniques, and the Large t- Asymptotics of the Riemann Zeta Function

CMSA Special Seminar Speaker: Thanasis Fokas, University of Cambridge Title: Deformations to the Complex Plane, Novel Asymptotic Techniques, and the Large t- Asymptotics of the Riemann Zeta Function Abstract: The Unified Transform (also known as the Fokas method) is a powerful new method for solving boundary value problems for linear and for integrable nonlinear PDEs. For linear PDEs, the relevant transform is based on appropriate deformations of certain integrals from the real line to the complex plane. After briefly reviewing this transform, it will be shown that combining this idea with novel asymptotic techniques has recently led to unexpected and exciting results regarding the large t-asymptotic analysis of the celebrated Riemann zeta function. The following two results will be...

Title: Mathematical Economics Seminar: Algorithmic Decision-Making

Mathematical Economics Seminar: Algorithmic Decision-Making Speaker: Ashesh Rambachan, MIT Title:  Human Decisions and Machine Predictions in Multistage Systems Abstract: Many high-stakes decisions go through successive stages of human review before a final decision is made, complicating efforts to evaluate both the human decision-makers and algorithmic counterfactuals. We develop a framework for evaluating both humans and algorithms in such multistage systems and apply it to child protective services,where human screeners first decide whether to investigate an allegation and human investigators then decide whether to open a case and provide services. The quasi-random assignment of human decision-makers identifies the effects of deploying algo-rithms throughout the system, even though outcomes are selectively observed across stages. We find three main results when applying...

Title: Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar

Joint Math/CMSA Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar  

Title: CMSA Q&A Seminar: Hugh Woodin, Harvard

CMSA Q&A Seminar Speaker: Hugh Woodin, Harvard Title: Truth, proof, and AI    

Title: New Technologies in Mathematics Seminar

New Technologies in Mathematics Seminar Speaker: tba

Title: AI for the Working Mathematician

AI for the Working Mathematician Speaker: Akhil Mathew, University of Chicago

Title: Geometry and Mathematical Physics Seminar

Geometry and Mathematical Physics Seminar  

Title: Member Seminar

Member Seminar  

Title: Life on a Noisy Seascape: Extinction, Growth, and Diversity

Colloquium Speaker: Mehran Kardar, MIT Title: Life on a Noisy Seascape: Extinction, Growth, and Diversity Abstract: Populations and communities rarely evolve in static environments; their fitness landscapes fluctuate across space and time, forming what may be called a noisy seascape. This talk examines how such variability modifies classical models of population dynamics and community stability. Beginning from the logistic equation, I will show how spatiotemporal fluctuations in fitness lead naturally to power-law population statistics and, under certain conditions, to the empirical (fractional) Richards growth law. Extending these ideas to interacting species reveals that the combined effects of dispersal and environmental noise can stabilize large, diverse communities despite strong competitive interactions. The resulting framework connects extinction, growth, and coexistence within a unified...

Title: Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar

Joint Math/CMSA Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar  

Title: CMSA Q&A Seminar: Denis Auroux, Harvard

CMSA Q&A Seminar Speaker: Denis Auroux, Harvard Title: What is Lagrangian Floer homology?  

Title: New Technologies in Mathematics Seminar

New Technologies in Mathematics Seminar Speaker: tba

Title: AI for the Working Mathematician

AI for the Working Mathematician Speaker: Harold Williams, USC Title: TBA

Title: Geometry and Mathematical Physics Seminar

Geometry and Mathematical Physics Seminar Speaker: Tobias Ekholm, Uppsala  

Title: Member Seminar

Member Seminar Speaker: Aaron Landesman