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X-WR-CALDESC:Events for CMSA
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230302T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230302T130000
DTSTAMP:20240118T052933Z
CREATED:20230817T165840Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240118T052933Z
UID:10001235-1677758400-1677762000@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:New bounds on lattice covering volumes\, and nearly uniform covers
DESCRIPTION:Member Seminar \nSpeaker: Barak Weiss   \nTitle: New bounds on lattice covering volumes\, and nearly uniform covers \nAbstract: Let L be a lattice in R^n and let K be a convex body. The covering volume of L with respect to K is the minimal volume of a dilate rK\, such that L+rK = R^n\, normalized by the covolume of L. Pairs (L\,K) with small covering volume correspond to efficient coverings of space by translates of K\, where the translates lie in a lattice. Finding upper bounds on the covering volume as the dimension n grows is a well studied problem\, with connections to practical questions arising in computer science and electrical engineering. In a recent paper with Or Ordentlich (EE\, Hebrew University) and Oded Regev (CS\, NYU) we obtain substantial improvements to bounds of Rogers from the 1950s. In another recent paper\, we obtain bounds on the minimal volume of nearly uniform covers (to be defined in the talk). The key to these results are recent breakthroughs by Dvir and others regarding the discrete Kakeya problem. I will give an overview of the questions and results.
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/member-seminar-3223/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Member Seminar
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230302T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230302T170000
DTSTAMP:20240216T085143Z
CREATED:20230817T180503Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240216T085143Z
UID:10001276-1677772800-1677776400@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:The string/black hole transition in anti de Sitter space
DESCRIPTION:Speaker: Erez Urbach\, Weizmann Institute of Science \nTitle: The string/black hole transition in anti de Sitter space \nAbstract: String stars\, or Horowitz-Polchinski solutions\, are string theory saddles with normalizable condensates of thermal-winding strings. In the past\, string stars were offered as a possible description of stringy (Euclidean) black holes in asymptotically flat spacetime\, close to the Hagedorn temperature. I will discuss the thermodynamic properties of string stars in asymptotically (thermal) anti-de Sitter background (including AdS3 with NS-NS flux)\, their possible connection to small black holes in AdS\, and their implications for holography. I will also present new “winding-string gas” saddles for confining holographic backgrounds such as the Witten model\, and their relation to the deconfined phase of 3+1 pure Yang-Mills.
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/collquium-3223/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Colloquium
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/media/02CMSA-Colloquium-03.02.2023.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230307T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230307T130000
DTSTAMP:20240118T064352Z
CREATED:20230817T170153Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240118T064352Z
UID:10001236-1678190400-1678194000@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Categorical Symmetry of the Standard Model from Gravitational Anomaly 
DESCRIPTION:Member Seminar \nSpeaker: Juven Wang \nTitle: Categorical Symmetry of the Standard Model from Gravitational Anomaly \nAbstract: In the Standard Model\, the total “sterile right-handed” neutrino number n_{νR} is not equal to the family number Nf. The anomaly index (-Nf+n_{νR}) had been advocated to play an important role in our previous work on Cobordism and Deformation Class of the Standard Model [2112.14765\, 2204.08393] and Ultra Unification [2012.15860] in order to predict new highly entangled sectors beyond the Standard Model. Moreover\, the invertible baryon minus lepton number B−L symmetry current conservation can be violated quantum mechanically by gravitational backgrounds such as gravitational instantons. In specific\, we show that a noninvertible categorical counterpart of the B−L symmetry still survives in gravitational backgrounds. In general\, we propose a construction of noninvertible symmetry charge operators as topological defects derived from invertible anomalous symmetries that suffer from mixed gravitational anomalies. Examples include the perturbative local and nonperturbative global anomalies classified by ℤ and ℤ16 respectively. For this construction\, we utilize the anomaly inflow concept and the 3d Witten-Reshetikhin-Turaev-type topological quantum field theory corresponding to a 2d rational conformal field theory with an appropriate chiral central charge\, or the 3d boundary topological order of 4d ℤTF4-time-reversal symmetric topological superconductor [2302.14862].
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/member-seminar-3723/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Member Seminar
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230308T123000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230308T133000
DTSTAMP:20240228T111406Z
CREATED:20230817T180824Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240228T111406Z
UID:10001277-1678278600-1678282200@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Conformal symmetry\, Optimization algorithms and the Critical Phenomena
DESCRIPTION:Speaker: Ning Su\, University of Pisa \nTitle: Conformal symmetry\, Optimization algorithms and the Critical Phenomena \nAbstract: In the phase diagram of many substances\, the critical points have emergent conformal symmetry and are described by conformal field theories. Traditionally\, physical quantities near the critical point can be computed by perturbative field theory method\, where conformal symmetry is not fully utilized. In this talk\, I will explain how conformal symmetry can be used to determine certain physical quantities\, without even knowing the fine details of the microscopic structure. To compute the observables precisely\, one needs to develop powerful numerical techniques. In the last few years\, we have invented many computational tools and algorithms\, and predicted critical exponents of Helium-4 superfluid phase transition and Heisenberg magnet to very high precision.
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/collquium-3823/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Colloquium
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/media/02CMSA-Colloquium-03.08.2023.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230308T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230308T150000
DTSTAMP:20240223T154858Z
CREATED:20230808T190051Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240223T154858Z
UID:10001812-1678284000-1678287600@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:How to steer foundation models?
DESCRIPTION:New Technologies in Mathematics Seminar \nSpeaker: Jimmy Ba\, University of Toronto \nTitle: How to steer foundation models? \nAbstract: By conditioning on natural language instructions\, foundation models and large language models (LLMs) have displayed impressive capabilities as general-purpose computers. However\, task performance depends significantly on the quality of the prompt used to steer the model. Due to the lack of knowledge of how foundation models work\, most effective prompts have been handcrafted by humans through a demanding trial-and-error process. To reduce the human effort in this alignment process\, I will discuss a few approaches to steer these powerful models to excel in various downstream language and image tasks. \n 
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/nt-3823/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:New Technologies in Mathematics Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/media/03.08.2023.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230314T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230314T130000
DTSTAMP:20240118T065025Z
CREATED:20230817T170402Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240118T065025Z
UID:10001237-1678795200-1678798800@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Randomized algorithms in combinatorics
DESCRIPTION:Member Seminar \nSpeaker: Michael Simkin \nTitle: Randomized algorithms in combinatorics \nAbstract: Randomized algorithms have been a computational workhorse for almost as long as there have been computers. Surprisingly\, such algorithms can also be used to attack problems that are neither algorithmic nor probabilistic. Time permitting I will discuss the following combintorial examples: \n\nEnumerative combinatorics and the n-queens problem: In how many ways can one place n queens on an n x n chessboard so that no queen threatens any other?\nConstructions of combinatorial designs and the Erdos high-girth Steiner triple system problem: An order-n Steiner triple system (STS) is a collection of triples on n vertices such that every pair of vertices is contained in exactly one triple. In 1973 Erdos conjectured that there exist STSs with arbitrary large girth (informally\, no small set of vertices spans many triples). I will discuss the use of randomized algorithms to prove this conjecture. Joint work with Kwan\, Sah\, and Sawhney.\nThresholds in random graphs and hypergraphs: I will discuss how randomized algorithms can be combined with the recent resolution of the Kahn–Kalai conjecture to determine thresholds in random (hyper) graph theory. Joint work with Pham\, Sah\, and Sawhney.
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/member-seminar-31423/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Member Seminar
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230321T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230321T130000
DTSTAMP:20240118T070105Z
CREATED:20230817T170644Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240118T070105Z
UID:10001238-1679400000-1679403600@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Quantum Gravity constraints beyond asymptotic regimes
DESCRIPTION:Member Seminar \nSpeaker: Max Wiesner \nTitle: Quantum Gravity constraints beyond asymptotic regimes \nAbstract: Not every effective field theory that is consistent in the absence of gravity can be completed to a consistent theory of quantum gravity. The goal of the Swampland program is to find general criteria that distinguish effective field theories\, that can be obtained as a low-energy approximation of quantum gravity\, from those that are inconsistent in the presence of gravity. These criteria are oftentimes motivated by patterns observed in explicit compactifications of perturbative string theory and have passed many non-trivial tests in asymptotic regions of the field space such as\, e.g.\, weak coupling limits. Still\, the Swampland criteria should equally apply to effective theories that do not arise in asymptotic regions of the field space of string theory compactifications. In this talk I will summarize some of my recent works that studies the interior of regions of the field space of string theory in the context of the Swampland program.
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/member-seminar-32123/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Member Seminar
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230322T123000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230322T133000
DTSTAMP:20240216T104444Z
CREATED:20230817T181152Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240216T104444Z
UID:10001278-1679488200-1679491800@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Synchronization in a Kuramoto Mean Field Game
DESCRIPTION:Speaker: Mete Soner (Princeton University) \nTitle: Synchronization in a Kuramoto Mean Field Game \nAbstract:  Originally motivated by systems of chemical and biological oscillators\, the classical Kuramoto model has found an amazing range of applications from neuroscience to Josephson junctions in superconductors\, and has become a  key mathematical model to describe self organization in complex systems. These autonomous oscillators are coupled through a nonlinear interaction term which plays a central role in the long term behavior of the system. While the system is not synchronized when this term is not sufficiently strong\, fascinatingly\, they exhibit an abrupt transition to a full synchronization above a critical value of the interaction parameter.  We explore this system in the mean field formalism.  We treat the system of oscillators as an infinite particle system\, but instead of positing the dynamics of the particles\, we let the individual particles determine endogenously their behaviors by minimizing a cost functional and eventually\, settling in a Nash equilibrium.  The mean field game also exhibits a bifurcation from incoherence to self-organization.  This approach has found interesting applications including circadian rhythms and jet-lag recovery.  This is joint work with Rene Carmona of Princeton and Quentin Cormier of INRIA\, Paris.
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/collquium-32223/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Colloquium
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/media/CMSA-Colloquium-03.22.2023.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230328T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230328T130000
DTSTAMP:20240118T070227Z
CREATED:20230817T170827Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240118T070227Z
UID:10001239-1680004800-1680008400@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Monotonicity of quasilocal mass for asymptotically flat Riemannian manifolds
DESCRIPTION:Member Seminar \nSpeaker: Jue Liu \nTitle: Monotonicity of quasilocal mass for asymptotically flat Riemannian manifolds \nAbstract: The study of quasilocal mass in general relativity has a long history. In previous papers by many authors we have a deep understanding of the properties of quasilocal mass such as positivity\, rigidity and asymptotics etc. In this talk I will focus on the monotonicity of quasilocal mass\, which means the quasilocal mass of a finite region is smaller than that of a larger region containing the previous region. Motivated by the definition of Bartnik mass and Brown-York mass\, we define a new quasilocal mass using the Hamilton method. With this definition\, we derive the sufficient condition such that the quasilocal mass is monotonic. As an application I will also discuss the relationship with the Bartnik conjecture\, that is under what conditions there will be a static extension to the given Bartnik data.
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/member-seminar-32823/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Member Seminar
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230329T123000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230329T133000
DTSTAMP:20240216T102824Z
CREATED:20230817T181436Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240216T102824Z
UID:10001279-1680093000-1680096600@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Scattering amplitudes in quantum field theory
DESCRIPTION:Speaker: Ruth Britto (Trinity College Dublin) \nTitle: Scattering amplitudes in quantum field theory \nAbstract: Particle collider experiments require a detailed description of scattering events\, traditionally computed through sums of Feynman diagrams. However\, it is not practical to evaluate Feynman diagrams directly for all significant scattering processes. Moreover\, adding all diagrams reveals many cancellations: scattering amplitudes in theories such as QCD take remarkably simple forms. This simplicity is a clue that the perturbative theory is perhaps best understood without reference to Feynman diagrams. In fact\, it has recently become possible to explain some of this simplicity. I will show how to derive many amplitudes efficiently and elegantly\, and propose taming the remaining complexity with ideas drawn from combinatorics and geometry.
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/collquium-32923/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Colloquium
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/media/CMSA-Colloquium-03.29.2023.png
END:VEVENT
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