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  • Periods for singular CY families and Riemann–Hilbert correspondence

    Member Seminar Speaker: Tsung-Ju Lee Title: Periods for singular CY families and Riemann–Hilbert correspondence Abstract: A GKZ system, introduced by Gelfand, Kapranov, and Zelevinsky, is a system of partial differential equations generalizing the hypergeometric structure studied by Euler and Gauss. The solutions to GKZ systems have been found applications in various branches of mathematics including number theory, algebraic geometry and […]

  • Black Hole Spectroscopy

    Abstract: According to general relativity, the remnant of a binary black hole merger should be a perturbed Kerr black hole. Perturbed Kerr black holes emit “ringdown” radiation which is well described by a superposition of quasinormal modes, with frequencies and damping times that depend only on the mass and spin of the remnant. Therefore the observation […]

  • Combinatorics, Physics and Probability Seminar

    During the 2021–22 academic year, the CMSA will be hosting a seminar on Combinatorics, Physics and Probability, organized by Matteo Parisi and Michael Simkin. This seminar will take place on Tuesdays at 9:00 am – 10:00 am (Boston time). The meetings will take place virtually on Zoom. To learn how to attend, please fill out this form, or contact […]

  • 02CMSA-Colloquium-03.30.2022

    Edge Modes and Gravity

    Speaker: Rob Leigh, UIUC Title: Edge Modes and Gravity Abstract:  In this talk I first review some of the many appearances of localized degrees of freedom — edge modes —  in a variety of physical systems. Edge modes are implicated for example in quantum entanglement and in various topological and holographic dualities. I then review recent […]

  • 20220330_Si-LI_poster

    Elliptic chiral homology and chiral index

    Abstract: We present an effective quantization theory for chiral deformation of two-dimensional conformal field theories. We explain a connection between the quantum master equation and the chiral homology for vertex operator algebras. As an application, we construct correlation functions of the curved beta-gamma/b-c system and establish a coupled equation relating to chiral homology groups of chiral […]

  • CMSA-QMMP-03.30.2022-1583x2048-1

    Renormalization group flow as optimal transport

    Youtube Video   Abstract: We show that Polchinski’s equation for exact renormalization group flow is equivalent to the optimal transport gradient flow of a field-theoretic relative entropy.  This gives a surprising information-theoretic formulation of the exact renormalization group, expressed in the language of optimal transport.  We will provide reviews of both the exact renormalization group, as well as the theory of optimal transportation.  Our […]

  • CMSA-NTM-Seminar-03.30.2022-1583x2048-1

    Memorizing Transformers

    Virtual

    https://youtu.be/5AoOpFFjW28 Speaker: Yuhuai Wu, Stanford and Google Title: Memorizing Transformers Abstract: Language models typically need to be trained or fine-tuned in order to acquire new knowledge, which involves updating their weights. We instead envision language models that can simply read and memorize new data at inference time, thus acquiring new knowledge immediately. In this talk, I […]

  • CMSA-Interdisciplinary-Science-Seminar-03.231.2022-1583x2048-1

    Compactification of an embedded vector space and its combinatorics

    Abstract: Matroids are combinatorial abstractions of vector spaces embedded in a coordinate space.  Many fundamental questions have been open for these classical objects.  We highlight some recent progress that arise from the interaction between matroid theory and algebraic geometry.  Key objects involve compactifications of embedded vector spaces, and an exceptional Hirzebruch-Riemann-Roch isomorphism between the K-ring of vector […]

  • Diffusive growth sourced by topological defects

    Virtual

    Member Seminar Speaker: Farzan Vafa Title: Diffusive growth sourced by topological defects Abstract: In this talk, we develop a minimal model of morphogenesis of a surface where the dynamics of the intrinsic geometry is diffusive growth sourced by topological defects. We show that a positive (negative) defect can dynamically generate a cone (hyperbolic cone). We […]

  • Causality constraints on corrections to Einstein gravity

    Virtual

    Swampland Seminar Speakers: Simon Caron-Huot (McGill University) and Julio Parra (Caltech) Title: Causality constraints on corrections to Einstein gravity Abstract: We study constraints from causality and unitarity on 2→2 graviton scattering in four-dimensional weakly-coupled effective field theories. Together, causality and unitarity imply dispersion relations that connect low-energy observables to high-energy data. Using such dispersion relations, we derive two-sided bounds on gravitational Wilson coefficients […]

  • Yip2022_poster_web

    Second Annual Yip Lecture: Extraterrestrial Life

    Harvard Science Center 1 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA

    Harvard CMSA hosted the second annual Yip Lecture on April 4, 2022. The Yip Lecture takes place thanks to the support of Dr. Shing-Yiu Yip. This year’s speaker was Avi Loeb (Harvard).   https://youtu.be/YV4Ki7x_yRc Extraterrestrial Life Abstract: Are we alone? It would be arrogant to think that we are, given that a quarter of all […]