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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241104T093000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241104T103000
DTSTAMP:20260503T175834
CREATED:20240918T132254Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241104T150620Z
UID:10003519-1730712600-1730716200@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Foundation Seminar
DESCRIPTION:Foundation Seminar (Joint Seminar with BHI) \nLocation: BHI\n\nSpeaker: Christoph Kehle (MIT)\n\nTitle: On the cosmic censorship conjectures\nAbstract: I will present the modern formulations of the weak and strong cosmic censorship conjectures and discuss some recent developments in the context of gravitational collapse.
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/foundation-seminar_11424/
LOCATION:Black Hole Initiative\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge MA\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Foundation Seminar
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241104T163000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241104T173000
DTSTAMP:20260503T175834
CREATED:20240903T195045Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241016T202352Z
UID:10003436-1730737800-1730741400@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:The mathematics of evolution
DESCRIPTION:Colloquium \nSpeaker: Martin Nowak (Harvard) \nTitle: The mathematics of evolution \nAbstract: All living systems are guided by evolutionary dynamics. Evolution is a search process which occurs in populations of reproducing individuals. The three fundamental forces of evolution are mutation\, selection and cooperation. I will present basic ideas in the mathematical description of evolutionary dynamics\, including quasi-species theory\, evolutionary game theory\, and evolutionary graph theory. I will discuss specific problems such as origin of life\, emergence of complexity\, mechanisms of cooperation\, evolution of cancer and how to overcome resistance to targeted therapy. \n 
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/colloquium-11424/
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-11.4.2024.docx.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241105T161500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241105T181500
DTSTAMP:20260503T175834
CREATED:20240917T160718Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241104T184936Z
UID:10003512-1730823300-1730830500@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Introduction to Factorization algebras
DESCRIPTION:Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar \nSpeaker: Dan Freed\, Harvard University \nTitle: Introduction to Factorization algebras
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/quantumgeo_11524/
LOCATION:Science Center Hall E\, 1 Oxford Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/media/CMSA-Geometry-Quantum-Theory-11.5.2024.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241106T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241106T130000
DTSTAMP:20260503T175834
CREATED:20241016T181341Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241024T135813Z
UID:10003533-1730894400-1730898000@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:CMSA Q&A Seminar: Michael Douglas
DESCRIPTION:CMSA Q&A Seminar \nSpeaker: Michael Douglas\, Harvard CMSA \nTopic: What is Argyres-Douglas theory?
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/cmsaqa_11624/
LOCATION:Common Room\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:CMSA Q&A Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/media/CMSA-Q-A-Seminar-11.6.2024.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241106T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241106T150000
DTSTAMP:20260503T175834
CREATED:20241021T164918Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241108T192620Z
UID:10003617-1730901600-1730905200@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Is Behavior Cloning All You Need? Understanding Horizon in Imitation Learning
DESCRIPTION:New Technologies in Mathematics Seminar \nSpeaker: Dylan Foster\, Microsoft Research \nTitle: Is Behavior Cloning All You Need? Understanding Horizon in Imitation Learning \nAbstract: Imitation learning (IL) aims to mimic the behavior of an expert in a sequential decision making task by learning from demonstrations\, and has been widely applied to robotics\, autonomous driving\, and autoregressive language generation. The simplest approach to IL\, behavior cloning (BC)\, is thought to incur sample complexity with unfavorable quadratic dependence on the problem horizon\, motivating a variety of different online algorithms that attain improved linear horizon dependence under stronger assumptions on the data and the learner’s access to the expert.In this talk\, we revisit the apparent gap between offline and online IL from a learning-theoretic perspective\, with a focus on general policy classes up to and including deep neural networks. Through a new analysis of behavior cloning with the logarithmic loss\, we will show that it is possible to achieve horizon-independent sample complexity in offline IL whenever (i) the range of the cumulative payoffs is controlled\, and (ii) an appropriate notion of supervised learning complexity for the policy class is controlled. When specialized to stationary policies\, this implies that the gap between offline and online IL is smaller than previously thought. We will then discuss implications of this result and investigate the extent to which it bears out empirically. \nBio: Dylan Foster is a principal researcher at Microsoft Research\, New York. Previously\, he was a postdoctoral fellow at MIT\, and received his PhD in computer science from Cornell University\, advised by Karthik Sridharan. His research focuses on problems at the intersection of machine learning\, AI\, interactive decision making. He has received several awards for his work\, including the best paper award at COLT (2019) and best student paper award at COLT (2018\, 2019). \n 
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/newtech_11624/
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/CMSA-NTM-Seminar-11.6.24.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241107T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241107T110000
DTSTAMP:20260503T175834
CREATED:20241104T150020Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241104T171029Z
UID:10003597-1730973600-1730977200@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Bounds and Dualities of Type II Little String Theories
DESCRIPTION:Mathematical Physics and Algebraic Geometry Seminar \nSpeaker: Fabian Ruehle (Northeastern University) \nTitle: Bounds and Dualities of Type II Little String Theories \nAbstract: The goal of this seminar is to introduce Type II Little String Theories (LSTs)\, which are six-dimensional supersymmetric QFTs. We explore how to geometrically engineer these theories within the context of M-/F-theory (top-down) as well as consistent QFT realizations (bottom-up). After that\, we turn to the worldsheet theory of LSTs\, which are two-dimensional N=(0\,4) SCFTs. Using anomaly inflow and unitarity\, we derive strong constraints on the rank of their global symmetry algebras.
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/mathphys_11724/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Mathematical Physics and Algebraic Geometry
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/media/CMSA-Mathematical-Physics-and-Algebraic-Geometry-11.7.2024.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241108T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241108T113000
DTSTAMP:20260503T175834
CREATED:20240907T194143Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241104T181059Z
UID:10003470-1731060000-1731065400@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Representations of minimal W-algebras: unitarity and modular invariance
DESCRIPTION:Quantum Field Theory and Physical Mathematics Seminar \nSpeaker: Victor Kac (MIT) \nTitle: Representations of minimal W-algebras: unitarity and modular invariance \nAbstract: The minimal W-algebras\, obtained by quantum Hamiltonian reduction from affina vertex algebras\, form the most interesting class of vertex algebras\, which includes all superconformal algebras: Virasoro\, Neveu-Scharz\, N=2\, 3\, 4\, and big N=4. I will explain a unified classification of their unitary representations\, and their character formulas. For N=0\, 1\, and 2 these vertex algebras are modular invariant (meaning that tr q^L_0-c/24 is a modular function). However for all other minimal W-algebra modular invariance fails\, and one needs the “modification” of characters to restore modular invariance. Unfortunately the representation-theoretical or physical meaning of the modification is not known (at least to me).
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/qm_11824/
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Quantum Field Theory and Physical Mathematics
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/media/CMSA-QFT-and-Physical-Mathematics-11.8.2024.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241108T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241108T130000
DTSTAMP:20260503T175834
CREATED:20240919T144552Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241105T154430Z
UID:10003523-1731067200-1731070800@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:ADHM spaces and their quantizations
DESCRIPTION:Member Seminar \nSpeaker: Vasily Krylov\, CMSA \nTitle: ADHM spaces and their quantizations \nAbstract: In their paper “Construction of Instantons\,” Atiyah\, Drinfeld\, Hitchin\, and Manin introduced an algebraic construction of the moduli space of instantons on R^4\, now also known as the “ADHM space.” This is a Poisson complex variety; it has been actively studied by both mathematicians and physicists. In this talk\, I will review the ADHM construction\, present examples\, and discuss various geometric and algebraic properties of ADHM spaces. I will also describe natural quantizations of these Poisson varieties. I will explain a joint result with Etingof\, Losev\, and Simental\, providing explicit formulas for the dimensions and characters of all finite-dimensional representations of these quantizations. Time permitting\, I will illustrate some predictions of the 3D mirror symmetry in the example of ADHM spaces\, following our joint paper with Shlykov.
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/member-seminar-11824/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Member Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/media/CMSA-Member-Seminar-11.8.24.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241112T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241112T120000
DTSTAMP:20260503T175834
CREATED:20240903T192017Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241107T211753Z
UID:10003427-1731409200-1731412800@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:pp Waves: Quasinormal Modes & Hidden Symmetries of Black Holes
DESCRIPTION:General Relativity Seminar \nSpeaker: Ahmed Seta\, Harvard University \nTitle: pp Waves: Quasinormal Modes & Hidden Symmetries of Black Holes \nAbstract: The spectrum of quasinormal modes of 4D flat space black holes is not analytically tractable\, but there are two asymptotic limits where the QNM spectrum is under control: weak damping and strong damping. In this talk\, I will explain how these asymptotic QNMs are controlled by dynamical symmetries of the wave equation in certain kinematic limits.  These two asymptotic limits are\, in turn\, captured by the two classes of bound null geodesics in the black hole geometry: the photon ring and the horizon. I will also discuss the Penrose limit: a scaling limit into the geometry experienced by these geodesics\, which results in a plane-wave spacetime where the dynamical symmetries get enhanced into isometries.
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/general-relativity-seminar-111224/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:General Relativity Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/media/CMSA-GR-Seminar-11.12.2024.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241113T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241113T230000
DTSTAMP:20260503T175834
CREATED:20241017T141250Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241115T175125Z
UID:10003613-1731492000-1731538800@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Frontier of Formal Theorem Proving with Large Language Models: Insights from the DeepSeek-Prover Series
DESCRIPTION:New Technologies in Mathematics Seminar \nSpeaker: Huajian Xin\, DeepSeek \nTitle: Frontier of Formal Theorem Proving with Large Language Models: Insights from the DeepSeek-Prover Series \nAbstract: Recent advances in large language models have markedly influenced mathematical reasoning and automated theorem proving within artificial intelligence. Yet\, despite their success in natural language tasks\, these models face notable obstacles in formal theorem proving environments such as Lean and Isabelle\, where exacting derivations must adhere to strict formal specifications. Even state-of-the-art models encounter difficulty generating accurate and complex formal proofs\, revealing the unique blend of mathematical rigor required in this domain. In the DeepSeek-Prover series (V1 and V1.5)\, we have explored specialized methodologies aimed at addressing these challenges. This talk will delve into three foundational areas: the synthesis of training data through autoformalization\, reinforcement learning that utilizes feedback from proof assistants\, and test-time optimization using Monte Carlo tree search. I will also provide insights into current model capabilities\, persistent challenges\, and the future potential of large language models in automated theorem proving.
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/newtech_111324/
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:New Technologies in Mathematics Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/media/CMSA-NTM-Seminar-11.13.24.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241114T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241114T110000
DTSTAMP:20260503T175834
CREATED:20241107T191256Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241112T151542Z
UID:10003598-1731578400-1731582000@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:(Un)likely intersections
DESCRIPTION:Mathematical Physics and Algebraic Geometry Seminar \nSpeaker: Tom Scanlon\, UC Berkeley \nTitle: (Un)likely intersections\n\nAbstract: The Zilber-Pink conjectures predicts that for an ambient special variety  (such as an abelian variety or a Shimura variety)\, if   is an irreducible algebraic subvariety which is not contained a proper special subvariety of  (e.g. a proper algebraic subgroup in the abelian variety case or a variety of Hodge type in the case of Shimura varieties)\, then the union of the unlikely intersections  as  ranges over the special subvarieties of  with  is not Zariski dense in .  While various instances of this conjecture have been proven\, it remains open in most cases of interest.  In this lecture\, I will describe some of my work with Jonathan Pila in which we prove an effective function field version of this conjecture along with a counterpart to the Zilber-Pink conjecture proven with Sebastian Eterović:  after accounting for some geometric obstructions\, the likely intersections\, i.e. the union of the intersections  with  special and \,  are dense in the Euclidean topology in .   Our techniques for both results come from o-minimal complex analysis and differential algebra.\n\n 
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/mathphys_111424/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Mathematical Physics and Algebraic Geometry
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/media/CMSA-Mathematical-Physics-and-Algebraic-Geometry-11.14.2024.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241115T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241115T130000
DTSTAMP:20260503T175834
CREATED:20240919T144643Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241115T144349Z
UID:10003524-1731672000-1731675600@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Quantum Criticality in Black Hole Scattering
DESCRIPTION:Member Seminar \nSpeaker: Uri Kol \nTitle: Quantum Criticality in Black Hole Scattering \nAbstract: Perturbation theory around rotating black holes captures a few important effects in the physics of gravitational waves emitted from binary mergers. Despite a long and rich history\, developing a qualitative understanding of the system remains a challenging problem. In this talk I will describe an emergent critical phenomena arising in black hole perturbation theory\, which is reminiscent of the structure found in quantum many-body systems. A critical point is identified at zero temperature\, giving rise to a wide “quantum” critical region at finite temperatures that is dominated by critical fluctuations. In the critical region\, the physics is exclusively described by a set of critical exponents\, therefore leading to robust predictions. \n 
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/member-seminar-111524/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Member Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/media/CMSA-Member-Seminar-11.15.24.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241115T143000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241115T173000
DTSTAMP:20260503T175834
CREATED:20240923T164810Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241112T153736Z
UID:10003602-1731681000-1731691800@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Freedman CMSA Seminar
DESCRIPTION:Freedman CMSA Seminar \n*Note: via Zoom only* \n  \n2:00-3:30 pm ET \nSpeaker: Michael Freedman\, Harvard CMSA \nTitle: Some questions and theorems about closed 3 manifolds embedded in S^4 \nAbstract: Much is unknown about smooth embeddings of 3-manifolds in S^4; the Schoenflies problem  (Is there only one smoothly embedded 3-sphere in S^4 up to isotopy?) is the best-known example. There has long been a hope that 3-manifold reasoning applied to level-sets will be helpful.  I’ll mention some successes and failures of this method and revisit a classical theorem of Hantzsche in this light. (Hantzsche: If a 3-manifold embeds in S^4 its linking form is hyperbolic.) \n  \n3:30-4:00 pm ET \nBreak/Discussion \n  \n4:00-5:30 pm ET \nSpeaker: Slava Krushkal\, University of Virginia \nTitle: A higher order torsion linking form for 3-manifolds \nAbstract: This talk is based on a joint work with Mike Freedman defining a triple linking form for rational homology spheres\, assuming that the classical torsion linking pairing of three classes pairwise vanishes. I will discuss its vanishing for 3-manifolds in S^4\, and its relation to the Matsumoto triple intersection form on 4-manifolds. \n  \n 
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/freedman_11824/
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:Freedman Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/media/CMSA-Freedman-Seminar-11.15.2024.docx-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241118T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241118T150000
DTSTAMP:20260503T175834
CREATED:20241108T183204Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241108T184917Z
UID:10003620-1731938400-1731942000@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Emergent Non-Invertible Symmetries —The Adjoint QCD Example
DESCRIPTION:Quantum Field Theory and Physical Mathematics Seminar \nSpeaker: Shani Nadir Meynet (Uppsala) \nTitle: Emergent Non-Invertible Symmetries — The Adjoint QCD Example \nAbstract: After reviewing some general properties of generalized symmetries and the renormalization group (RG) flow for quantum field theories (QFT)\, I’ll describe how the recently discovered non-invertible symmetries can be used to study theories at strong coupling. I’ll illustrate these facts using (3+1)-dimensional adjoint QCD with two flavors as an example. This theory can be obtained by mass deforming a pure N=2 super Yang-Mills theory. Relying on supersymmetric results\, dynamical abelianization and monopole condensation\, we are able to get to the description of an infrared (IR) phase as an abelian theory flowing to a CP1 sigma model. In this scenario\, the IR phase has an emergent non-invertible symmetry\, which is matched with the non-invertible symmetry of the IR CP1 phase. This result illustrates how an emergent non-invertible symmetry can be used to provide a bridge connecting gauge theories at strong coupling and their IR via dynamical abelianization. \n 
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/qm_111824/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Quantum Field Theory and Physical Mathematics
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/media/CMSA-QFT-and-Physical-Mathematics-11.18.2024.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241119T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241119T120000
DTSTAMP:20260503T175834
CREATED:20240903T181051Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241115T150935Z
UID:10003418-1732014000-1732017600@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:The Einstein-Euler system with a physical vacuum boundary in spherical symmetry
DESCRIPTION:General Relativity Seminar \nSpeaker: Marcelo Disconzi\, Vanderbilt University \nTitle: The Einstein-Euler system with a physical vacuum boundary in spherical symmetry \nAbstract: We establish local well-posedness for the Einstein-Euler system with a physical vacuum boundary in spherical symmetry. Our proof relies on a new way of thinking about Einstein’s equations in spherical symmetry that is well-adapted to the fluid’s characteristics on the free boundary. We also exploit the Einstein constraint equations in spherical symmetry in a new way\, as a tool to understand the evolution problem. This is joint work with Jared Speck.
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/general-relativity-seminar-111924/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:General Relativity Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/media/CMSA-GR-Seminar-11.19.2024.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241119T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241119T190000
DTSTAMP:20260503T175834
CREATED:20240917T162304Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241118T171726Z
UID:10003515-1732039200-1732042800@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Factorization algebras in TQFT
DESCRIPTION:Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar \nSpeakers: Mayuko Yamashita\, Kyoto University \nTitle: Factorization algebras in TQFT \nAbstract: This is the first in the series of our working seminars on factorization algebras/homologies. This talk focuses on locally constant factorization algebras\, which correspond to Topological QFTs. I first explain they are equivalent to algebras over E_n operads and their variants. Then I define the factorization homology and discuss basic properties and examples. If time allows\, I also mention the connection with the cobordism hypothesis.
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/quantumgeo_111924/
LOCATION:Science Center 507\, 1 Oxford Street\, Cambridge\, 02138
CATEGORIES:Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=application/pdf:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/media/CMSA-Geometry-Quantum-Theory-11.19.2024.docx.pdf
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241120T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241120T230000
DTSTAMP:20260503T175834
CREATED:20241017T153402Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241115T183929Z
UID:10003614-1732096800-1732143600@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Thinking Like Transformers - A Practical Session
DESCRIPTION:New Technologies in Mathematics Seminar \nSpeaker: Gail Weiss\, EPFL \nTitle: Thinking Like Transformers – A Practical Session \nAbstract: With the help of the RASP programming language\, we can better imagine how transformers—the powerful attention based sequence processing architecture—solve certain tasks. Some tasks\, such as simply repeating or reversing an input sequence\, have reasonably straightforward solutions\, but many others are more difficult. To unlock a fuller intuition of what can and cannot be achieved with transformers\, we must understand not just the RASP operations but also how to use them effectively.\nIn this session\, I would like to discuss some useful tricks with you in more detail. How is the powerful selector_width operation yielded from the true RASP operations? How can a fixed-depth RASP program perform arbitrary length long-addition\, despite the equally large number of potential carry operations such a computation entails? How might a transformer perform in-context reasoning? And are any of these solutions reasonable\, i.e.\, realisable in practice? I will begin with a brief introduction of the base RASP operations to ground our discussion\, and then walk us through several interesting task solutions. Following this\, and armed with this deeper intuition of how transformers solve several tasks\, we will conclude with a discussion of what this implies for how knowledge and computations must spread out in transformer layers and embeddings in practice.
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/newtech_112024/
LOCATION:Virtual
CATEGORIES:New Technologies in Mathematics Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/media/CMSA-NTM-Seminar-11.20.24.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241120T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241120T130000
DTSTAMP:20260503T175834
CREATED:20241104T194035Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241107T171413Z
UID:10003535-1732104000-1732107600@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:CMSA Q&A Seminar: Anurag Anshu
DESCRIPTION:CMSA Q&A Seminar \nSpeaker: Anurag Anshu\, Harvard University \nTopic: What is quantum complexity theory? \n  \n 
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/cmsaqa_112024/
LOCATION:Common Room\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:CMSA Q&A Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/media/CMSA-Q-A-Seminar-11.20.2024.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241120T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241120T160000
DTSTAMP:20260503T175834
CREATED:20241010T135347Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241115T183220Z
UID:10003593-1732114800-1732118400@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:A new construction of c = 1 conformal blocks
DESCRIPTION:Mathematical Physics and Algebraic Geometry Seminar \nSpeaker: Qianyu Hao\, University of Geneva \nTitle: A new construction of c = 1 conformal blocks\n\nAbstract: The Virasoro conformal blocks are very interesting since they have many connections to other areas of math and physics. For example\, when c = 1\, they are related to tau functions of Painlevé equations. I will first explain what Virasoro conformal blocks are. Then I will describe a new way to construct Virasoro blocks at c = 1 on C by using the “abelian” Heisenberg conformal blocks on a branched double cover of C. The main new idea in our work is to use a spectral network. It is closely related to the idea of nonabelianization of the flat connections in the work of Gaiotto-Moore-Neitzke and Neitzke-Hollands. This nonabelianization construction enables us to compute the harder-to-get Virasoro blocks using the simpler abelian objects. This is based on a joint work with Andrew Neitzke.
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/mathphys_112024/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Mathematical Physics and Algebraic Geometry
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/media/CMSA-Mathematical-Physics-and-Algebraic-Geometry-11.20.2024.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241120T163000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241120T173000
DTSTAMP:20260503T175834
CREATED:20241120T165843Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241120T172458Z
UID:10003622-1732120200-1732123800@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Perturbative Factorization Algebras
DESCRIPTION:Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar \nSpeaker: Ahsan Khan\n\n\n\nTitle: Perturbative Factorization Algebras\n\nAbstract: In physics the starting point in studying a QFT is to write down an appropriate action functional. My talk will aim to sketch how this connects with the framework of factorization algebras.
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/quantumgeo_112024/
LOCATION:Science Center Hall E\, 1 Oxford Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/media/CMSA-Geometry-Quantum-Theory-11.20.2024.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241121T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241121T103000
DTSTAMP:20260503T175834
CREATED:20240923T152934Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241203T144846Z
UID:10003528-1732179600-1732185000@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:CMSA/Tsinghua Math-Science Literature Lecture: Bjorn Poonen\, MIT
DESCRIPTION:CMSA/Tsinghua Math-Science Literature Lecture \nDate: November 21\, 2024 \nTime: 9:00 – 10:30 am ET \nLocation: CMSA G10\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge MA & via Zoom \nSpeaker: Bjorn Poonen\, MIT \nTitle: Ranks of elliptic curves \nAbstract: Elliptic curves are simplest varieties whose rational points are not fully understood\, and they are the simplest projective varieties with a nontrivial group structure.  In 1922 Mordell proved that the group of rational points on an elliptic curve is finitely generated.  We will survey what is known and what is believed about this group. \n  \n\nBeginning in Spring 2020\, the CMSA began hosting a lecture series on literature in the mathematical sciences\, with a focus on significant developments in mathematics that have influenced the discipline\, and the lifetime accomplishments of significant scholars.
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/mathscilit2024_bp/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Math Science Literature Lecture Series
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/media/Mathlit_Poonen_11x17.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241121T103000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241121T113000
DTSTAMP:20260503T175834
CREATED:20240924T174856Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241115T175402Z
UID:10003599-1732185000-1732188600@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Skein valued curve counts for the topological vertex and knot conormals
DESCRIPTION:Mathematical Physics and Algebraic Geometry Seminar \nSpeaker: Tobias Ekholm\, Uppsala University \nTitle: Skein valued curve counts for the topological vertex and knot conormals \nAbstract: Combining the invariance of holomorphic curve counts in the skein module with a study of holomorphic curves at infinity of the vertex we find three simple skein operator polynomials that annihilates the (skein valued) topological vertex. We show that these operator polynomials together with natural initial conditions determine the partition function uniquely and then demonstrate that the original Aganagic-Klemm-Marino-Vafa formula for the topological vertex interpreted as a skein valued curve count satisfies the operator polynomials. This is joint work with Longhi and Shende. We end with a general discussion of similar ‘skein D-modules’ for knot conormals. \n 
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/mathphys_112124/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Mathematical Physics and Algebraic Geometry
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/media/CMSA-Mathematical-Physics-and-Algebraic-Geometry-11.21.2024.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241122T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241122T130000
DTSTAMP:20260503T175834
CREATED:20240919T144708Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241118T172611Z
UID:10003525-1732276800-1732280400@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Identity crises phenomena in the large cardinal hierarchy
DESCRIPTION:Member Seminar \nSpeaker: Alejandro Poveda \nTitle: Identity crises phenomena in the large cardinal hierarchy\n\nAbstract: It is well-known that certain mathematical questions cannot be answered on the grounds of the standard foundation of mathematics. Large cardinal axioms constitute a series of postulates about the higher infinite which permit to classify these undecidable problems in a coherent hierarchy way. Specifically\, large cardinals together with ZFC (the standard axiomatic of Mathematics) provide a complete classification of all mathematical theories according to the so-called consistency strength. One of the main tenets of modern set theory has been to investigate how the large-cardinal hierarchy is organized across the mathematical universe. To a large extent this hierarchy is nicely disposed and such a disposition is unambiguous (i.e.\, immune to the independence phenomenon).\n\nIn an unexpected turn of events\, in the late 70’s Magidor discovered the identity crisis phenomena of the large cardinal hierarchy. Magidor proved that certain strata of the hierarchy are susceptible to be modified via Cohen’s method of forcing. Specifically\, he showed that the first strongly compact cardinal can be either the first measurable cardinal or the first supercompact cardinal. It turns out that the first measurable is always much smaller than the first supercompact. These discrepancies on the identity of the first strongly compact cardinal were termed by Magidor the Identity Crisis Phenomenon.\n\nIn this talk I plan to provide an introduction to the world of large cardinals keeping an eye on the identity crises phenomena. Time permitting\, I’ll present a few recent results answering questions by Magidor and discuss their connection with Woodin’s Ultimate-L Conjecture.
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/member-seminar-112224/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Member Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/media/CMSA-Member-Seminar-11.22.24_Page_1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241125T093000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241125T110000
DTSTAMP:20260503T175834
CREATED:20241017T184932Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241122T152145Z
UID:10003615-1732527000-1732532400@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Foundation Seminar
DESCRIPTION:Foundation Seminar (Joint Seminar with BHI) \n\nTitle: Searching for Dark Matter in the Sky \nAbstract: Astrophysical and cosmological observations have allowed us to measure the abundance of dark matter and have provided important information on its properties. I will discuss past\, present and future efforts to map the gravitational footprint of dark matter throughout the cosmos\, and what such studies can (and cannot) tell us about dark matter’s fundamental nature. I will also review how even tiny non-gravitational interactions of dark and visible matter could lead to a range of “indirect detection” signals\, and outline the status and prospects of searches for such signals\, with a focus on the next decade or so.
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/foundation-seminar_112524/
LOCATION:Black Hole Initiative\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge MA\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Foundation Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/media/11.25.24_Tracy-Slatyer_Joint-CMSA-Template-Real-Estate-Flyer-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241125T163000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241125T173000
DTSTAMP:20260503T175834
CREATED:20240903T195237Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241119T192853Z
UID:10003439-1732552200-1732555800@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Mathematical Structures of Scattering Amplitudes
DESCRIPTION:Colloquium \nSpeaker: Anastasia Volovich\, Brown University \nTitle: Mathematical Structures of Scattering Amplitudes \nAbstract: Planar N=4 Yang-Mills scattering amplitudes have been computed to very high loop order. They have many remarkable properties that have sparked interest from mathematicians working on combinatorics\, algebraic geometry\, and number theory. At the same time\, several methods that have been developed for N=4 Yang-Mills can often be applied to more general quantum field theories\, including QCD. I will overview some of these exciting developments.
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/colloquium-112524/
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-11.25.2024.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241202T163000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241202T173000
DTSTAMP:20260503T175834
CREATED:20240903T195308Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241126T142827Z
UID:10003440-1733157000-1733160600@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Computability on $\mathbb R$ and other continuum-size structures
DESCRIPTION:Colloquium \nSpeaker: Russell Miller\, CUNY \nTitle: Computability on $\mathbb R$ and other continuum-size structures \nAbstract: We begin by recalling the notion of a computable function on the real numbers $\mathbb R$\, developed independently by Gregorczyk and Lacombe over sixty years ago. Using this notion\, we note that the real numbers that are themselves computable form a countable subfield of $\mathbb R$ with exactly the same first-order properties as $\mathbb R$ itself. (Logicians would therefore call it an \emph{elementary subfield}.) So\, in a first-order sense\, everything that happens in $\mathbb R$ is already exemplified in this much nicer subfield. However\, even when one knows that an existential statement holds for all parameters\, it may be impossible (both in $\mathbb R$ and in the subfield) to give a computable procedure for producing witnesses. Similar results hold in $\mathbb C$. \nWe will then turn to a different continuum-sized structure: the absolute Galois group $\operatorname{Gal}(\mathbb Q)$ of the rational numbers. Once again the computable elements of this group form a subgroup\, but now it is an open problem whether the group and the subgroup have the same first-order theory\, let alone whether this is an elementary subgroup. (If they do have the same theory\, this would put nice upper bounds on the complexity of the theory of $\operatorname{Gal}(\mathbb Q)$.) However\, using joint work with Kundu\, we can show that once again there is no computable procedure for producing witnesses to the truth of (true) existential statements\, either in the full group or in the subgroup.
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/colloquium-12224/
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-12.2.2024.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241203T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241203T120000
DTSTAMP:20260503T175834
CREATED:20240903T192215Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241125T194606Z
UID:10003429-1733223600-1733227200@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Mass for the large and for the small
DESCRIPTION:General Relativity Seminar \nSpeaker: Tin Yau Tsang\, Courant Institute\, New York University \nTitle: Mass for the large and for the small\n\nAbstract: Seeking a meaningful geometric (physical) invariant to describe a spacetime has sparked research in both mathematics and physics. In this talk\, we will first see the fundamental progress made by Schoen-Yau and Witten on ADM (Arnowitt-Deser-Misner) mass. Then\, we will see the progress on quasilocal masses in recent years. In particular\, we would discuss the Hamiltonian formulation and the behaviour of quasilocal masses with the presence of apparent horizons.\n  \n 
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/general-relativity-seminar-12324/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:General Relativity Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/media/CMSA-GR-Seminar-12.3.2024.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241203T161500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241203T181500
DTSTAMP:20260503T175834
CREATED:20240917T162348Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241104T152406Z
UID:10003517-1733242500-1733249700@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Factorization Homology
DESCRIPTION:Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar \nSpeakers: Sunghyuk Park and Vasily Krylov\, Harvard CMSA \nTitle: Factorization Homology
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/quantumgeo_12324/
LOCATION:Science Center Hall E\, 1 Oxford Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241204T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241204T150000
DTSTAMP:20260503T175834
CREATED:20240907T180227Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241212T205959Z
UID:10003410-1733320800-1733324400@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Can Transformers Reason Logically? A Study in SAT-Solving
DESCRIPTION:New Technologies in Mathematics Seminar \nSpeaker: Leyan Pan\, Georgia Tech \nTitle: Can Transformers Reason Logically? A Study in SAT-Solving \nAbstract: Transformer-based LLMs have apparently demonstrated capabilities that resembles human reasoning. In our recent work\, we investigated the Boolean reasoning abilities of decoder-only Transformers equipped with Chain-of-Thought\, establishing that a Transformer model can decide all 3-SAT instances up to a bounded size (i.e.\, number of variables and clauses). In this talk\, I will first review recent studies that formally examine the expressiveness of Transformer models. Next\, I will explain how we establish an equivalence between Chain-of-Thought reasoning and algorithm\, in our case\, the DPLL SAT-solving algorithm. I will then discuss how to encode 3-SAT formulas and partial assignments as vectors so that the high-level operations in DPLL can be represented as vector operations and implemented using attention mechanisms within Transformers. Finally\, I will present experimental results that support our theoretical predictions. I will also address why standard Transformers can only solve reasoning problems of bounded length\, leading to failures in length-generalization\, and discuss potential solutions to overcome this limitation.
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/newtech_12424/
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/CMSA-NTM-Seminar-12.4.24.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241205T103000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241205T120000
DTSTAMP:20260503T175834
CREATED:20241119T141605Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241119T150954Z
UID:10003621-1733394600-1733400000@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Quantum Cellular Automata
DESCRIPTION:Special Seminar \nSpeaker: Jeongwan Haah\, Stanford University \nTitle: Quantum Cellular Automata \nAbstract: A discrete time evolution on lattice systems that has a notion of lightcone is called a quantum cellular automaton. Lattice translation in 1D is a well-known example of QCA that is nontrivial in the sense that it is not a local Hamiltonian evolution. In higher dimensions\, more subtle QCA are found in relation to certain topological phases of matter\, but the scope of all QCA is far from being fully determined. I will report the status of our understanding on this subject\, emphasizing the role of locally generated simple subalgebras.
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/seminar_12524/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Special Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/media/CMSA-Special-Seminar-12.5.2024.docx-1.png
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR