Colloquium Speaker: Justin Moore (Cornell University) Title: Homology, higher derived limits, and set theory Abstract: Singular homology has a number of well-known defects when used to study spaces such as the Hawaiian earring and solenoids. It may not reflect the "shape" of the space and can give counterintuitive information about its dimension. One remedy of […]
Speaker: Roman Geiko (UCLA) Title: When does a three-dimensions Chern-Simons theory have a time reversal symmetry? In this talk, I will discuss the time reversal invariance of (spin-) Chern-Simons theory in 3 dimensions at both classical and quantum levels. I will show how to obtain a complete classification of Abelian anyons with the time reversal […]
Quantum Matter Seminar Speaker: Aleksey Cherman (UMN) Title: Exact lattice chiral symmetry in 2d gauge theory Abstract: Preserving the symmetries of massless fermions is a well-known challenge in lattice field theory. I'll discuss symmetry-preserving lattice regularizations of 2d QED with one and two flavors of Dirac fermions, as well as the `3450' chiral gauge theory. […]
Member Seminar Speaker: Alejandro Poveda Title: On compactness phenomena Abstract: In this presentation I shall be preoccupied with compactness phenomena in set theory. Compactness is the phenomenon by which the local properties of a mathematical structure determine its global behavior. This phenomenon is intrinsic to the very architecture of the mathematical universe and manifests to us in a […]
https://youtu.be/oiOpudgC0J4 New Technologies in Mathematics Seminar Speaker: Heather Macbeth, Fordham University Title: Approaches to the formalization of differential geometry Abstract: In the last five years, there has been early work on the computer formalization of differential geometry. I will survey the projects I am aware of. I will also describe two projects of my own, […]
Quantum Matter in Mathematics and Physics Seminar Speaker: Daniel Harlow (MIT) Title: Gauging spacetime inversions Abstract: Spacetime inversion symmetries such as parity and time reversal play a central role in physics, but they are usually treated as global symmetries. In quantum gravity there are no global symmetries, so any spacetime inversion symmetries must be gauge […]
CMSA Member Seminar Speaker: Iacopo Brivio (Harvard) Title: Anti-Iitaka conjecture in positive characteristic Abstract: Given a smooth projective variety, its Kodaira dimension kappa(K_X) is an important invariant that measures the rate of growth of m-pluricanonical forms as a function of m. It serves as an higher-dimensional generalization of the genus of a Riemann surface. If f : X […]
On Friday, Jan. 26, 2024 the CMSA will host the CMSA/MATH Bi-Annual Gathering for Harvard CMSA and Math affiliates in the CMSA Common Room at 20 Garden Street, Cambridge MA 02138.
https://youtu.be/hmRFX1Js6IA General Relativity Seminar Speaker: Aghil Alaee, Clark University Title: A quasi-local mass in general relativity Abstract: In this talk, we define a new gauge-independent quasi-local mass and energy with respect to the Minkowski spacetime. In contrast to other quasi-local masses, this new quasi-local mass/energy has a quasi-local proof of positivity. This positivity property is for spacelike surfaces with any topology. Moreover, we show […]
Algebraic Geometry in String Theory Seminar Speaker: Max Weinreich (Harvard) Title: Algebraic billiards and dynamical degrees Abstract: Billiards is one of the most-studied dynamical systems, modeling the behavior of a point particle bouncing around some space. If the space is a plane region bounded by an algebraic curve, then we may use techniques from algebraic geometry […]
Quantum Matter in Mathematics and Physics Seminar Speaker: Anurag Anshu (Harvard) Title: Quantum Circuits to local Hamiltonian: role in quantum complexity and new constructions Abstract: At the heart of the theory of NP completeness lies a mapping from classical circuits to constraint satisfaction problems (classical local Hamiltonians). The quantum analogue of this is the remarkable history […]
CMSA Member Seminar Speaker: Freid Tong (Harvard CMSA) Title: On complete Calabi-Yau metrics and Monge-Ampere equations Abstract: Calabi-Yau metrics are central objects in K\"ahler geometry and also string theory. The existence of Calabi-Yau metrics on compact manifolds was answered by Yau in his solution of the Calabi conjecture, but the situation in the non-compact setting is much more delicate, and many questions related to the existence […]