Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar Speaker: Anadil Saeed Rao, Northeastern University Title: Instantons on Taub-NUT space and Bow Construction Abstract: In this talk I will discuss Yang-Mills Instantons in a very special geometric setting: the Taub-NUT space, which itself is a Gravitational Instanton. In the first part of the talk I will review the essentials of gravitational […]
CMSA Q&A Seminar Speaker: Noah Golowich (MIT) Topic: What is length generalization in large language models?
https://youtu.be/VplMHWSZf5c Speaker: Scott Aaronson, Department of Computer Science, University of Texas, Austin Scott Aaronson is the founding director at the Quantum Information Center at the University of Texas at Austin. Date: April 17, 2025 Time: 4:00-5:00 pm ET (Reception following in the Math Common Room) Location: Harvard Science Center Hall A Title: How Much […]
Member Seminar Speaker: Han Shao
Colloquium Speaker: Ila Fiete, MIT Title: Modeling the emergence of complex cortical structure from simple precursors in the brain: maps, hierarchies, and modules Abstract: Modular and hierarchical structures are ubiquitous in the brain. Two distinct hypotheses for such morphogenesis involve genetic specification (the positional information hypothesis) or spontaneous structure emergence from symmetry breaking (the pattern […]
General Relativity Seminar Speaker: Christopher Stith, University of Michigan Title: Hyperbolic equations in a double null gauge Abstract: The hyperbolic nature of the Einstein equations is well-known and has been used in many different contexts. More recently, the double null gauge has proven to be a powerful tool for quantitative analysis of the Einstein equations. It has […]
Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar Speakers: Bryan Wang Peng Jun (Harvard) and Bowen Yang (CMSA) Title: Classifying Space for Phases of Matrix Product States Abstract: In this talk we will introduce recent work of Beaudry-Hermele-Pflaum-Qi-Spiegel-Stephen (arXiv:2501.14241), on constructing a classifying space for phases of matrix product states (MPS).
CMSA Q&A Seminar Speaker: Alexei Borodin (MIT) Topic: Connections between physics and probability
New Technologies in Mathematics Seminar Speaker: Matthias Wilhelm (University of Southern Denmark) Title: Machine learning for analytic calculations in theoretical physics Abstract: In this talk, we will present recent progress on applying machine-learning techniques to improve calculations in theoretical physics, in which we desire exact and analytic results. One example are so-called integration-by-parts reductions of […]
Mathematical Physics and Algebraic Geometry Seminar Speaker: Ziming Ji, Northeastern University Title: Mass gap in AdS space Abstract: AdS space can be used as an IR regulator of QFT. The asymptotic conformal boundary in AdS space provides rich, unique observables. We study asymptotic free theories in two-dimensional AdS space. By changing the AdS curvature scale \Lambda […]
Freedman CMSA Seminar Speaker: Slava Dzhenzher, MIPT Title: Adversarial KA Abstract: Regarding the representation theorem of Kolmogorov and Arnold (KA) as an algorithm for representing or «expressing» functions, we test its robustness by analyzing its ability to withstand adversarial attacks. We find KA to be robust to countable collections of continuous adversaries, but unearth a […]
Colloquium Speaker: Peter Sarnak, IAS & Princeton University Title: Bass-Note Spectra of locally uniform geometries Abstract: We formulate and report on the problem of the Bass-Note Spectrum of an invariant operator as one varies over locally uniform geometries. In the Euclidean setting this recasts classical problems of Mahler from the geometry of numbers in a new […]