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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260302T163000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260302T173000
DTSTAMP:20260706T234743
CREATED:20260206T191834Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260224T141143Z
UID:10003890-1772469000-1772472600@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Inverse problems in soft and active matter
DESCRIPTION:Colloquium \nSpeaker: L. Mahadevan\, Harvard \nTitle: Inverse problems in soft and active matter \nAbstract: How can one grow a face or a flower from a flat sheet? Fold a sheet into an origami pattern? Control phase separation? Transport a drop of active matter?  Steer an ant swarm? I will discuss potential answers to some of these inverse problems that unites ideas from optimal control and optimal transport for the steering of particles and fields.
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/colloquium-3226/
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-3.2.2026.docx-scaled.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260227T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260227T130000
DTSTAMP:20260706T234743
CREATED:20251223T204714Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260223T194128Z
UID:10003867-1772193600-1772197200@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Gauge theory\, from low dimensions to higher dimensions and back
DESCRIPTION:Member Seminar \nSpeaker: Saman Habibi Esfahani\, CMSA \nTitle: Gauge theory\, from low dimensions to higher dimensions and back \nAbstract: Almost thirty years ago\, Donaldson and Thomas proposed extending powerful ideas from gauge theory\, which had transformed the study of three- and four-dimensional manifolds\, to higher dimensions\, with the goal of defining new invariants of special holonomy manifolds. In this talk\, I will outline the main ideas behind this program\, mention some recent progress\, and describe the key obstacles that remain\, most notably non-compactness phenomena that make the analysis difficult.
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/member-seminar-22726/
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-2.27.26-scaled.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260226T133000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260226T143000
DTSTAMP:20260706T234744
CREATED:20260122T151917Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260220T171301Z
UID:10003876-1772112600-1772116200@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Higher Symmetries\, Eta Invariants and Anomaly Theories 
DESCRIPTION:Differential Geometry and Physics Seminar  \nSpeaker: Mirjam Cvetic\, University of Pennsylvania \nTitle: Higher Symmetries\, Eta Invariants and Anomaly Theories \nAbstract: In recent years\, much progress has been made in understanding the extra-dimensional origin of higher symmetry structures of many quantum field theories (QFTs) obtained via geometric engineering. Among others\, our understanding of anomaly structures in QFTs has been significantly improved. Key in these considerations is the asymptotic boundary of the internal dimensions which geometrizes many topological QFT features. Within this context we present explicit results for anomaly coefficients in five-dimensional supersymmetric QFTs that are engineered in M-theory on Calabi-Yau three-folds\, and show that eta-invariants of the asymptotic boundary of the engineered geometry are key to determine 1-form self-anomaly coefficients. The results both for orbifolds with isolated and non-isolated orbifold singularities are presented. \n 
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/dgphys_22626/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Differential Geometry and Physics Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/media/DG-Physics-Seminar-2.26.26-scaled.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260225T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260225T150000
DTSTAMP:20260706T234744
CREATED:20260210T192336Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260210T194238Z
UID:10003894-1772028000-1772031600@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Scaling Stochastic Momentum from Theory to LLMs
DESCRIPTION:New Technologies in Mathematics Seminar \nSpeaker: Courtney Paquette\, McGill University \nTitle: Scaling Stochastic Momentum from Theory to LLMs \nAbstract: Given the massive scale of modern ML models\, we now often get only a single shot to train them effectively. This limits our ability to sweep architectures and hyperparameters\, making it essential to understand how learning algorithms scale so insights from small models transfer to large ones. \nIn this talk\, I present a framework for analyzing scaling laws of stochastic momentum methods using a power-law random features model\, leveraging tools from high-dimensional probability and random matrix theory. We show that standard SGD with momentum does not improve scaling exponents\, while dimension-adapted Nesterov acceleration (DANA)—which explicitly adapts momentum to model size and data/target complexity—achieves strictly better loss and compute scaling. DANA does this by rescaling its momentum parameters with dimension\, effectively matching the optimizer’s memory to the problem geometry. \nMotivated by these theoretical insights\, I introduce logarithmic-time scheduling for large language models and propose ADANA\, an AdamW-like optimizer with growing memory and explicit damping. Across transformer scales (45M to 2.6B parameters)\, ADANA yields up to 40% compute savings over tuned AdamW\, with gains that improve at scale. \nBased on joint work with Damien Ferbach\, Elliot Paquette\, Katie Everett\, and Gauthier Gidel.
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/newtech_22526/
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-2.25.2026.docx-scaled.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260220T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260220T130000
DTSTAMP:20260706T234744
CREATED:20251223T204654Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260217T154410Z
UID:10003866-1771588800-1771592400@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Theory of Task-Adapted Dynamics in Large Recurrent Neural Networks
DESCRIPTION:Member Seminar \nSpeaker: Blake Bordelon\, CMSA \nTitle: Theory of Task-Adapted Dynamics in Large Recurrent Neural Networks \nAbstract: Recurrent neural networks (RNNs) encode expressive and flexible dynamical systems which can adapt to perform tasks by modifying the internal connections between neurons. In this work we analyze the structure of the dynamical systems encoded in RNNs after being trained to perform a learning task. We derive a mean field theory of the dynamics of RNNs before and after learning. Our theory predicts heterogeneous activity and tuning of single neurons\, but precise\, deterministic predictions for population level autocorrelation and outputs of the network. Further\, our theory enables us to interpolate between different operating regimes for RNN learning including (1) reservoir computing regime where internal adaptations do not adapt to data as the model outputs fit the provided data and (2) a feature-learning where the internal dynamics of the network change significantly due to task learning and reflect temporal properties of the learning task. These different regimes exhibit different levels of chaotic activity\, oscillatory behaviors\, and length generalization properties as feature learning enables maintenance of temporal patterns over longer periods than the supervision period. We apply this theory to a biologically grounded motor learning task where a recurrent population is trained to output EMG signals from macaque motor units during an oriented reaching task. We find that many levels of feature-learning strength give rise to high quality fits of the EMG data\, resulting in a family of solutions that are compatible with the neural data. Based on work with David Clark\, Jacob Zavatone Veth\, and Cengiz Pehlevan.
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/member-seminar-22026/
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-2.20.26.docx-scaled.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260219T153000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260219T163000
DTSTAMP:20260706T234744
CREATED:20260209T003754Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260209T193802Z
UID:10003891-1771515000-1771518600@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Constructing oriented TQFTs from twisted pivotal tensor categories
DESCRIPTION:Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar \nSpeaker: William Stewart \nTitle: Constructing oriented TQFTs from twisted pivotal tensor categories \nAbstract: The cobordism hypothesis classifies n-dimensional oriented TQFTs in terms of SO(n) homotopy fixed point data. An SO(2) homotopy fixed point structure on a finite tensor category gives rise to a twisted pivotal structure (a more general notion than a pivotal structure). In this talk\, I will illustrate how the usual skein theory (also called string nets) of a pivotal tensor category can be generalized to the twisted pivotal setting\, yielding new 2d oriented TQFTs. This is joint work with Ben Haioun and Filippos Sytilidis.
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/quantumgeo_21926/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden 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-2.19.26-scaled.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260219T133000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260219T143000
DTSTAMP:20260706T234744
CREATED:20260122T151851Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260217T153656Z
UID:10003875-1771507800-1771511400@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Topics in the Relation of Four-Manifold Invariants and Supersymmetric Field Theory
DESCRIPTION:Differential Geometry and Physics Seminar  \nSpeaker: Greg Moore\, Rutgers University \nTitle: Topics in the Relation of Four-Manifold Invariants and Supersymmetric Field Theory \nAbstract: We will begin with a review of topological twisting as a choice of background fields. We then review the standard paradigm for the formulation of Donaldson invariants as correlation functions in twisted supersymmetric N=2 d=4 quantum field theory\, together with the quantum field theory (QFT) derivation of the relation of the Donaldson invariants to Seiberg-Witten invariants. We then consider what can be said using other twisted QFTs. We present some new results on the four-manifold invariants derived from N=2 supersymmetric QCD. We then move on to 5d theories and the “K-theoretic Donaldson invariants” and comment briefly on the 6d theories and the “elliptic Donaldson invariants.” In the unlikely event that time permits we finish with the extension to families of four-manifolds\, where the coupling to a suitably twisted and truncated superconformal gravity is expected to produce invariants valued in the cohomology of the classifying space of the diffeomorphism group of the four-manifold.
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/dgphys_21926/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Differential Geometry and Physics Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/media/DG-Physics-Seminar-2.19.26-scaled.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260213T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260213T130000
DTSTAMP:20260706T234744
CREATED:20251223T204554Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260210T152049Z
UID:10003865-1770984000-1770987600@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:A leisurely stroll through the theory of adjunctions
DESCRIPTION:Member Seminar \nSpeaker: Lorenzo Riva\, Harvard CMSA \nTitle: A leisurely stroll through the theory of adjunctions \nAbstract: Adjoint functors (and\, more generally\, adjunctions in a 2-category) are ubiquitous in algebra and topology. In this talk I will give an overview of the basics of adjunctions\, with the ultimate goal being understanding the statement of the cobordism hypothesis. Time permitting\, I will talk about some recent work on a combinatorial construction yielding free adjunctions. \n 
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/member-seminar-21326/
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-2.13.26.docx-scaled.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260212T133000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260212T143000
DTSTAMP:20260706T234744
CREATED:20260122T151823Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260206T203024Z
UID:10003874-1770903000-1770906600@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Gromov-Hausdorff limits of collapsing Calabi-Yau fibrations
DESCRIPTION:Differential Geometry and Physics Seminar  \nSpeaker: Gabor Szekelyhidi\, Northwestern University \nTitle: Gromov-Hausdorff limits of collapsing Calabi-Yau fibrations \nAbstract: A well studied problem is the metric behavior of Calabi-Yau metrics on a fibration in a family of Kahler classes that collapses the fibers. I will discuss recent progress showing that the Gromov-Hausdorff limit can be identified with the base of the fibration\, generalizing results of Gross-Tosatti-Zhang\, Song-Tian-Zhang and Li-Tosatti. A new ingredient is to exploit the RCD property of the Gromov-Hausdorff limit.
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/dgphys_21226/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Differential Geometry and Physics Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/media/DG-Physics-Seminar-2.12.26-scaled.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260209T163000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260209T173000
DTSTAMP:20260706T234744
CREATED:20251223T190623Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260203T162207Z
UID:10003850-1770654600-1770658200@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Phase Transition to Chaos in Complex Ecosystems with Non-reciprocal Interactions
DESCRIPTION:Colloquium \nSpeaker: Pankaj Metha\, Boston University \nTitle: Phase Transition to Chaos in Complex Ecosystems with Non-reciprocal Interactions \nAbstract: Nonreciprocal interactions between microscopic constituents can profoundly shape the large-scale properties of complex systems. In this pedagogical chalk talk\, I will discuss recent work from our group on phase transitions and chaos in high-dimensional ecosystems with non-reciprocal interactions. Our approach builds on a generalization of MacArthur’s consumer-resource model that incorporates asymmetric interactions between species and resources. I will highlight rich connections between this problem and the mathematics of disordered systems (cavity method and DMFT)\, random matrix theory\, and constrained optimization.
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/colloquium-2926/
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-2.9.2026.docx-scaled.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260209T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260209T160000
DTSTAMP:20260706T234744
CREATED:20251223T185635Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260203T185733Z
UID:10003839-1770649200-1770652800@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:On the p-curvature of quantum connections of CY threefolds
DESCRIPTION:Quantum Field Theory and Physical Mathematics Seminar \nSpeaker: Shaoyun Bai (MIT) \nTitle: On the p-curvature of quantum connections of CY threefolds \nAbstract: The small quantum connection of Calabi-Yau varieties has integral coefficients\, thus admits reduction mod a prime number p. A fundamental invariant associated with flat connections over characteristic p is the p-curvature\, which lies at the heart of study of algebraic differential equations. I will explain how to identify the p-curvature of quantum connection of any compact Calabi-Yau threefold with the quantum Steenrod operation\, thereby providing a modular description of the p-curvature in this setting. I will also discuss the role of BPS invariants and the mirror symmetry context. This is based on joint work with Jae Hee Lee.
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/qft_2926/
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-2.9.26.docx-scaled.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260206T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260206T130000
DTSTAMP:20260706T234744
CREATED:20250203T163329Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260204T153228Z
UID:10003712-1770379200-1770382800@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Lie algebra cohomology and Seiberg-Witten theory
DESCRIPTION:Member Seminar \nSpeaker: Ahsan Khan\, Harvard CMSA \nTitle: Lie algebra cohomology and Seiberg-Witten theory \nAbstract: I will discuss how a certain (relative) Lie algebra cochain complex categorifies the Schur index of N=2 supersymmetric gauge theory. For the special case of Seiberg-Witten theory I will provide a conjectured description of this cohomology.
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/member-seminar-2626/
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-2.6.26.docx-scaled.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260205T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260205T170000
DTSTAMP:20260706T234744
CREATED:20251223T202550Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251223T202550Z
UID:10003861-1770307200-1770310800@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Algebra Seminar
DESCRIPTION:Algebra Seminar \n 
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/algebra-seminar_2526/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Algebra Seminar
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260205T144500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260205T154500
DTSTAMP:20260706T234744
CREATED:20260122T151728Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260202T164823Z
UID:10003873-1770302700-1770306300@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:On E7+1/2 gauge theory
DESCRIPTION:Differential Geometry and Physics Seminar  \nSpeaker: Yinan Wang\, Peking University \nTitle: On E7+1/2 gauge theory\n\nAbstract: We propose that an exotic gauge theory based on the intermediate Lie algebra E7+1/2 naturally appears in the landscape of 6d F-theory. We give strong evidence of this proposal with 6d anomaly cancellation\, dual M-theory geometry and elliptic genus of the single-string worldsheet CFT. 
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/dgphys2526_2/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Differential Geometry and Physics Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/media/DG-Physics-Seminar-2.5.26_2-scaled.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260205T133000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260205T143000
DTSTAMP:20260706T234744
CREATED:20260122T151622Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260203T184418Z
UID:10003872-1770298200-1770301800@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Index from a point
DESCRIPTION:Differential Geometry and Physics Seminar  \nSpeaker: Monica Jinwoo Kang\, Texas A&M University \nTitle: Index from a point \nAbstract: We argue that protected data of 4d N=2 SCFTs admits a purely algebro-geometric characterization. We conjecture that both the Macdonald index (and hence the Schur index) and the Higgs branch are encoded by a bifiltered affine scheme determined by OPE nilpotency and decoupling relations. Focusing on Argyres–Douglas theories\, where the Higgs branch is a point\, we show that this geometric construction suffices to reconstruct the full Macdonald index. This is based on recent works with Craig Lawrie and Jaewon Song.
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/dgphys__2526/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Differential Geometry and Physics Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/media/DG-Physics-Seminar-2.5.26_1-scaled.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260204T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260204T150000
DTSTAMP:20260706T234744
CREATED:20250128T214750Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260126T163315Z
UID:10003708-1770213600-1770217200@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Automated Theory Formation and Interestingness in Mathematics
DESCRIPTION:New Technologies in Mathematics Seminar \nSpeaker: George Tsoukalas\, UT Austin Dept. of Computer Science and Google DeepMind. \nTitle: Automated Theory Formation and Interestingness in Mathematics \nAbstract: Advances in modern learning systems are beginning to demonstrate utility for select problems in research mathematics. A broader challenge is that of developing new theories automatically. This area has a rich history\, and is tied to some of the earliest work in AI. In particular\, a central question in this study was measuring the “interestingness” of mathematical concepts. \nIn this talk\, I will review this historical context and present our recent work on using large language models to synthesize interestingness measures that guide theory exploration in elementary number theory from scratch. I will conclude by outlining potential future research directions in this domain. \nJoint work done at UT Austin with Rahul Saha\, Amitayush Thakur\, Sabrina Reguyal\, and Swarat Chaudhuri.
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/newtech_2426/
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-2.4.2026.docx-1-scaled.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260202T163000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260202T173000
DTSTAMP:20260706T234744
CREATED:20251223T190540Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260122T163725Z
UID:10003849-1770049800-1770053400@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Bijections for hyperplane arrangements of Coxeter type
DESCRIPTION:Colloquium \nSpeaker: Olivier Bernardi\, Brandeis University \nTitle: Bijections for hyperplane arrangements of Coxeter type \nAbstract: This talk is about real hyperplane arrangements whose hyperplanes are of the form {xi −xj = s} or {xi +xj = s}. We describe a bijective framework for a large family of such arrangements which we call transitive. For each transitive arrangement A\, we give a bijection between the regions of A and a set of decorated trees. Particular cases include the families of Catalan\, Shi\, semiorder and Linial arrangements in type A\, B\, C\, D and BC. We also derive some general enumerative formulas for such families of transitive arrangements.
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/colloquium-2226/
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-2.2.2026.docx-scaled.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260202T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260202T160000
DTSTAMP:20260706T234744
CREATED:20251223T185600Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260126T185935Z
UID:10003816-1770044400-1770048000@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Reflexive Polytopes and the Convergence of Feynman Integrals
DESCRIPTION:Quantum Field Theory and Physical Mathematics Seminar \nSpeaker: Pierre Vanhove (Institute of Theoretical Physics – Saclay) \nTitle: Reflexive Polytopes and the Convergence of Feynman Integrals \nAbstract: In the parametric representation\, Feynman integrals can be viewed as Euler integrals defined by the Symanzik polynomials of a graph. The convergence properties of these integrals are intimately tied to the combinatorial geometry of their associated Newton polytopes; specifically\, finiteness is guaranteed when the polytope contains interior points. We present a classification of Feynman integrals associated with polytopes containing a unique interior point\, identifying a subset that are reflexive. Our results show that such reflexive polytopes are surprisingly scarce within the space of Feynman graphs. We conclude by computing several infinite families of these integrals and exploring their connections to mirror symmetry and toric geometry. This is based on joint work with Leonardo de la Cruz and Pavel Novichkov.
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/qft_2226/
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-2.2.26-scaled.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260129T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260129T170000
DTSTAMP:20260706T234744
CREATED:20250911T184647Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251223T202516Z
UID:10003792-1769702400-1769706000@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Algebra Seminar
DESCRIPTION:Algebra Seminar \n 
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/algebra-seminar_12926/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Algebra Seminar
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260129T133000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260129T143000
DTSTAMP:20260706T234744
CREATED:20251223T195721Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260122T171100Z
UID:10003860-1769693400-1769697000@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Complete Calabi-Yau Metrics and Optimal Transport
DESCRIPTION:Differential Geometry and Physics Seminar \nSpeaker: Tristan Collins\, University of Toronto \nTitle: Complete Calabi-Yau Metrics and Optimal Transport \nAbstract: I will discuss the connection between optimal transport and the existence of complete Calabi-Yau metrics on log Calabi-Yau varieties.  I will explain how the geometric problem of constructing complete Calabi-Yau metrics gives rise to problems in the boundary regularity theory for optimal transport\, and how ideas from geometry can be used to make progress on some of these problems.  This talk will survey joint works with Li\, Tong\, Tong-Yau\, Firester\, and Tong-Firester.
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/dgphys_12926/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Differential Geometry and Physics Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/media/DG-Physics-Seminar-1.29.26-scaled.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251216T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251216T150000
DTSTAMP:20260706T234744
CREATED:20251210T174651Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251211T144851Z
UID:10003845-1765893600-1765897200@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Electrical networks\, Grassmannians\, and cluster algebras
DESCRIPTION:Algebra Seminar \nSpeaker: Lazar Guterman\, Hebrew University of Jerusalem \nTitle: Electrical networks\, Grassmannians\, and cluster algebras \nAbstract: An electrical network with $n$ boundary vertices induces a matrix called the response matrix which measures the electrical properties of the network. The set of response matrices of all electrical networks has a characterization in terms of positivity of circular minors. Alman\, Lian and Tran constructed a cluster algebra on the set of circular minors\, which encodes the tests for positivity of these minors. Lam established the embedding of the set of electrical networks with $n$ boundary vertices into the totally nonnegative Grassmannian $Gr_{\ge0}(n-1\,2n)$. The coordinate ring of the Grassmannian has a cluster algebra structure as was proved by Scott. Given an electrical network\, we find a relation between circular minors of its response matrix and Plücker coordinates of its image in the Grassmannian. Using this property\, we prove that for an odd $n$ the two cluster algebras\, on circular minors and on the Grassmanian\, become isomorphic after a natural freezing and subsequent trivialization of certain variables in their initial seeds. We apply this isomorphism in order to relate the tests for positivity of circular minors to tests for positivity in the Grassmannian. The talk is based on a joint work with Boris Bychkov and Anton Kazakov. \n 
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/algebra-seminar_121625/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Algebra Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/media/CMSA-Algebra-Seminar-12.16.25.docx-scaled.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251215T163000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251215T173000
DTSTAMP:20260706T234744
CREATED:20251124T150428Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251211T145044Z
UID:10003836-1765816200-1765819800@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:The active Young-Dupré equation
DESCRIPTION:Colloquium \nSpeaker: Julien Tailleur\, MIT \nTitle: The active Young-Dupré equation \nAbstract: The Young-Dupré equation is a cornerstone of the equilibrium theory of capillary and wetting phenomena. In the biological world\, interfacial phenomena are ubiquitous\, from the spreading of bacterial colonies to tissue growth and flocking of birds\, but the description of such active systems escapes the realm of equilibrium physics. I will show how a microscopic\, mechanical definition of surface tension allows building an Active Young-Dupré equation able to account for the partial wetting observed in simulations of active particles interacting via pairwise forces. Remarkably\, the equation shows that the corresponding steady interfaces do not result from a simple balance between the surface tensions at play but instead emerge from a complex feedback mechanism. The interfaces are indeed stabilized by a drag force due to the emergence of steady currents\, which are themselves a by-product of the symmetry breaking induced by the interfaces. These currents also lead to new physics by selecting the sizes and shapes of adsorbed droplets\, breaking the equilibrium scale-free nature of the problem. Finally\, I will demonstrate a spectacular consequence of the negative value of the liquid-gas surface tensions in systems undergoing motility-induced phase separation: partially-immersed objects are expelled from the liquid phase\, in stark contrast with what is observed in passive systems. These results lay the foundations for a theory of wetting in active systems.
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/colloquium-121525/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Colloquium
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251211T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251211T150000
DTSTAMP:20260706T234744
CREATED:20251202T153632Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251202T161106Z
UID:10003842-1765461600-1765465200@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Covers of curves\, Ceresa cycles\, and unlikely intersections
DESCRIPTION:Algebra Seminar \nSpeaker: Padamavathi Srinivasan\, Boston University \nTitle: Covers of curves\, Ceresa cycles\, and unlikely intersections \nAbstract: The Ceresa cycle is a canonical homologically trivial algebraic cycle associated to a curve in its Jacobian. In his 1983 thesis\, Ceresa showed that this cycle is algebraically nontrivial for a very general complex curve of genus at least 3. In the last few years\, there have been many new results shedding light on the locus in the moduli space of genus g curves where the Ceresa cycle becomes torsion. We will survey these recent results and provide new examples of positive dimensional families of curves where only finitely many members of the family have torsion Ceresa cycle. The main idea is to study covers of curves with many automorphisms\, and we will explain how we use the covering maps together with results on unlikely intersections in abelian varieties to construct such families. This is joint work with Tejasi Bhatnagar\, Sheela Devadas and Toren D’Nelly Warady. \n 
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/algebra-seminar_121125/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Algebra Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/media/CMSA-Algebra-Seminar-12.11.25.docx-scaled.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251208T163000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251208T173000
DTSTAMP:20260706T234744
CREATED:20251202T153625Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251202T162404Z
UID:10003843-1765211400-1765215000@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Recent Advances in Probabilistically Checkable Proofs
DESCRIPTION:Colloquium \nSpeaker: Dor Minzer (MIT) \nTitle: Recent Advances in Probabilistically Checkable Proofs \nAbstract: The PCP Theorem is a cornerstone of computer science\, with applications to hardness of approximation\, verification\, interactive protocols and more. It asserts a witness for the satisfiability of a given 3CNF formula can be encoded in a robust way that allows local checking.In this talk we discuss recent developments in PCPs\, and their connection with distributed protocols\, high-dimensional expanders and discrete Fourier analysis. Based on joint works with Kai Zhe Zheng\, Mitali Bafna\, Noam Lifshitz\, Nikhil Vyas.
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/colloquium-12825/
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-12.8.2025.docx-scaled.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251204T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251204T130000
DTSTAMP:20260706T234744
CREATED:20250904T163130Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251203T150446Z
UID:10003786-1764849600-1764853200@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Towards a Dolbeault AGT correspondence
DESCRIPTION:Differential Geometry and Physics Seminar  \nSpeaker: Surya Raghavendran\, Yale \nTitle: Towards a Dolbeault AGT correspondence \nAbstract: The AGT correspondence and its extensions propose geometric constructions of vertex algebras and their modules from the cohomology of various moduli spaces of sheaves on surfaces. Physically\, the correspondence is illuminated throgh the holomorphic–topological twist of the six-dimensional N=(2\,0) superconformal field theories. In this talk\, I will describe a variant of AGT arising instead from the so-called minimal twist of these theories. In this setting\, the natural algebraic structures are holomorphic factorization algebras in three complex dimensions. From these\, one can extract an associative algebra together with a natural module\, which we conjecture to coincide with a quantization of the moduli of Higgs sheaves on surfaces. In examples\, this pair is furthermore expected to admit a Hodge–de Rham deformation to the Heisenberg algebra and its action on the cohomology of Hilbert schemes of surfaces\, as constructed by Grojnowski and Nakajima. \n  \n  \n 
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/dgphys_12425/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Differential Geometry and Physics Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/media/DG-Physics-Seminar-12.4.2025.docx-1-scaled.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251201T163000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251201T173000
DTSTAMP:20260706T234744
CREATED:20251007T152747Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251201T144411Z
UID:10003807-1764606600-1764610200@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Asymptotic Theory of Attention: In-Context Learning and Sparse Token Detection
DESCRIPTION:Colloquium \nSpeaker: Yue M. Lu\, Harvard University \nTitle: Asymptotic Theory of Attention: In-Context Learning and Sparse Token Detection \nAbstract: Attention-based architectures exhibit striking emergent abilities—from learning tasks directly from context to detecting rare\, weak features in long sequences—yet a rigorous theory explaining these behaviors remains limited. In this talk\, I will present two recent exactly solvable models that develop a high-dimensional asymptotic theory of attention. \n(i) In-context learning. For linear attention pretrained on linear regression tasks\, we derive sharp asymptotics in a regime where token dimension\, context length\, and task diversity all scale proportionally\, while the number of pretraining examples scales quadratically. The resulting learning curve exhibits double descent and a phase transition separating a low-diversity memorization regime from a high-diversity regime of genuine in-context generalization. These predictions closely track empirical behavior in both linear-attention models and nonlinear Transformer architectures. \n(ii) Sparse-token classification. For detecting weak signals embedded in a small\, randomly located subset of tokens\, we analyze a single-layer attention classifier and determine its representational and learnability thresholds. Attention succeeds with only logarithmic signal scaling in the sequence length L\, outperforming linear baselines that require √L scaling. In a proportional high-dimensional regime\, we prove that two gradient descent steps yield nontrivial alignment between the query vector and the hidden signal\, leading to signal-adaptive attention. Exact formulas for the test error\, training loss\, and separability capacity quantify this advantage.
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/colloquium-12125/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Colloquium
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251124T163000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251124T173000
DTSTAMP:20260706T234744
CREATED:20251119T163856Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251119T184001Z
UID:10003834-1764001800-1764005400@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Geometric Simplicity in Quantum Field Theory and Gravity
DESCRIPTION:Colloquium \nSpeaker: Thomas Grimm\, Utrecht University \nTitle: Geometric Simplicity in Quantum Field Theory and Gravity \nAbstract: In physics we attribute much value to the emergence of simplicity\, both conceptually and for computations. Familiar examples include algebraic relations among Feynman amplitudes\, the surprising descriptions arising in large-N or duality limits\, and the central role played by symmetries. In this colloquium we discuss how tame geometry allows one to quantitatively describe such simplifications by introducing a measure of complexity. This framework relies on finiteness: the information content of the functions and domains required to specify a theory\, or an observable is finite. A key strength of the proposal is its generality as it applies to any physical quantity and can therefore be used both to analyze complexities within an individual Quantum Field Theory and to study the entire space of such theories. We present several applications and explain how this perspective ties in with our understanding of the expected properties of effective theories that can be coupled to Quantum Gravity.
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/colloquium-112425/
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-11.24.2025.docx-scaled.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251120T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251120T150000
DTSTAMP:20260706T234744
CREATED:20251009T132440Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251009T132850Z
UID:10003809-1763647200-1763650800@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Differentials and Singularities
DESCRIPTION:Algebra Seminar \nSpeaker: Dawei Chen\, Boston College \nTitle: Differentials and Singularities \nAbstract: Given a holomorphic differential on a smooth algebraic curve\, we associate to it a Gorenstein curve singularity with Gm-action.  Conversely\, we show that every isolated Gorenstein curve singularity with Gm-action appears in this way.  This construction reveals a fascinating relation between differentials and singularities\, where the zero orders of the differentials determine the combinatorial data of the singularities.  In this talk\, I’ll provide many concrete examples of such singularities\, and explain how the study of deformations of these singularities can help us better understand the geometry of moduli spaces of differentials.  This is based on joint work with Fei Yu (Zhejiang University). \n 
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/algebra-seminar_112025/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Algebra Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/media/CMSA-Algebra-Seminar-11.19.25-scaled.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251117T163000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251117T173000
DTSTAMP:20260706T234744
CREATED:20250925T180503Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251106T161641Z
UID:10003799-1763397000-1763400600@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Interaction of Statistics and Geometry: A New Landscape for Data Science
DESCRIPTION:Colloquium \nSpeaker: Zhigang Yao (National University of Singapore) \nTitle: Interaction of Statistics and Geometry: A New Landscape for Data Science \nAbstract:  Classical statistics views data as real numbers or vectors in Euclidean space\, but modern challenges increasingly involve data with intrinsic geometric structures. A central problem in this direction is manifold fitting\, with origins in H. Whitney’s work of the 1930s. The Geometric Whitney Problems ask: given a set\, when can we construct a smooth 𝑑-dimensional manifold that approximates it\, and how accurately can we estimate it? \nIn this talk\, I will discuss recent progress on manifold fitting and its role in bridging geometry and data science. While many existing methods rely on restrictive assumptions\, the manifold hypothesis—that data often lie near non-Euclidean structures—remains fundamental in modern statistical learning. I will highlight both theoretical insights and algorithmic challenges\, drawing on recent works with\, as well as ongoing research.
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/colloquium_111725/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Colloquium
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251112T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251114T170000
DTSTAMP:20260706T234744
CREATED:20250502T181545Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251113T214753Z
UID:10003745-1762938000-1763139600@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Geometry Meets Physics: Finiteness\, Tameness\, and Complexity
DESCRIPTION:Geometry Meets Physics: Finiteness\, Tameness\, and Complexity \nDates: November 12–14\, 2025 \nLocation: CMSA G10\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge MA 02138 \n(note: this event is in-person only) \nFiniteness is a fundamental property in consistent physical theories. From the earliest days of quantum field theory and string theory\, the drive to eliminate unphysical infinities has been a guiding principle. More recently\, finiteness has emerged as a key criterion for constraining effective theories that can be embedded in quantum gravity.  Formulating and testing these constraints remains a central challenge in current research. \nIn parallel\, mathematics has made remarkable advanced in addressing finiteness questions using tame geometry. Built on the framework of o-minimal structures\, tame geometry offers a precise language for describing objects of finite geometric complexity. Recent developments\, such as sharp o-minimality\, go further by introducing a quantitative notion of complexity\, opening new directions for analyzing finiteness in mathematics and physics alike. \nThis workshop brings together mathematicians and physicists to exchange ideas\, explore new perspectives\, and spark collaborations at the interface of geometry\, logic\, and fundamental physics. \nInvited Speakers \n\nVijay Balasubramanian (UPenn)\nGregorio Baldi (CNRS\, IMJ-PRG & IAS)\nGal Binyamini (Weizmann Institute & IAS)\nRaf Cluckers (Lille\, France)\nMatilda Delgado (Max Planck Institute Munich)\nBruno Klingler (Humboldt University\, Berlin & IAS)\nAdele Padgett (Vienna)\nDavid Prieto (Utrecht)\nWashington Taylor (MIT)\nDavid Urbanik (IHES\, France & IAS)\nCumrun Vafa (Harvard)\nMick van Vliet (Utrecht)\nBenny Zak (Weizmann Institute & IAS)\n\nOrganizers: Thomas Grimm\, Harvard CMSA & Utrecht University | Gal Binyamini\, Weizmann Institute & IAS | Bruno Klingler\, Humboldt University\, Berlin & IAS \n  \nSchedule \n(download pdf) \nWednesday Nov. 12\, 2025 \n8:30–8:55 am\nMorning refreshments (Common Room) \n8:55–9:00 am\nIntroductions \n9:00–10:30 am\nLecture\nSpeaker: Gal Binyamini\, Weizmann Institute & IAS\nTitle: O-minimality: finiteness and complexity\nAbstract: O-minimality is a mathematical formalism of “tame geometry”: a geometry where every set has finite geometric complexity. I will give an introduction to o-minimality in general\, and to quantitative variants where one measures the complexity of sets in terms of some natural parameters. I’ll try to focus on the main examples that potentially come up in the interaction with physics\, and describe the state of the art and some conjectures. \n10:30–11:00 am\nBreak \n11:00 am–12:00 pm\nSpeaker: Benny Zak\, Weizmann Institute & IAS\nTitle: Analytic tameness – complex cells\nAbstract: Complex cells are a complex anayltic version of cells from o-minimality\, invented by Binyamini and Novikov. We aim to introduce complex cells\, and demonstrate their usefullness in quantifying the analytic information present in a complex set. If time permits\, we will discuss applications of this theory. \n12:00–1:00 pm\nCatered Lunch (Common Room) \n1:00–2:30 pm\nLecture\nSpeakers: David Prieto and Mick van Vliet\, Utrecht\nTitle: Tameness and Complexity in Physical Theories\nAbstract: We give an introductory overview of recent applications of o-minimality to physics\, focusing on quantum field theories and quantum gravity. In the first part of the lecture we explain how o-minimality makes a first appearance in physical theories when considering amplitudes in quantum field theory. In the second part\, we concentrate on a class of theories where finiteness principles seem to be essential\, namely the quantum field theories which are consistent with quantum gravity. We review some of these finiteness principles and interpret them through the lens of the o-minimal framework. Along the way\, we highlight recent progress in this direction\, as well as open questions to explore in the future. \n2:30–3:00 pm\nBreak with refreshments (Common Room) \n3:00–4:00 pm\nSpeaker: Matilda Delgado\, Max Planck Institute Munich\nTitle: Dualities and the Compactifiability of Moduli Space\nAbstract:  After introducing (self-)dualities in string theory and their action on the field content & spectrum of the theory\, I will present the notion of compactifiability for the moduli space of massless fields as the condition that its volume is finite or grows no faster than Euclidean space. I will argue that compactifiability generically implies the existence of non-trivial dualities by providing evidence from string theory. Moreover\, I will explain how one can connect compactifiability to the condition that the spectrum of objects charged under the duality group transform in a semisimple representation. Finally\, I will provide a bottom-up argument for compactifiability\, and argue that it (at least in supersymmetric cases) can be explained by the finiteness of the number of massless states upon compactification to 1D. Based on arXiv:2412.03640. \n5:00 PM\nMillennium Lecture and Reception: Pierre Deligne (IAS) (Science Center Hall D)\nTitle: What is the Hodge conjecture? \n  \nThursday\, Nov. 13\, 2025 \n8:30–9:00 am\nMorning refreshments (Common Room) \n9:00–10:30 am\nLecture\nSpeaker: Bruno Klingler\, Humboldt University\, Berlin & IAS\nTitle: Tame geometry and Hodge theory\nAbstract: I will give an introduction to applications of o-minimality in complex geometry\, in particular in Hodge theory. \n10:30–11:00 am\nBreak \n11:00 am–12:00 pm\nSpeaker: Cumrun Vafa\, Harvard\nTitle: The Swampland Program \n12:00–1:30 pm\nCatered Lunch (Common Room) \n1:30–2:30 pm\nSpeaker: Gregorio Baldi\, CNRS\, IMJ-PRG & IAS\nTitle: The Hodge locus\nAbstract: We will survey various recent results around the distribution of the Hodge locus of a (mixed) variation of Hodge structures. Various concrete applications to moduli spaces will also be presented. \n2:30–3:00 pm\nBreak with refreshments (Common Room) \n3:00–4:00 pm\nSpeaker: Vijay Balasubramanian\, U Penn\nTitle: Chaos and complexity in quantum dynamics \n4:30–5:30\nDiscussion/Q&A session \n6:30 PM\nDinner: Changsho Restaurant\, 1712 Massachusetts Ave.\, Cambridge\, MA 02138 \n  \nFriday Nov. 14\, 2025 \n8:30–9:00 am\nMorning refreshments (Common Room) \n9:00–10:00 am\nSpeaker: Washington Taylor\, MIT\nTitle: Finiteness\, connectivity\, and the power of fibrations in the Calabi-Yau landscape \n10:00–10:30am\nBreak \n10:30–11:30 am\nSpeaker: Adele Padgett\, Vienna\nTitle: Tameness of multisummable series\nAbstract: There are sophisticated theories of summability that map divergent series solutions of differential or functional equations to solutions that are holomorphic in sector-like domains. Van den Dries and Speissegger proved that functions obtained from real multisummable power series have tame geometric behavior when restricted to the real numbers. It would be desirable to know that these functions are also tame on their whole sector-like domains\, but recently Speissegger and I proved that these functions are in general only tame on part of their domains. I will present this result and discuss the domains on which some examples are tame\, including the Stirling series which appears in the asymptotic expansion of the Gamma function. In this talk\, “tame” means definable in an o-minimal structure. \n11:30 am–1:00 pm\nCatered Lunch (Common Room) \n1:00–2:00 pm\nSpeaker: Raf Cluckers\, Lille\, France\nTitle:  Finiteness and tameness in (non-archimedean) geometry\nAbstract: Non-archimedean geometry work with orders of magnitude rather than with precise measurements. The former works for example with orders of vanishing of functions\, and the latter typically works with real or complex numbers. I will discuss recent progress on non-archimedean tame geometry. I will present analogues of o-minimality\, of Pila-Wilkie’s o-minimal counting results\, and of other finiteness results\, in non-archimedean settings. \n2:00–2:30 pm\nBreak with refreshments (Common Room) \n2:30–3:30 pm\nSpeaker: David Urbanik\, IHES\, France & IAS\nTitle: Degrees of Hodge Loci \n\n    \n  \n 
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/geophys/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Conference,Event,Workshop
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END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR