Previous Conferences & Workshops

May
05
2016

Joint IAS/Princeton University Number Theory Seminar

Rational curves on elliptic surfaces
Douglas Ulmer
4:30pm|S-101

Given a non-isotrivial elliptic curve $E$ over $K = \mathbb F_q(t)$, there is always a finite extension $L$ of $K$ which is itself a rational function field such that $E(L)$ has large rank. The situation is completely different over complex function...

May
04
2016

Analysis Seminar

The minimum modulus problem for covering systems
Robert Hough
4:30pm|S-101

A distinct covering system of congruences is a finite collection of arithmetic progressions to distinct moduli \[ a_i \bmod m_i, 1 m_1 m_2 \cdots m_k \] whose union is the integers. Answering a question of Erdős, I have shown that the least...

May
03
2016

Geometric Structures on 3-manifolds

NonLERFness of groups of certain mixed 3-manifolds and arithmetic hyperbolic $n$-manifolds
Hongbin Sun
2:00pm|S-101

I will show that the groups of mixed 3-manifolds containing arithmetic hyperbolic pieces and the groups of certain noncompact arithmetic hyperbolic $n$-manifolds ($n > 3$) are not LERF. The main ingredient is a study of the set of virtual fibered...

May
03
2016

Computer Science/Discrete Mathematics Seminar II

Fourier tails for Boolean functions and their applications
10:30am|S-101

The discrete Fourier transform is a widely used tool in the analysis of Boolean functions. One can view the Fourier transform of a Boolean function $f:\{0,1\}^n \to \{0,1\}$ as a distribution over sets $S \subseteq [n]$. The Fourier-tail at level $k...

Apr
28
2016

Joint IAS/Princeton University Number Theory Seminar

Variation of canonical height, illustrated
Laura de Marco
4:30pm|Fine 214, Princeton University

Around 1990, Joe Silverman wrote a series of three articles on the variation of canonical height in families of elliptic curves. I will discuss connections between these results and dynamical systems on $\mathbb P^1$ (and an associated Berkovich...

Apr
28
2016

Joint IAS/Princeton University Symplectic Geometry Seminar

Small symplectic and exotic 4-manifolds via positive factorizations
R. İnanç Baykur
10:30am|Fine 1201, Princeton University

We will discuss new ideas and techniques for producing positive Dehn twist factorizations of surface mapping classes (joint work with Mustafa Korkmaz) which yield novel constructions of interesting symplectic and smooth 4-manifolds, such as small...

Apr
27
2016

Analysis Seminar

On the kinetic Fokker-Planck equation in bounded domains
4:30pm|S-101

I will discuss the Kolmogorov equation, a simplest kinetic Fokker-Planck equation in the presence of boundaries. In the case of an absorbing boundary, I will present the well-posedness theory of classical solutions and Holder continuity of such...

Apr
27
2016

Analysis Seminar

Random data Cauchy theory for some nonlinear wave equations
3:15pm|S-101

In this talk, I will discuss two problems concerning random data Cauchy theory for nonlinear wave equations. The first, based on joint work with Luhrmann, focuses on nonlinear wave equations with defocusing energy-subcritical power-type nonlinearity...

Apr
26
2016

Computer Science/Discrete Mathematics Seminar II

Reed-Muller codes for random erasures and errors
Amir Shpilka
10:30am|S-101

Reed-Muller codes encode an $m$-variate polynomial of degree $r$ by evaluating it on all points in $\{0,1\}^m$. Its distance is $2^{m-r}$ and so it cannot correct more than that many errors/erasures in the worst case. For random errors one may hope...