Previous Conferences & Workshops

Nov
03
2015

Geometric Structures on 3-manifolds

Random walks on weakly hyperbolic groups
Joseph Maher
4:00pm|S-101

Let $G$ be a group acting by isometries on a Gromov hyperbolic space, which need not be proper. If $G$ contains two hyperbolic elements with disjoint fixed points, then we show that a random walk on $G$ converges to the boundary almost surely. This...

Nov
03
2015

Geometric Structures on 3-manifolds

Random walks on groups with hyperbolic properties
Joseph Maher
2:00pm|S-101

We give a brief introduction to random walks on groups with hyperbolic properties.

Nov
03
2015

Computer Science/Discrete Mathematics Seminar II

Two-source dispersers for polylogarithmic entropy and improved Ramsey graphs II
10:30am|S-101

In his 1947 paper that inaugurated the probabilistic method, Erdős proved the existence of $2 \log(n)$-Ramsey graphs on $n$ vertices. Matching Erdős' result with a constructive proof is a central problem in combinatorics that has gained a...

Nov
02
2015

Members’ Seminar

Optimal knots
2:00pm|S-101

There are various notions of an ``optimal'' position for a knot in the 3-sphere. Beginning with Schubert's bridge position, I'll talk about some 1- and 2-parameter definitions of complexity for a knot, and explain some of the reasons they have been...

Nov
02
2015

Computer Science/Discrete Mathematics Seminar I

Two-source dispersers for polylogarithmic entropy and improved Ramsey graphs I
11:15am|S-101

In his 1947 paper that inaugurated the probabilistic method, Erdős proved the existence of $2 \log(n)$-Ramsey graphs on $n$ vertices. Matching Erdős' result with a constructive proof is a central problem in combinatorics that has gained a...

Oct
30
2015

Minerva Mini-Course

$L^2$ invariants and Benjamini-Schramm convergence
Lewis Bowen
1:30pm|Fine 110, Princeton University

Finite models of infinite groups/actions/manifolds are useful for studying spectral and $L^2$-invariants, constructing random processes and have recently been used to introduce new invariants of group actions useful for proving nonembedding and...

Oct
30
2015

Joint IAS/Princeton/Columbia Symplectic Geometry Seminar

Functors and relations from Fukaya categories of LG models
1:00pm|Math 407, Columbia University

The Fukaya category of a Landau-Ginzburg (LG) model $W: E \to C$, denoted $F(E,W)$, enlarges the Fukaya category of $E$ to include certain non-compact Lagrangians determined by $W$ (for instance, Lefschetz fibrations and their thimbles). I will...

Oct
30
2015

Joint IAS/Princeton/Columbia Symplectic Geometry Seminar

Floer homology for translated points
Margherita Sandon
10:15am|Math 520, Columbia University

A point $q$ in a contact manifold $(M,\xi)$ is said to be a translated point of a contactomorphism $\phi$, with respect to a contact form $\alpha$ for $\xi$, if it is a "fixed point modulo the Reeb flow", i.e. if $q$ and $\phi(q)$ are in the same...