Previous Conferences & Workshops

Feb
01
2012

Workshop on Topology: Identifying Order in Complex Systems

Probabilisitc Perspective on Topological Data Analysis
Sayan Mukherjee
2:00pm|Rutgers University, Hill Center, Room 705

In this talk we discuss the recent area of topological data analysis (TDA) from a probabilistic perspective. The talk falls under two parts. The first part of the talk considers a classic object in topology and geometry, a (Whitney) stratified space...

Jan
31
2012

Computer Science/Discrete Mathematics Seminar II

A Survey of Lower Bounds for the Resolution Proof System
10:30am|S-101

The Resolution proof system is among the most basic and popular for proving propositional tautologies, and underlies many of the automated theorem proving systems in use today. I'll start by defining the Resolution system, and its place in the proof...

Jan
30
2012

Members’ Seminar

Linear Equations in Primes and Nilpotent Groups
2:00pm|S-101

A classical theorem of Dirichlet establishes the existence of infinitely many primes in arithmetic progressions, so long as there are no local obstructions. In 2006 Green and Tao set up a program for proving a vast generalization of this theorem...

Jan
30
2012

Computer Science/Discrete Mathematics Seminar I

Nearly Optimal Deterministic Algorithms Via M-Ellipsoids
Santosh Vempala
11:15am|S-101

Milman's ellipsoids play an important role in modern convex geometry. Here we show that their proofs of existence can be turned into efficient algorithms, and these in turn lead to improved deterministic algorithms for volume estimation of convex...

Jan
25
2012

Symplectic Dynamics Seminar

Symplectic Structures and Dynamics on Vortex Membranes
4:00pm|S-101

We present a Hamiltonian framework for higher-dimensional vortex filaments (or membranes) and vortex sheets as singular 2-forms with support of codimensions 2 and 1, respectively, i.e. singular elements of the dual to the Lie algebra of divergence...

Jan
25
2012

Symplectic Dynamics Seminar

On Conjugacy of Convex Billiards
2:00pm|S-101

There are indications that in the 80s Guillemin posed a question: If billiard maps are conjugate, can we say that domains are the same up to isometry? On one side, we show that conjugacy of different domains can't be C^1 near the boundary. In...

Jan
24
2012

Computer Science/Discrete Mathematics Seminar II

A Tutorial on the Likely Worst-Case Complexities of NP-Complete Problems
10:30am|S-101

The P vs. NP problem has sometimes been unofficially paraphrased as asking whether it is possible to improve on exhaustive search for such problems as Satisfiability, Clique, Graph Coloring, etc. However, known algorithms for each of these problems...

Jan
23
2012

Members’ Seminar

The Role of Symmetry in Phase Transitions
Tom Spencer
2:00pm|S-101

This talk will review some theorems and conjectures about phase transitions of interacting spin systems in statistical mechanics. A phase transition may be thought of as a change in a typical spin configuration from ordered state at low temperature...