Archive of IAS Physics Group Meetings

Feb
14
2024

IAS Physics Group Meeting

Recent Progress in Lattice Spin Glasses
11:00am|Bloomberg Lecture Hall (IAS)

Abstract: In spite of tremendous progress in mean-field spin glass theory over the last forty years, “realistic” spin glass models with short-range interactions remain shrouded in mystery. I will talk about recent progress on this topic, proving a...

Feb
07
2024

IAS Physics Group Meeting

Double-Scaled SYK from de Sitter Gravity
Herman Verlinde
11:00am|Bloomberg Lecture Hall (IAS)

Abstract: We study the partition function of 3D de Sitter gravity defined as the trace over the Hilbert space obtained by quantizing Schwarzschild-de Sitter spacetime. Motivated by the correspondence with double scaled SYK, we identify the...

Jan
31
2024

IAS Physics Group Meeting

The EFT of Large Spin Mesons
Gabriel Cuomo
11:00am|Bloomberg Lecture Hall (IAS)

Abstract: As well known, mesons with large spin J in large NcQCD can be described as rotating open strings using effective field theory (EFT). However, some subtleties arise for light quarks, due to the breakdown of the derivative expansion near the...

Nov
29
2023

IAS Physics Group Meeting

Two Dimensional QCD as a String Theory
Ofer Aharony
11:00am|Bloomberg Lecture Hall (IAS)

Abstract: I will begin by reviewing gauge/string duality, and in particular the motivations for understanding this duality better in the case of weakly coupled gauge theories. I will then discuss work in progress on two approaches to understanding...

Nov
22
2023

Physics Group Meeting

(Semi-)Classical Physics from Amplitudes
Donal O’Connell
11:00am|Bloomberg Lecture Hall (IAS)
Nov
08
2023

IAS Physics Group Meeting

The Harmonic Oscillator of Large Language Models
11:00am|Bloomberg Lecture Hall (IAS)

Abstract: Recently, I have been trying to understand how large language models (LLMs) work, what their basic building blocks are and how they are trained. In this talk I want to share some of my understanding with you by discussing the so-called...

Nov
07
2023

IAS Special High Energy Theory Seminar

Tidal Squeezing of Black Holes
Maria Jose Rodriguez
4:30pm|Bloomberg Lecture Hall (IAS)

Abstract: Tidal deformation is a significant phenomenon observed in various astronomical scenarios, including black holes, and are a key gravitational-wave observable encoding information about the object's interior. Relying on hidden symmetries...

Nov
01
2023

IAS Physics Group Meeting

A Background Independent Algebra in Quantum Gravity
11:00am|Bloomberg Lecture Hall (IAS)

Abstract: I will consider the quantum fields along an observer's worldline to define a background independent algebra in quantum gravity.   The talk is based on a paper with the same title (arXiv:2308.03663).