Past Events
Scientific, Seminar
Topology Seminar: An infinite loop space machine for symmetric monoidal 2-categories
January 20, 2010
University of British Columbia
In recent work of Baas-Dundas-Richter-Rognes, the authors prove that the classifying space of 2-vector bundles, K(Vect) is equivalent to the algebraic K-theory of the connective K-theory spectrum ku. In this talk we will show that K(Vect) is the...
Scientific, Seminar
Probability Seminar: The distributive law
January 20, 2010
University of British Columbia
This is an expository talk about the distributive law of algebra and its role in combinatorics, probability, and physics. The main idea is that one can run the distributive law either way, a process sometimes called re-summation. This extraordinarily...
Scientific, Seminar
DG-MP-PDE Seminar: Singularities and asymptotics for some dynamics of maps into the sphere
January 19, 2010
University of British Columbia
Scientific, Seminar
Algebraic Geometry Seminar: A smooth space of stable maps and a conjecture of Abramovich--Fantechi
January 18, 2010
University of British Columbia
The stack of stable maps parameterizes maps from a complete curves having at worst nodal singularities into a smooth scheme. Generally this stack is not smooth, but we will explain how it can be made smooth by relaxing the condition that the source...
Scientific, Seminar
Number Theory Seminar: On the sup-norm of Maass forms of large level
January 15, 2010
University of British Columbia
We discuss the question of quantitative bounds on the sup-norm of automorphic cusp forms. We present an improvement on a recent result by Blomer-Holowinski on Hecke-Maass forms on $X_0(N)$ with large level $N$. Analogous results are then established...
Scientific, Seminar
UW-PIMS Colloquia: Random Sorting Networks
January 15, 2010
University of Washington
Sorting a list of items is perhaps the most familiar problem of computer science. If one must do this by swapping neighbouring pairs, the worst initial condition is when the n items are in reverse order, in which case n choose 2 swaps are needed. A...
Scientific, Seminar
Math Colloquium: Statistics of quadratic congruences and generalizations
January 14, 2010
University of British Columbia
We present the uniform distribution of roots of quadratic congruences on the unit circle. Several proofs have been rediscovered over the years. I will review some of the very different methods involved -- ergodic theory, exponential sums, automorphic...
Scientific, Seminar
Probability Seminar: Behavior of Heat Kernel for Jump Process
January 14, 2010
University of British Columbia
In this talk, we discuss the behavior of heat kernel for symmetric jump-type process with jumping kernels comparable to radially symmetric function on the spaces. Parabolic Harnack principle and sharp two-sided heat kernel estimates for both small...
Scientific, Seminar
Probability Seminar: Behavior of Heat Kernel for Jump Process
January 13, 2010
University of British Columbia
In this talk, we discuss the behavior of heat kernel for symmetric jump-type process with jumping kernels comparable to radially symmetric function on the spaces. Parabolic Harnack principle and sharp two-sided heat kernel estimates for both small...
Scientific, Seminar
SCAIM Seminar: A hybrid asymptotic-Hermite Cubic scheme for solving Plane Strain Hydraulic Fracture Problems
January 13, 2010
University of British Columbia
In this talk I will describe the coupled integro-partial differential equations that model the evolution of a fluid-driven fracture propagating in a state of plain strain. I will discuss the use of the Mellin Transform and matched asymptotics to...