Department of Mathematics, WUSTL - Talks List, Spring 2010

A list of lectures, seminars, colloquia, and other events hosted by
the Department of Mathematics at Washington University in St. Louis  

Past schedules:August|September|October| November| December| January|

SPRING 2010 Seminars Schedule

Mondays

Analysis Seminar

Time: 4:00-5:00pm *
Location: Cupples I, Room 199

Host: Prof. Richard Rochberg

Tuesdays

Statistics Seminar

Time: 4:30-5:30pm *
Location: Cupples I, Room 199

Host: Prof. Nan Lin
Statistics Seminar Schedule

Wednesdays

Graduate Student Seminar

Time: 1:00-2:00pm *
Location: Cupples I, Room 199

Host: Prof. Guido Weiss

 

Graduate Organized Talks Seminar

Time: 4:00-5:00pm *
Location: Cupples I, Room 199

Host: Raphiel Murden

 

Math Club

Time: 5:30-7:00pm *
Location: Cupples I, Room 199

Host: Rajan Mehta
See Math Club page.

Thursdays

Combinatorics Seminar

Time: 12:00-1:00pm *
Location: Cupples I, Room 199

Host: Russ Woodroofe

Fridays

Wavelet Seminar

Time: 3:30-4:30pm *
Location: Cupples I, Room 199

Host: Prof. Guido Weiss

 

Geometry and Topology Seminar

Time: 4:00-5:00pm *
Location: Cupples I, Room 207

Host: Prof. Xiang Tang

* Times may vary, please consult the schedule below for details:

FEBRUARY 2010

Monday, February 01

Colloquium

Time: Tea: 4:00-4:30pm
Talk: 4:30-5:30pm
Location: Cupples I, Room 199
Host: Prof. Richard Rochberg

Speaker: Professor Vasiliy Dolgushev
Department of Mathematics, University of California, Riverside
Title: Puzzles of Deformation Theory
Abstract: A lot of interesting mathematical constructions are motivated by questions of deformation quantization. In my talk I will give a popular introduction to this fascinating topic. First, I will show that formal deformations of an associative algebra are governed by the Hochschild cochain complex. Second, I will discuss algebraic operations on this complex. Then I will formulate the famous Kontsevich's formality theorem and talk about its generalizations. Finally, I will discuss applications of formality theorems for Hochschild complexes to computation of Hochschild (co)homology and description of traces on deformation quantization algebras. If time will permit then I will also talk about the Kashiwara-Vergne conjecture and about the mysterious action of the Grothendieck-Teichmuller group on deformations of the polynomial algebra.

Wednesday, February 03

Graduate Student Seminar

Time: 1:00-2:00pm
Location: Cupples I, Room 199
Host: Prof. Guido Weiss

Speaker: Professor Xiang Tang
Department of Mathematics, Washington University in St. Louis
Title: Laplace operator and Hodge decomposition
Abstract: In this talk, we will introduce the Beltrami-Laplace operator on a compact riemannian manifold. We will explain how to use this operator to study geometry and topology of the riemannian manifold. If time permits, we will discuss a generalization of the Beltrami-Laplace operator on a noncompact riemannian manifold with a proper cocompact group action.

Wednesday, February 03

Graduate Organized Talks Seminar

Time: 4:00-5:00pm
Location: Cupples I, Room 199
Host: Raphiel Murden

Speaker: Qingyun Wang
Department of Mathematics, Washington University in St. Louis
Title: Introduction to sheaf cohomology
Abstract: Cohomology, being the dual of homology, is one of the fundamental ideas in algebraic topology. We have various cohomology theories for different spaces. For topological spaces, we have singular cohomology. For cell complexes or CW-complexes we have cellular cohomology and CW-cohomology. For manifold we have de Rham cohomology... Even though these cohomology theories appear to be very different from the definitions, they share many common properties. Sheaf cohomology is a way to unify all these cohomology theories in a natural way and gives an axiomatic characterization. De Rham theorem is therefore a direct consequence.

Wednesday, February 03

Math Club

Time: 5:30-7:00pm
Location: Cupples I, Room 199
Host: Rajan Mehta

Movie: A Beautiful Mind

Thursday, February 04

Combinatorics Seminar

Time: 12:00-1:00pm
Location: Cupples I, Room 199
Host: Russ Woodroofe

Speaker: Russ Woodroofe
Department of Mathematics, Washington University in St. Louis
Title: Chordal clutters and k-decomposability
Abstract: The family of chordal graphs has excellent properties for geometric combinatorics. Most interesting to us in this talk is that the independence complex of a chordal graph is shellable, and in fact vertex decomposable. I'll present an extension of the definition of chordal from graphs to clutters. The resulting family of clutters is a common generalization of chordal graphs, circuit clutters of matroids, and "acyclic" clutters. The independence complex of a chordal clutters is shellable. In order to prove shellability we extend the definition of k-decomposable to non-pure complexes. I will also discuss a potential application in obstructions to shellability, as well as other nice properties of chordal graphs that are satisfied by chordal clutters.

Thursday, February 04

Colloquium

CANCELLED
Time: Tea: 4:00-4:30pm
Talk: 4:30-5:30pm
Location: Cupples I, Room 199
Host: Prof. Richard Rochberg

CANCELLED
Speaker: Professor Richard Kent
Department of Mathematics, Brown University
Title: Analytic functions from hyperbolic manifolds
Abstract: At the heart of Thurston's proof of Geometrization for Haken manifolds is a family of analytic functions between Teichmuller spaces called "skinning maps."  These maps carry geometric information about their associated hyperbolic manifolds, and I'll discuss what is presently known about their behavior.  The ideas involved form a mix of geometry, algebra, and analysis.

Friday, February 05

Wavelet Seminar

Time: 3:30-4:30pm
Location: Cupples I, Room 199
Host: Prof. Guido Weiss

Speaker: Professor Jeff Hogan
Department of Mathematics, University of Newcastle, Australia
Title: Hypercomplex Fourier and wavelet transforms
Abstract: The Clifford Fourier transform is a generalisation of the usual Fourier transform which treats multichannel signals as an algebraic whole rather than as an ensemble of one-dimensional signals. In this talk we present the basic theory of the Clifford Fourier transform and some applications to the processing of multichannel signals, especially in the two-dimensional case where the underlying algebra is that of the quaternions. Some Cliffordised versions of well-known theorems of harmonic analysis will be presented.

Tuesday, February 09

Colloquium

Time: Tea: 4:00-4:30pm
Talk: 4:30-5:30pm
Location: Cupples I, Room 199
Host: Prof. Richard Rochberg

Speaker: Professor Alvaro Pelayo
Department of Mathematics, University of California, Berkeley
Title: Hamiltonian Dynamics in Symplectic and Spectral Geometry
Abstract: We introduce symplectic manifolds, symplectic torus actions and integrable systems, and some of the most classical results about them. Next we will present the recent classification of symplectic 2-torus actions on 4-manifolds, and the recent classification of integrable systems on 4-manifolds for which one component of the system is peridic. Finally, we will mention and inverse spectral conjecture for this type of integrable systems and give some preliminary evidence to support it. The talk is partly based on joint works with JJ Duistermaat and S. Vu Ngoc.

Wednesdays, February 10

Graduate Organized Talks Seminar

Time: 4:00-5:00pm
Location: Cupples I, Room 199
Host: Raphiel Murden

Speaker: Andrew Womack
Department of Mathematics, Washington University in St. Louis
Title: The Posterior Predictive Information Criterion
Abstract: The Posterior Predictive Information Criterion Abstract: I introduce as new information theoretic model selection criterion which can be used in any inferential setting when statistical claims are made. The method will be described in some detail, especially its theoretical underpinnings and basic properties. A simple example will be used to demonstrate the usefulness of the method. In contrast to existing methods, this fully Bayesian information theoretic approach allows one to use "vague" prior information (think frequentist estimation of parameters) as well as avoiding pitfalls like choice of parameter focus (to be explained). The talk should be accessible to all graduate students.

Thursday, February 11

Colloquium

Time: Tea: 4:00-4:30pm
Talk: 4:30-5:30pm
Location: Cupples I, Room 199
Host: Prof. Richard Rochberg

Speaker: Professor Ravindra Girivaru
Department of Mathematics, University of Missouri
Title: Lefschetz theorems and the geometry of hypersurfaces
Abstract: Let  X and Y be algebraic manifolds  (i.e. zero loci of systems of homogeneous polynomials) in projective space. If X and Y intersect ``nicely", then the codimension of the intersection Z in X is equal to the codimension of  Y in projective space. Conversely, starting with a manifold X in projective space, one might ask if any submanifold Z in X of codimension k, can always be obtained as an intersection of X with a manifold Y of codimension k in the same projective space. Questions such as these and their generalisations, called Lefschetz type questions, are an attempt to capture the geometry of an arbitrary algebraic manifold X by comparing it with the ambient projective space, which is in some sense a better understood manifold.
We shall start by discussing the classical case of codimension 1 subvarieties in smooth varieties where these questions are well understood. Next we move onto the case of codimension 2  subvarieties in hypersurfaces, where we show that though the geometric form of the Lefschetz theorem does not hold, an algebraic form of this theorem does.
This talk will be accessible to graduate students.

Friday, February 12

Algebraic Geometry Seminar

Time: 3:30-5:00pm
Location: Cupples I, Room 218
Host: Prof. Mohan Kumar

Speaker: Professor Adam Ginensky
WH Trading
Title: Determinantal Equations for Curves and their Secant Varieties
Abstract: We first prove the following: Let C be a smooth bicanonically embedded curve, then Sec^j(C) has determinantal equations iff j < Cliff(C). Examining the proof leads to a generalization of the Clifford index to an arbitrary (very ample) line bundle L. This leads to a similar theorem stating when C and it's secant varieties embedded in L \otimes L have determinantal equations. If time permits the generalizations to L_1 \otimes L_2 and a proof of the (scheme-theoretic) Eisenbud-Koh-Stillman conjecture will be discussed.

Friday, February 12

Geometry and Topology Seminar

Time: 4:00-5:00pm
Location: Cupples I, Room 207
Host: Prof. Xiang Tang

Speaker: Professor Xiang Tang
Department of Mathematics, Washington University in St. Louis
Title: Bundles and Gerbes
Abstract: In this talk, I will explain what a $G$-gerbe is. I will discuss a conjecture about duality between gerbes.

Tuesday, February 16

Colloquium

Time: Tea: 4:00-4:30pm
Talk: 4:30-5:30pm
Location: Cupples I, Room 199
Host: Prof. Richard Rochberg

Speaker: Professor Frederic Rochon
Department of Mathematics, University of Toronto
Title: TBA
Abstract: TBA

Wednesday, February 24

Minor Oral

Time: 1:00-2:00pm
Location: Cupples I, Room 199
Host: Prof. Renato Feres

Speaker: Jamine Ng
Department of Mathematics, Washington University in St. Louis
Title: Separation Cutoffs for Birth and Death Chains
Abstract: Some ergodic Markov chains show a sharp transition in convergence to stationarity. This occurrence has been termed "the cutoff phenomenon," and we can ask the natural question, "when does a cutoff phenomenon exist?" In the case of irreducible, continuous time birth and death chains that start at 0, we will show that a separation cutoff exists if and only if the product of the spectral gap and mixing time tends to infinity.

Thursday, February 25

Colloquium

Time: Tea: 4:00-4:30pm
Talk: 4:30-5:30pm
Location: Cupples I, Room 199
Host: Prof. Roya Beheshti-Zavareh

Speaker: Professor Payman Kassaei
Department of Mathematics, King's College
Title: TBA
Abstract: TBA

MARCH 2010

Friday, March 19

Colloquium

Time: Tea: 3:30-4:00pm
Talk: 4:00-5:00pm
Location: Cupples I, Room 199
Host: Prof. Nan Lin

Speaker: Professor Yazhen Wang
Department of Mathematics, University of Wisconsin at Madison
Title: TBA
Abstract: TBA

Wednesday, March 24

Colloquium

Time: Tea: 3:00-3:30pm
Talk: 3:30-4:30pm
Location: Cupples I, Room 199
Host: Prof. Quo-Shin Chi

Speaker: Professor Reiko Miyaoka
Department of Mathematics, Tohoku University
Title: TBA
Abstract: TBA

Thursday, March 25

Colloquium

Time: Tea: 4:00-4:30pm
Talk: 4:30-5:30pm
Location: Cupples I, Room 199
Hosts: Profs. Al Baernstein, Guido Weiss

Speaker: Professor Rodrigo Bañuelos
Department of Mathematics, Purdue University
Title: TBA
Abstract: TBA

APRIL 2010

Thursday, April 1

Colloquium

Time: Tea: 4:00-4:30pm
Talk: 4:30-5:30pm
Location: Cupples I, Room 199
Hosts: Prof. Nan Lin

Speaker: Professor Peter Song
Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan
Title: TBA
Abstract: TBA

Thursday, April 8

Colloquium

Time: Tea: 4:00-4:30pm
Talk: 4:30-5:30pm
Location: Cupples I, Room 199
Hosts: Prof. Quo-Shin Chi

Speaker: Professor Yng-Ing Lee
Department of Mathematics, National Taiwan University
Title: TBA
Abstract: TBA

Wednesday, April 14

Colloquium

Time: 4:00-5:00pm
Location: TBA
Hosts: Profs. David Wright, Ken Kelton, Ram Cowsik

Speaker: Professor Srinivasa Varadhan
Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University
Title: TBA
Abstract: TBA

Thursday, April 15

Colloquium

Time: Tea: 4:00-4:30pm
Talk: 4:30-5:30pm
Location: Cupples I, Room 199
Host: Prof. Al Baernstein

Speaker: Professor Terry Sheil-Small
Department of Mathematics, University of York, England
Title: TBA
Abstract: TBA

Wednesday, April 21

Department Awards Ceremony

Time: Tea: 4:00-4:30pm
Talk: 4:30-5:30pm
Location: Room 199
Host: Prof. Ronald Freiwald

Awards to mathematics faculty, graduate students, undergraduate students, ... , and more.

Thursday, April 22

Loeb Undergraduate Lecture in Mathematics

Time: Tea: 4:00-4:30pm
Talk: 4:30-5:30pm
Location: TBA
Host: Prof. Ronald Freiwald

Speaker: Professor Martin Golubitsky
Department of Mathematics and Director of the Mathematical Biosciences Institute, Ohio State University
Title: Symmetries and Animal Gaits
Abstract: Many gaits of four-legged animals can be described by spatio- temporal symmetries. For example, when a horse paces it moves both left legs in unison and then both right legs and so on. The motion is described by two symmetries: Interchange front and back legs, and swap left and right legs with a half-period phase shift. Biologists postulate the existence of a central pattern generator (CPG) in the neuronal system that sends periodic signals to the legs. CPGs can be thought of as electrical circuits that produce periodic signals and can be modeled by coupled systems of differential equations with symmetries based on leg permutation. In this lecture we discuss animal gaits; describe how periodic solutions with prescribed spatio- temporal symmetry can be formed in symmetric systems; construct a CPG architecture that naturally produces quadrupedal gait rhythms; and make several testable predictions about gaits.

 Thursday, April 29

Roever Colloquium

Time: Tea: 4:00-4:30pm
Talk: 4:30-5:30pm
Location: Cupples I, Room 199
Host: Prof. Quo-Shin Chi

Speaker: Professor Simon Brendle
Department of Mathematics, Stanford University
Title: TBA
Abstract: TBA

Friday, April 30

Roever Seminar

Time: 3:00-4:00pm
Location: Cupples I, Room 199
Host: Prof. Quo-Shin Chi

Speaker: Professor Simon Brendle
Department of Mathematics, Stanford University
Title: TBA
Abstract: TBA

 

 

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Last Updated 02/08/10


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