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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230302T160000
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DTSTAMP:20240216T085143Z
CREATED:20230817T180503Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240216T085143Z
UID:10001276-1677772800-1677776400@live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io
SUMMARY:The string/black hole transition in anti de Sitter space
DESCRIPTION:Speaker: Erez Urbach\, Weizmann Institute of Science \nTitle: The string/black hole transition in anti de Sitter space \nAbstract: String stars\, or Horowitz-Polchinski solutions\, are string theory saddles with normalizable condensates of thermal-winding strings. In the past\, string stars were offered as a possible description of stringy (Euclidean) black holes in asymptotically flat spacetime\, close to the Hagedorn temperature. I will discuss the thermodynamic properties of string stars in asymptotically (thermal) anti-de Sitter background (including AdS3 with NS-NS flux)\, their possible connection to small black holes in AdS\, and their implications for holography. I will also present new “winding-string gas” saddles for confining holographic backgrounds such as the Witten model\, and their relation to the deconfined phase of 3+1 pure Yang-Mills.
URL:https://live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io/event/collquium-3223/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Colloquium
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io/media/02CMSA-Colloquium-03.02.2023.png
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230302T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230302T130000
DTSTAMP:20240118T052933Z
CREATED:20230817T165840Z
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UID:10001235-1677758400-1677762000@live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io
SUMMARY:New bounds on lattice covering volumes\, and nearly uniform covers
DESCRIPTION:Member Seminar \nSpeaker: Barak Weiss   \nTitle: New bounds on lattice covering volumes\, and nearly uniform covers \nAbstract: Let L be a lattice in R^n and let K be a convex body. The covering volume of L with respect to K is the minimal volume of a dilate rK\, such that L+rK = R^n\, normalized by the covolume of L. Pairs (L\,K) with small covering volume correspond to efficient coverings of space by translates of K\, where the translates lie in a lattice. Finding upper bounds on the covering volume as the dimension n grows is a well studied problem\, with connections to practical questions arising in computer science and electrical engineering. In a recent paper with Or Ordentlich (EE\, Hebrew University) and Oded Regev (CS\, NYU) we obtain substantial improvements to bounds of Rogers from the 1950s. In another recent paper\, we obtain bounds on the minimal volume of nearly uniform covers (to be defined in the talk). The key to these results are recent breakthroughs by Dvir and others regarding the discrete Kakeya problem. I will give an overview of the questions and results.
URL:https://live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io/event/member-seminar-3223/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Member Seminar
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230227T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230301T173000
DTSTAMP:20241212T162829Z
CREATED:20230705T053135Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241212T162829Z
UID:10000064-1677488400-1677691800@live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io
SUMMARY:Conference on Geometry and Statistics
DESCRIPTION:On Feb 27-March 1\, 2023 the CMSA will host a Conference on Geometry and Statistics. \nLocation: G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge MA 02138 \nOrganizing Committee:\nStephan Huckemann (Georg-August-Universität Göttingen)\nEzra Miller (Duke University)\nZhigang Yao (Harvard CMSA and Committee Chair) \nScientific Advisors:\nHorng-Tzer Yau (Harvard CMSA)\nShing-Tung Yau (Harvard CMSA) \nSpeakers: \n\nTamara Broderick (MIT)\nDavid Donoho (Stanford)\nIan Dryden (Florida International University in Miami)\nDavid Dunson (Duke)\nCharles Fefferman (Princeton)\nStefanie Jegelka (MIT)\nSebastian Kurtek (OSU)\nLizhen Lin (Notre Dame)\nSteve Marron (U North Carolina)\nEzra Miller (Duke)\nHans-Georg Mueller (UC Davis)\nNicolai Reshetikhin (UC Berkeley)\nWolfgang Polonik (UC Davis)\nAmit Singer (Princeton)\nZhigang Yao (Harvard CMSA)\nBin Yu (Berkeley)\n\nModerator: Michael Simkin (Harvard CMSA) \n  \nSCHEDULE\nMonday\, Feb. 27\, 2023 (Eastern Time) \n\n\n\n8:30 am\nBreakfast\n\n\n8:45–8:55 am\nZhigang Yao\nWelcome Remarks\n\n\n8:55–9:00 am\nShing-Tung Yau*\nRemarks\n\n\n\nMorning Session Chair: Zhigang Yao\n\n\n9:00–10:00 am\nDavid Donoho\nTitle: ScreeNOT: Exact MSE-Optimal Singular Value Thresholding in Correlated Noise \nAbstract: Truncation of the singular value decomposition is a true scientific workhorse. But where to Truncate? \nFor 55 years the answer\, for many scientists\, has been to eyeball the scree plot\, an approach which still generates hundreds of papers per year. \nI will describe ScreeNOT\, a mathematically solid alternative deriving from the many advances in Random Matrix Theory over those 55 years. Assuming a model of low-rank signal plus possibly correlated noise\, and adopting an asymptotic viewpoint with number of rows proportional to the number of columns\, we show that ScreeNOT has a surprising oracle property. \nIt typically achieves exactly\, in large finite samples\, the lowest possible MSE for matrix recovery\, on each given problem instance – i.e. the specific threshold it selects gives exactly the smallest achievable MSE loss among all possible threshold choices for that noisy dataset and that unknown underlying true low rank model. The method is computationally efficient and robust against perturbations of the underlying covariance structure. \nThe talk is based on joint work with Matan Gavish and Elad Romanov\, Hebrew University.\n\n\n10:00–10:10 am\nBreak\n\n\n10:10–11:10 am\nSteve Marron\nTitle: Modes of Variation in Non-Euclidean Spaces \nAbstract: Modes of Variation provide an intuitive means of understanding variation in populations\, especially in the case of data objects that naturally lie in non-Euclidean spaces. A variety of useful approaches to finding useful modes of variation are considered in several non-Euclidean contexts\, including shapes as data objects\, vectors of directional data\, amplitude and phase variation and compositional data.\n\n\n11:10–11:20 am\nBreak\n\n\n11:20 am–12:20 pm\nZhigang Yao\nTitle: Manifold fitting: an invitation to statistics \nAbstract: While classical statistics has dealt with observations which are real numbers or elements of a real vector space\, nowadays many statistical problems of high interest in the sciences deal with the analysis of data which consist of more complex objects\, taking values in spaces which are naturally not (Euclidean) vector spaces but which still feature some geometric structure. This manifold fitting problem can go back to H. Whitney’s work in the early 1930s (Whitney (1992))\, and finally has been answered in recent years by C. Fefferman’s works (Fefferman\, 2006\, 2005). The solution to the Whitney extension problem leads to new insights for data interpolation and inspires the formulation of the Geometric Whitney Problems (Fefferman et al. (2020\, 2021a)): Assume that we are given a set $Y \subset \mathbb{R}^D$. When can we construct a smooth $d$-dimensional submanifold $\widehat{M} \subset \mathbb{R}^D$ to approximate $Y$\, and how well can $\widehat{M}$ estimate $Y$ in terms of distance and smoothness? To address these problems\, various mathematical approaches have been proposed (see Fefferman et al. (2016\, 2018\, 2021b)). However\, many of these methods rely on restrictive assumptions\, making extending them to efficient and workable algorithms challenging. As the manifold hypothesis (non-Euclidean structure exploration) continues to be a foundational element in statistics\, the manifold fitting Problem\, merits further exploration and discussion within the modern statistical community. The talk will be partially based on a recent work Yao and Xia (2019) along with some on-going progress. Relevant reference:https://arxiv.org/abs/1909.10228\n\n\n 12:20–1:50 pm\n12:20 pm Group Photo \nfollowed by Lunch\n\n\n\nAfternoon Session Chair: Stephan Huckemann\n\n\n1:50–2:50 pm\nBin Yu*\nTitle: Interpreting Deep Neural Networks towards Trustworthiness \nAbstract: Recent deep learning models have achieved impressive predictive performance by learning complex functions of many variables\, often at the cost of interpretability. This lecture first defines interpretable machine learning in general and introduces the agglomerative contextual decomposition (ACD) method to interpret neural networks. Extending ACD to the scientifically meaningful frequency domain\, an adaptive wavelet distillation (AWD) interpretation method is developed. AWD is shown to be both outperforming deep neural networks and interpretable in two prediction problems from cosmology and cell biology. Finally\, a quality-controlled data science life cycle is advocated for building any model for trustworthy interpretation and introduce a Predictability Computability Stability (PCS) framework for such a data science life cycle.\n\n\n2:50–3:00 pm\nBreak\n\n\n3:00-4:00 pm\nHans-Georg Mueller\nTitle: Exploration of Random Objects with Depth Profiles and Fréchet Regression \nAbstract: Random objects\, i.e.\, random variables that take values in a separable metric space\, pose many challenges for statistical analysis\, as vector operations are not available in general metric spaces. Examples include random variables that take values in the space of distributions\, covariance matrices or surfaces\, graph Laplacians to represent networks\, trees and in other spaces. The increasing prevalence of samples of random objects has stimulated the development of metric statistics\, an emerging collection of statistical tools to characterize\, infer and relate samples of random objects. Recent developments include depth profiles\, which are useful for the exploration of random objects. The depth profile for any given object is the distribution of distances to all other objects (with P. Dubey\, Y. Chen 2022). \nThese distributions can then be subjected to statistical analysis. Their mutual transports lead to notions of transport ranks\, quantiles and centrality. Another useful tool is global or local Fréchet regression (with A. Petersen 2019) where random objects are responses and scalars or vectors are predictors and one aims at modeling conditional Fréchet means. Recent theoretical advances for local Fréchet regression provide a basis for object time warping (with Y. Chen 2022). These approaches are illustrated with distributional and other data.\n\n\n4:00-4:10 pm\nBreak\n\n\n4:10-5:10 pm\nStefanie Jegelka\nTitle: Some benefits of machine learning with invariances \nAbstract: In many applications\, especially in the sciences\, data and tasks have known invariances. Encoding such invariances directly into a machine learning model can improve learning outcomes\, while it also poses challenges on efficient model design. In the first part of the talk\, we will focus on the invariances relevant to eigenvectors and eigenspaces being inputs to a neural network. Such inputs are important\, for instance\, for graph representation learning. We will discuss targeted architectures that can universally express functions with the relevant invariances – sign flips and changes of basis – and their theoretical and empirical benefits. \nSecond\, we will take a broader\, theoretical perspective. Empirically\, it is known that encoding invariances into the machine learning model can reduce sample complexity. For the simplified setting of kernel ridge regression or random features\, we will discuss new bounds that illustrate two ways in which invariances can reduce sample complexity. Our results hold for learning on manifolds and for invariances to (almost) any group action\, and use tools from differential geometry. \nThis is joint work with Derek Lim\, Joshua Robinson\, Behrooz Tahmasebi\, Lingxiao Zhao\, Tess Smidt\, Suvrit Sra\, and Haggai Maron.\n\n\n\n  \n  \n  \nTuesday\, Feb. 28\, 2023 (Eastern Time) \n\n\n\n8:30-9:00 am\nBreakfast\n\n\n\nMorning Session Chair: Zhigang Yao\n\n\n9:00-10:00 am\nCharles Fefferman*\nTitle: Lipschitz Selection on Metric Spaces \nAbstract: The talk concerns the problem of finding a Lipschitz map F from a given metric space X into R^D\, subject to the constraint that F(x) must lie in a given compact convex “target” K(x) for each point x in X. Joint work with Pavel Shvartsman and with Bernat Guillen Pegueroles.\n\n\n10:00-10:10 am\nBreak\n\n\n10:10-11:10 am\nDavid Dunson\nTitle: Inferring manifolds from noisy data using Gaussian processes \nAbstract: In analyzing complex datasets\, it is often of interest to infer lower dimensional structure underlying the higher dimensional observations. As a flexible class of nonlinear structures\, it is common to focus on Riemannian manifolds. Most existing manifold learning algorithms replace the original data with lower dimensional coordinates without providing an estimate of the manifold in the observation space or using the manifold to denoise the original data. This article proposes a new methodology for addressing these problems\, allowing interpolation of the estimated manifold between fitted data points. The proposed approach is motivated by novel theoretical properties of local covariance matrices constructed from noisy samples on a manifold. Our results enable us to turn a global manifold reconstruction problem into a local regression problem\, allowing application of Gaussian processes for probabilistic manifold reconstruction. In addition to theory justifying the algorithm\, we provide simulated and real data examples to illustrate the performance. Joint work with Nan Wu – see https://arxiv.org/abs/2110.07478\n\n\n11:10-11:20 am\nBreak\n\n\n11:20 am-12:20 pm\nWolfgang Polonik\nTitle: Inference in topological data analysis \nAbstract: Topological data analysis has seen a huge increase in popularity finding applications in numerous scientific fields. This motivates the importance of developing a deeper understanding of benefits and limitations of such methods. Using this angle\, we will present and discuss some recent results on large sample inference in topological data analysis\, including bootstrap for Betti numbers and the Euler characteristics process.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n12:20–1:50 pm\nLunch\n\n\n\nAfternoon Session Chair: Stephan Huckemann\n\n\n1:50-2:50 pm\nEzra Miller\nTitle: Geometric central limit theorems on non-smooth spaces \nAbstract: The central limit theorem (CLT) is commonly thought of as occurring on the real line\, or in multivariate form on a real vector space. Motivated by statistical applications involving nonlinear data\, such as angles or phylogenetic trees\, the past twenty years have seen CLTs proved for Fréchet means on manifolds and on certain examples of singular spaces built from flat pieces glued together in combinatorial ways. These CLTs reduce to the linear case by tangent space approximation or by gluing. What should a CLT look like on general non-smooth spaces\, where tangent spaces are not linear and no combinatorial gluing or flat pieces are available? Answering this question involves figuring out appropriate classes of spaces and measures\, correct analogues of Gaussian random variables\, and how the geometry of the space (think “curvature”) is reflected in the limiting distribution. This talk provides an overview of these answers\, starting with a review of the usual linear CLT and its generalization to smooth manifolds\, viewed through a lens that casts the singular CLT as a natural outgrowth\, and concluding with how this investigation opens gateways to further advances in geometric probability\, topology\, and statistics. Joint work with Jonathan Mattingly and Do Tran.\n\n\n2:50-3:00 pm\nBreak\n\n\n3:00-4:00 pm\nLizhen Lin\nTitle: Statistical foundations of deep generative models \nAbstract: Deep generative models are probabilistic generative models where the generator is parameterized by a deep neural network. They are popular models for modeling high-dimensional data such as texts\, images and speeches\, and have achieved impressive empirical success. Despite demonstrated success in empirical performance\, theoretical understanding of such models is largely lacking. We investigate statistical properties of deep generative models from a nonparametric distribution estimation viewpoint. In the considered model\, data are assumed to be observed in some high-dimensional ambient space but concentrate around some low-dimensional structure such as a lower-dimensional manifold structure. Estimating the distribution supported on this low-dimensional structure is challenging due to its singularity with respect to the Lebesgue measure in the ambient space. We obtain convergence rates with respect to the Wasserstein metric of distribution estimators based on two methods: a sieve MLE based on the perturbed data and a GAN type estimator. Such an analysis provides insights into i) how deep generative models can avoid the curse of dimensionality and outperform classical nonparametric estimates\, and ii) how likelihood approaches work for singular distribution estimation\, especially in adapting to the intrinsic geometry of the data.\n\n\n4:00-4:10 pm\nBreak\n\n\n4:10-5:10 pm\nConversation session\n\n\n\n  \n  \n  \nWednesday\, March 1\, 2023 (Eastern Time) \n\n\n\n8:30-9:00 am\nBreakfast\n\n\n\nMorning Session Chair: Ezra Miller\n\n\n9:00-10:00 am\nAmit Singer*\nTitle: Heterogeneity analysis in cryo-EM by covariance estimation and manifold learning \nAbstract: In cryo-EM\, the 3-D molecular structure needs to be determined from many noisy 2-D tomographic projection images of randomly oriented and positioned molecules. A key assumption in classical reconstruction procedures for cryo-EM is that the sample consists of identical molecules. However\, many molecules of interest exist in more than one conformational state. These structural variations are of great interest to biologists\, as they provide insight into the functioning of the molecule. Determining the structural variability from a set of cryo-EM images is known as the heterogeneity problem\, widely recognized as one of the most challenging and important computational problem in the field. Due to high level of noise in cryo-EM images\, heterogeneity studies typically involve hundreds of thousands of images\, sometimes even a few millions. Covariance estimation is one of the earliest methods proposed for heterogeneity analysis in cryo-EM. It relies on computing the covariance of the conformations directly from projection images and extracting the optimal linear subspace of conformations through an eigendecomposition. Unfortunately\, the standard formulation is plagued by the exorbitant cost of computing the N^3 x N^3 covariance matrix. In the first part of the talk\, we present a new low-rank estimation method that requires computing only a small subset of the columns of the covariance while still providing an approximation for the entire matrix. This scheme allows us to estimate tens of principal components of real datasets in a few minutes at medium resolutions and under 30 minutes at high resolutions. In the second part of the talk\, we discuss a manifold learning approach based on the graph Laplacian and the diffusion maps framework for learning the manifold of conformations. If time permits\, we will also discuss the potential application of optimal transportation to heterogeneity analysis. Based on joint works with Joakim Andén\, Marc Gilles\, Amit Halevi\, Eugene Katsevich\, Joe Kileel\, Amit Moscovich\, and Nathan Zelesko.\n\n\n10:00-10:10 am\nBreak\n\n\n10:10-11:10 am\nIan Dryden\nTitle: Statistical shape analysis of molecule data \nAbstract: Molecular shape data arise in many applications\, for example high dimension low sample size cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) data and large temporal sequences of peptides from molecular dynamics simulations. In both applications it is of interest to summarize the shape evolution of the molecules in a succinct\, low-dimensional representation. However\, Euclidean techniques such as principal components analysis (PCA) can be problematic as the data may lie far from in a flat manifold. Principal nested spheres gives a fundamentally different decomposition of data from the usual Euclidean subspace based PCA. Subspaces of successively lower dimension are fitted to the data in a backwards manner with the aim of retaining signal and dispensing with noise at each stage. We adapt the methodology to 3D sub-shape spaces and provide some practical fitting algorithms. The methodology is applied to cryo-EM data of a large sliding clamp multi-protein complex and to cluster analysis of peptides\, where different states of the molecules can be identified. Further molecular modeling tasks include resolution matching\, where coarse resolution models are back-mapped into high resolution (atomistic) structures. This is joint work with Kwang-Rae Kim\, Charles Laughton and Huiling Le.\n\n\n11:10-11:20 am\nBreak\n\n\n11:20 am-12:20 pm\nTamara Broderick\nTitle: An Automatic Finite-Sample Robustness Metric: Can Dropping a Little Data Change Conclusions? \nAbstract: One hopes that data analyses will be used to make beneficial decisions regarding people’s health\, finances\, and well-being. But the data fed to an analysis may systematically differ from the data where these decisions are ultimately applied. For instance\, suppose we analyze data in one country and conclude that microcredit is effective at alleviating poverty; based on this analysis\, we decide to distribute microcredit in other locations and in future years. We might then ask: can we trust our conclusion to apply under new conditions? If we found that a very small percentage of the original data was instrumental in determining the original conclusion\, we might not be confident in the stability of the conclusion under new conditions. So we propose a method to assess the sensitivity of data analyses to the removal of a very small fraction of the data set. Analyzing all possible data subsets of a certain size is computationally prohibitive\, so we provide an approximation. We call our resulting method the Approximate Maximum Influence Perturbation. Our approximation is automatically computable\, theoretically supported\, and works for common estimators. We show that any non-robustness our method finds is conclusive. Empirics demonstrate that while some applications are robust\, in others the sign of a treatment effect can be changed by dropping less than 0.1% of the data — even in simple models and even when standard errors are small.\n\n\n 12:20-1:50 pm\nLunch\n\n\n\nAfternoon Session Chair: Ezra Miller\n\n\n1:50-2:50 pm\nNicolai Reshetikhin*\nTitle: Random surfaces in exactly solvable models in statistical mechanics. \nAbstract: In the first part of the talk I will be an overview of a few models in statistical mechanics where a random variable is a geometric object such as a random surface or a random curve. The second part will be focused on the behavior of such random surfaces in the thermodynamic limit and on the formation of the so-called “limit shapes”.\n\n\n2:50-3:00 pm\nBreak\n\n\n3:00-4:00 pm\nSebastian Kurtek\nTitle: Robust Persistent Homology Using Elastic Functional Data Analysis \nAbstract: Persistence landscapes are functional summaries of persistence diagrams designed to enable analysis of the diagrams using tools from functional data analysis. They comprise a collection of scalar functions such that birth and death times of topological features in persistence diagrams map to extrema of functions and intervals where they are non-zero. As a consequence\, variation in persistence diagrams is encoded in both amplitude and phase components of persistence landscapes. Through functional data analysis of persistence landscapes\, under an elastic Riemannian metric\, we show how meaningful statistical summaries of persistence landscapes (e.g.\, mean\, dominant directions of variation) can be obtained by decoupling their amplitude and phase variations. This decoupling is achieved via optimal alignment\, with respect to the elastic metric\, of the persistence landscapes. The estimated phase functions are tied to the resolution parameter that determines the filtration of simplicial complexes used to construct persistence diagrams. For a dataset obtained under geometric\, scale and sampling variabilities\, the phase function prescribes an optimal rate of increase of the resolution parameter for enhancing the topological signal in a persistence diagram. The proposed approach adds to the statistical analysis of data objects with rich structure compared to past studies. In particular\, we focus on two sets of data that have been analyzed in the past\, brain artery trees and images of prostate cancer cells\, and show that separation of amplitude and phase of persistence landscapes is beneficial in both settings. This is joint work with Dr. James Matuk (Duke University) and Dr. Karthik Bharath (University of Nottingham).\n\n\n4:00-4:10 pm\nBreak\n\n\n4:10-5:10 pm\nConversation session\n\n\n5:10-5:20 pm\nStephan Huckemann\, Ezra Miller\, Zhigang Yao\nClosing Remarks\n\n\n\n* Virtual Presentation \n\n 
URL:https://live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io/event/geometry-and-statistics/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Conference,Event
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io/media/Poster_GeometryStatistics_8.5x11.final_.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230224T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230224T100000
DTSTAMP:20240228T100712Z
CREATED:20230825T085233Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240228T100712Z
UID:10001302-1677229200-1677232800@live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io
SUMMARY:On the convexity of general inverse $\sigma_k$ equations and some applications
DESCRIPTION:Algebraic Geometry in String Theory Seminar \nSpeaker: Chao-Ming Lin (University of California\, Irvine) \nTitle: On the convexity of general inverse $\sigma_k$ equations and some applications \nAbstract: In this talk\, I will show my recent work on general inverse $\sigma_k$ equations and the deformed Hermitian-Yang-Mills equation (hereinafter the dHYM equation). First\, I will show my recent results. This result states that if a level set of a general inverse $\sigma_k$ equation (after translation if needed) is contained in the positive orthant\, then this level set is convex. As an application\, this result justifies the convexity of the Monge-Ampère equation\, the J-equation\, the dHYM equation\, the special Lagrangian equation\, etc. Second\, I will introduce some semialgebraic sets and a special class of univariate polynomials and give a Positivstellensatz type result. These give a numerical criterion to verify whether the level set will be contained in the positive orthant. Last\, as an application\, I will prove one of the conjectures by Collins-Jacob-Yau when the dimension equals four. This conjecture states that under the supercritical phase assumption\, if there exists a C-subsolution to the dHYM equation\, then the dHYM equation is solvable.
URL:https://live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io/event/agst-22423/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Algebraic Geometry in String Theory Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io/media/CMSA-Algebraic-Geometry-in-String-Theory-02.24.2023.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230222T123000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230222T133000
DTSTAMP:20240215T111058Z
CREATED:20230817T180053Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240215T111058Z
UID:10001275-1677069000-1677072600@live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io
SUMMARY:The Black Hole Information Paradox: A Resolution on the Horizon?
DESCRIPTION:Speaker: Netta Engelhardt (MIT) \nTitle: The Black Hole Information Paradox: A Resolution on the Horizon? \nAbstract: The black hole information paradox — whether information escapes an evaporating black hole or not — remains one of the most longstanding mysteries of theoretical physics. The apparent conflict between validity of semiclassical gravity at low energies and unitarity of quantum mechanics has long been expected to find its resolution in a complete quantum theory of gravity. Recent developments in the holographic dictionary\, and in particular its application to entanglement and complexity\, however\, have shown that a semiclassical analysis of gravitational physics can reproduce a hallmark feature of unitary evolution. I will describe this recent progress and discuss some promising indications of a full resolution of the information paradox.
URL:https://live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io/event/collquium-22223/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Colloquium
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io/media/02CMSA-Colloquium-02.22.2023.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230221T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230221T130000
DTSTAMP:20240118T052804Z
CREATED:20230817T165641Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240118T052804Z
UID:10001234-1676980800-1676984400@live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io
SUMMARY:Hints of Flat Space Holography
DESCRIPTION:Member Seminar \nSpeaker: Dan Kapec \nTitle: Hints of Flat Space Holography \nAbstract: Despite our detailed understanding of holography in Anti-de Sitter space\, flat space holography remains somewhat mysterious. “Celestial CFT” is a formalism which attempts to recast quantum gravity in (d+2)-dimensional asymptotically flat spacetimes in terms of a d-dimensional Euclidean conformal field theory residing at the conformal boundary. I will discuss certain universal aspects of this correspondence. As in Anti-de Sitter space\, bulk gravitons produce a boundary stress tensor\, and bulk gluons furnish boundary-conserved currents. I will also show that continuous spaces of vacua in the bulk map directly onto the conformal manifold of the boundary CFT. This correspondence provides a new perspective on the role of the BMS group in flat space holography and offers a new interpretation of the antisymmetric double-soft gluon theorem in terms of the curvature of an infinite-dimensional vacuum manifold.
URL:https://live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io/event/member-seminar-22123/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Member Seminar
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230216T133000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230216T143000
DTSTAMP:20240118T092821Z
CREATED:20230817T183826Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240118T092821Z
UID:10001254-1676554200-1676557800@live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io
SUMMARY:Quasinormal Modes from Penrose Limits
DESCRIPTION:General Relativity Seminar \nSpeaker: Kwinten Fransen (UC Santa Barbara) \nTitle: Quasinormal Modes from Penrose Limits \nAbstract: In this talk\, I will explain how to describe quasinormal modes with large real frequencies using Penrose limits. To do so\, I first recall relevant aspects of the Penrose limit\, and its resulting plane wave spacetimes\, as well as quasinormal modes to subsequently tie these together. Having established the main principle\, I will illustrate the usefulness of this point of view with the geometric realization of the emergent symmetry algebra underlying the quasinormal modes in the large real frequency limit and present its application to the astrophysically important example of Kerr black holes. Based on arXiv:2301.06999.
URL:https://live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io/event/gr_21623/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:General Relativity Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io/media/CMSA-GR-Seminar-02.16.23.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230216T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230216T140000
DTSTAMP:20240130T084532Z
CREATED:20230824T181345Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240130T084532Z
UID:10001503-1676552400-1676556000@live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io
SUMMARY:Towards programmable living materials and quantitative models of active matter
DESCRIPTION:Active Matter Seminar\n\n\nSpeaker: Jörn Dunkel\, MIT \nTitle: Towards programmable living materials and quantitative models of active matter \nAbstract: Over the last two decades\, major progress has been made in understanding the self-organization principles of active matter.  A wide variety of experimental model systems\, from self-driven colloids to active elastic materials\, has been established\, and an extensive theoretical framework has been developed to explain many of the experimentally observed non-equilibrium pattern formation phenomena. Two key challenges for the coming years will be to translate this foundational knowledge into functional active materials\, and to identify quantitative mathematical models that can inform and guide the design and production of such materials. Here\, I will describe joint efforts with our experimental collaborators to realize self-growing bacterial materials [1]\, and to implement computational model inference schemes for active and living systems dynamics [2\,3]. \n[1] Nature 608: 324\, 2022\n[2] PNAS 120: e2206994120\, 2023\n[3] eLife 10: e68679\, 2021
URL:https://live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io/event/am-21623/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Active Matter Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io/media/CMSA-Active-Matter-Seminar-02.16.23.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230215T153000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230215T163000
DTSTAMP:20240228T100906Z
CREATED:20230807T170715Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240228T100906Z
UID:10001189-1676475000-1676478600@live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io
SUMMARY:Manifold Fitting: An Invitation to Statistics
DESCRIPTION:Probability Seminar \nSpeaker: Zhigang Yao (Harvard CMSA/National University of Singapore)\n\n\nTitle: Manifold Fitting: An Invitation to Statistics \nAbstract: This manifold fitting problem can go back to H. Whitney’s work in the early 1930s (Whitney (1992))\, and finally has been answered in recent years by C. Fefferman’s works (Fefferman\, 2006\, 2005). The solution to the Whitney extension problem leads to new insights for data interpolation and inspires the formulation of the Geometric Whitney Problems (Fefferman et al. (2020\, 2021a)): Assume that we are given a set $Y \subset \mathbb{R}^D$. When can we construct a smooth $d$-dimensional submanifold $\widehat{M} \subset \mathbb{R}^D$ to approximate $Y$\, and how well can $\widehat{M}$ estimate $Y$ in terms of distance and smoothness? To address these problems\, various mathematical approaches have been proposed (see Fefferman et al. (2016\, 2018\, 2021b)). However\, many of these methods rely on restrictive assumptions\, making extending them to efficient and workable algorithms challenging. As the manifold hypothesis (non-Euclidean structure exploration) continues to be a foundational element in statistics\, the manifold fitting Problem\, merits further exploration and discussion within the modern statistical community. The talk will be partially based on a recent work Yao and Xia (2019) along with some on-going progress. Relevant reference: https://arxiv.org/abs/1909.10228
URL:https://live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io/event/probability-21523/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Probability Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io/media/CMSA-Probability-Seminar-02.15.23.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230214T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230214T130000
DTSTAMP:20240228T094059Z
CREATED:20230817T165432Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240228T094059Z
UID:10001233-1676376000-1676379600@live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io
SUMMARY:Dynamics of active nematic defects on cones
DESCRIPTION:Member Seminar \nSpeaker: Farzan Vafa \nTitle: Dynamics of active nematic defects on cones \nAbstract: In the first part of the talk\, we investigate the ground-state configurations of two-dimensional liquid crystals with p-fold rotational symmetry (p-atics) on cones. The cone apex develops an effective topological charge\, which in analogy to electrostatics\, leads to defect absorption and emission at the cone apex as the deficit angle of the cone is varied. We find three types of ground-state configurations as a function of cone angle\, which is determined by charged defects screening the effective apex charge: (i) for sharp cones\, all of the +1/p defects are absorbed by the apex; (ii) at intermediate cone angles\, some of the +1/p defects are absorbed by the apex and the rest lie equally spaced along a concentric ring on the flank; and (iii) for nearly flat cones\, all of the +1/p defects lie equally spaced along a concentric ring on the flank. We check these results with numerical simulations for a set of commensurate cone angles and find excellent agreement. In the second part of the talk\, we investigate the dynamics of an active nematic on a cone\, and via simulations find long-time circular orbits of either one or two flank defects\, with transitions between these states mediated by the apex via defect absorption\, emission\, or defect pair creation.
URL:https://live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io/event/member-seminar-21423/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Member Seminar
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230213T123000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230213T133000
DTSTAMP:20240222T165748Z
CREATED:20230817T175704Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240222T165748Z
UID:10001274-1676291400-1676295000@live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io
SUMMARY:Complete Calabi-Yau metrics: Recent progress and open problems
DESCRIPTION:Speaker: Tristan Collins\, MIT \nTitle: Complete Calabi-Yau metrics: Recent progress and open problems \nAbstract: Complete Calabi-Yau metrics are fundamental objects in Kahler geometry arising as singularity models or “bubbles” in degenerations of compact Calabi-Yau manifolds.  The existence of these metrics and their relationship with algebraic geometry are the subjects of several long standing conjectures due to Yau and Tian-Yau. I will describe some recent progress towards the question of existence\, and explain some future directions\, highlighting connections with notions of algebro-geometric stability.
URL:https://live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io/event/collquium-21323/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Colloquium
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io/media/02CMSA-Colloquium-02.13.2023-.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230213T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230213T120000
DTSTAMP:20240228T111605Z
CREATED:20230730T185547Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240228T111605Z
UID:10001158-1676286000-1676289600@live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io
SUMMARY:Parity and Cobordism
DESCRIPTION:Swampland Seminar \nSpeaker: Jake McNamara (Caltech)\n\nTitle: Parity and Cobordism\n\nAbstract: The swampland cobordism conjecture provides a convenient way to discuss conserved charges associated with the topology of spacetime. However\, much of the power of the cobordism conjecture comes from a mathematical black box: the Adams spectral sequence. In this talk\, I will give physical meaning to this black box through a concrete example: domain walls arising from the spontaneously breaking of parity symmetry\, which arise in particle physics in Nelson-Barr models. I will argue that parity domain walls are exactly stable\, and interpret this stability as the result of an unusual type of gauge symmetry that can only occur in gravitational theories.\n 
URL:https://live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io/event/swampland_21323-2/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Swampland Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io/media/CMSA-Topological-Seminar-11.15.23.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230209T153000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230209T170000
DTSTAMP:20250328T200154Z
CREATED:20230705T052251Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250328T200154Z
UID:10000063-1675956600-1675962000@live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io
SUMMARY:Special Lectures on Machine Learning and Protein Folding
DESCRIPTION:The CMSA hosted a series of three 90-minute lectures on the subject of machine learning for protein folding. \nThursday Feb. 9\, Thursday Feb. 16\, & Thursday March 9\, 2023\, 3:30-5:00 pm ET \nLocation: G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge MA 02138 & via Zoom \n  \n  \n \nSpeaker: Nazim Bouatta\, Harvard Medical School \nAbstract: AlphaFold2\, a neural network-based model which predicts protein structures from amino acid sequences\, is revolutionizing the field of structural biology. This lecture series\, given by a leader of the OpenFold project which created an open-source version of AlphaFold2\, will explain the protein structure problem and the detailed workings of these models\, along with many new results and directions for future research. \nThursday\, Feb. 9\, 2023 \n\n\n\nThursday\, Feb. 9\, 2023 \n3:30–5:00 pm ET\nLecture 1: Machine learning for protein structure prediction\, Part 1: Algorithm space \nA brief intro to protein biology. AlphaFold2 impacts on experimental structural biology. Co-evolutionary approaches. Space of ‘algorithms’ for protein structure prediction. Proteins as images (CNNs for protein structure prediction). End-to-end differentiable approaches. Attention and long-range dependencies. AlphaFold2 in a nutshell. \n  \n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\nThursday\, Feb. 16\, 2023 \n3:30–5:00 pm ET\nLecture 2: Machine learning for protein structure prediction\, Part 2: AlphaFold2 architecture \nTurning the co-evolutionary principle into an algorithm: EvoFormer. Structure module and symmetry principles (equivariance and invariance). OpenFold: retraining AlphaFold2 and insights into its learning mechanisms and capacity for generalization. Applications of variants of AlphaFold2 beyond protein structure prediction: AlphaFold Multimer for protein complexes\, RNA structure prediction.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\nThursday\, March 9\, 2023 \n3:30–5:00 pm ET\nLecture 3: Machine learning for protein structure prediction\, Part 3: AlphaFold2 limitations and insights learned from OpenFold \nLimitations of AlphaFold2 and evolutionary ML pipelines. OpenFold: retraining AlphaFold2 yields new insights into its capacity for generalization.\n\n\n\n\n  \nBiography: Nazim Bouatta received his doctoral training in high-energy theoretical physics\, and transitioned to systems biology at Harvard Medical School\, where he received training in cellular and molecular biology in the group of Prof. Judy Lieberman. He is currently a Senior Research Fellow in the Laboratory of Systems Pharmacology led by Prof. Peter Sorger at Harvard Medical School\, and an affiliate of the Department of Systems Biology at Columbia\, in the group of Prof. Mohammed AlQuraishi. He is interested in applying machine learning\, physics\, and mathematics to biology at multiple scales. He recently co-supervised the OpenFold project\, an optimized\, trainable\, and completely open-source version of AlphaFold2. OpenFold has paved the way for many breakthroughs in biology\, including the release of the ESM Metagenomic Atlas containing over 600 million predicted protein structures. \n  \nChair: Michael Douglas (Harvard CMSA) \nModerators: Farzan Vafa & Sergiy Verstyuk (Harvard CMSA) \n\nLecture 1: Machine learning for protein structure prediction\, Part 1: Algorithm space\n \n  \nLecture 2: Machine learning for protein structure prediction\, Part 2: AlphaFold2 architecture\n \n  \nLecture 3: Machine learning for protein structure prediction\, Part 3: AlphaFold2 limitations and insights learned from OpenFold\n \n 
URL:https://live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io/event/protein-folding/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Event,Special Lectures,Workshop
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io/media/Protein-Folding_8.5x11-scaled.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230209T133000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230209T143000
DTSTAMP:20240215T100720Z
CREATED:20230817T183342Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240215T100720Z
UID:10001253-1675949400-1675953000@live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io
SUMMARY:Quasinormal modes and Ruelle resonances: mathematician's perspective
DESCRIPTION:General Relativity Seminar \nSpeaker: Maciej Zworski\, UC Berkeley \nTitle: Quasinormal modes and Ruelle resonances: mathematician’s perspective \nAbstract: Quasinormal modes of gravitational waves and Ruelle resonances in hyperbolic classical dynamics share many general properties and can be considered “scattering resonances”: they appear in expansions of correlations\, as poles of Green functions and are associated to trapping of trajectories (and are both notoriously hard to observe in nature\, unlike\, say\, quantum resonances in chemistry or scattering poles in acoustical scattering). I will present a mathematical perspective that also includes zeros of the Riemann zeta function (scattering resonances for the Hamiltonian given by the Laplacian on the modular surface) and stresses the importance of different kinds of trapping phenomena\, resulting\, for instance\, in fractal counting laws for resonances.
URL:https://live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io/event/gr_2023/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:General Relativity Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io/media/CMSA-GR-Seminar-02.09.23.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230208T123000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230208T133000
DTSTAMP:20240214T112702Z
CREATED:20230817T175326Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240214T112702Z
UID:10001273-1675859400-1675863000@live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io
SUMMARY:From spin glasses to Boolean circuits lower bounds - Algorithmic barriers from the overlap gap property
DESCRIPTION:Speaker: David Gamarnik (MIT) \nTitle: From spin glasses to Boolean circuits lower bounds. Algorithmic barriers from the overlap gap property \nAbstract: Many decision and optimization problems over random structures exhibit an apparent gap between the existentially optimal values and algorithmically achievable values. Examples include the problem of finding a largest independent set in a random graph\, the problem of finding a near ground state in a spin glass model\, the problem of finding a satisfying assignment in a random constraint satisfaction problem\, and many many more. Unfortunately\, at the same time no formal computational hardness results exist which  explains this persistent algorithmic gap. \nIn the talk we will describe a new approach for establishing an algorithmic intractability for these problems called the overlap gap property. Originating in statistical physics theory of spin glasses\, this is a simple to describe property which a) emerges in most models known to exhibit an apparent algorithmic hardness; b) is consistent with the hardness/tractability phase transition for many models analyzed to the day; and\, importantly\, c) allows to mathematically rigorously rule out a large class of algorithms as potential contenders\, specifically the algorithms which exhibit a form of stability/noise insensitivity. \nWe will specifically show how to use this property to obtain stronger (stretched exponential) than the state of the art (quasi-polynomial) lower bounds on the size of constant depth Boolean circuits for solving the two of the aforementioned problems: the problem of finding a large independent set in a sparse random graph\, and the problem of finding a near ground state of a p-spin model. \nJoint work with Aukosh Jagannath and Alex Wein
URL:https://live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io/event/collquium-2823/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Colloquium
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io/media/02CMSA-Colloquium-02.08.2023.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230207T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230207T130000
DTSTAMP:20240215T101240Z
CREATED:20230817T165237Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240215T101240Z
UID:10001232-1675771200-1675774800@live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io
SUMMARY:Motivic Geometry of Two-Loop Feynman Integrals
DESCRIPTION:Member Seminar \nSpeaker: Chuck Doran \nTitle: Motivic Geometry of Two-Loop Feynman Integrals \nAbstract: We study the geometry and Hodge theory of the cubic hypersurfaces attached to two-loop Feynman integrals for generic physical parameters. We show that the Hodge structure attached to planar two-loop Feynman graphs decomposes into a mixed Tate piece and a variation of Hodge structure from families of hyperelliptic curves\, elliptic curves\, or rational curves depending on the space-time dimension. We give more precise results for two-loop graphs with a small number of edges. In particular\, we recover a result of Spencer Bloch that in the well-known double box example there is an underlying family of elliptic curves\, and we give a concrete description of these elliptic curves. We show that the motive for the “non-planar” two-loop tardigrade graph is that of a family of K3 surfaces of generic Picard number 11. Lastly\, we show that generic members of the multi-scoop ice cream cone family of graph hypersurfaces correspond to pairs of multi-loop sunset Calabi-Yau varieties. Our geometric realization of these motives permits us in many cases to derive in full the homogeneous differential operators for the corresponding Feynman integrals. This is joint work with Andrew Harder and Pierre Vanhove.
URL:https://live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io/event/member-seminar-2723/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Member Seminar
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230202T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230202T140000
DTSTAMP:20240215T102236Z
CREATED:20230824T181110Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240215T102236Z
UID:10001317-1675342800-1675346400@live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io
SUMMARY:Interacting Active Matter
DESCRIPTION:Active Matter Seminar\n\n\nSpeaker: Amin Doostmohammadi\, Niels Bohr Institute\, University of Copenhagen \nTitle: Interacting Active Matter \nAbstract: I will focus on the interaction between different active matter systems. In particular\, I will describe recent experimental and modeling results that reveal how interaction forces between adhesive cells generate activity in the cell layer and lead to a potentially new mode of phase segregation. I will then discuss mechanics of how cells use finger-like protrusions\, known as filopodia\, to interact with their surrounding medium. First\, I will present experimental and theoretical results of active mirror-symmetry breaking in subcellular skeleton of filopodia that allows for rotation\, helicity\, and buckling of these cellular fingers in a wide variety of cells ranging from epithelial\, mesenchymal\, cancerous and stem cells. I will then describe in-vivo experiments together with theoretical modeling showing how during embryo development specialized active cells probe and modify other cell layers and integrate within an active epithelium.
URL:https://live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io/event/am-2223/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Active Matter Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io/media/CMSA-Active-Matter-Seminar-02.02.23.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230202T123000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230202T133000
DTSTAMP:20240121T174936Z
CREATED:20230817T175011Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240121T174936Z
UID:10001272-1675341000-1675344600@live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io
SUMMARY:Neural Optimal Stopping Boundary
DESCRIPTION:Speaker: Max Reppen (Boston University) \nTitle: Neural Optimal Stopping Boundary \nAbstract:  A method based on deep artificial neural networks and empirical risk minimization is developed to calculate the boundary separating the stopping and continuation regions in optimal stopping. The algorithm parameterizes the stopping boundary as the graph of a function and introduces relaxed stopping rules based on fuzzy boundaries to facilitate efficient optimization. Several financial instruments\, some in high dimensions\, are analyzed through this method\, demonstrating its effectiveness. The existence of the stopping boundary is also proved under natural structural assumptions.
URL:https://live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io/event/colloquium_2223/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Colloquium
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io/media/02CMSA-Colloquium-02.02.2023.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230131T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230131T130000
DTSTAMP:20240118T033236Z
CREATED:20230817T164947Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240118T033236Z
UID:10001231-1675166400-1675170000@live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io
SUMMARY:AI and Theorem Proving
DESCRIPTION:Member Seminar \nSpeaker: Mike Douglas \nTitle: AI and Theorem Proving \nAbstract: We survey interactive theorem proving and the Lean theorem prover\, and the use of AI and large language models to improve this technology. We hope to start a discussion on projects we can do at the CMSA.
URL:https://live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io/event/member-seminar-13123/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Member Seminar
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230130T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230130T120000
DTSTAMP:20240110T051011Z
CREATED:20230730T185242Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240110T051011Z
UID:10001157-1675076400-1675080000@live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io
SUMMARY:Swampland program\, extra dimensions and supersymmetry breaking
DESCRIPTION:Swampland Seminar \nSpeaker: Ignatios Antoniadis (LPTHE Paris)\n\nTitle: Swampland program\, extra dimensions and supersymmetry breaking\n\nAbstract: I will argue on the possibility that the smallness of some physical parameters signal a universe corresponding to a large distance corner in the string landscape of vacua. Such parameters can be the scales of dark energy and supersymmetry breaking\, leading to a generalisation of the dark dimension proposal. I will discuss the theoretical framework and some of its main physical implications to particle physics and cosmology.
URL:https://live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io/event/swampland_13023/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Swampland Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io/media/CMSA-Swampland-Seminar-01.30.23.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20221207T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20221207T150000
DTSTAMP:20240116T060930Z
CREATED:20230808T185642Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240116T060930Z
UID:10001215-1670421600-1670425200@live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io
SUMMARY:How do Transformers reason? First principles via automata\, semigroups\, and circuits
DESCRIPTION:New Technologies in Mathematics Seminar \nSpeaker: Cyril Zhang\, Microsoft Research \nTitle: How do Transformers reason? First principles via automata\, semigroups\, and circuits \nAbstract: The current “Transformer era” of deep learning is marked by the emergence of combinatorial and algorithmic reasoning capabilities in large sequence models\, leading to dramatic advances in natural language understanding\, program synthesis\, and theorem proving. What is the nature of these models’ internal representations (i.e. how do they represent the states and computational steps of the algorithms they execute)? How can we understand and mitigate their weaknesses\, given that they resist interpretation? In this work\, we present some insights (and many further mysteries) through the lens of automata and their algebraic structure. \nSpecifically\, we investigate the apparent mismatch between recurrent models of computation (automata & Turing machines) and Transformers (which are typically shallow and non-recurrent). Using tools from circuit complexity and semigroup theory\, we characterize shortcut solutions\, whereby a shallow Transformer with only o(T) layers can exactly replicate T computational steps of an automaton. We show that Transformers can efficiently represent these shortcuts in theory; furthermore\, in synthetic experiments\, standard training successfully finds these shortcuts. We demonstrate that shortcuts can lead to statistical brittleness\, and discuss mitigations. \nJoint work with Bingbin Liu\, Jordan Ash\, Surbhi Goel\, and Akshay Krishnamurthy.
URL:https://live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io/event/nt-12722/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:New Technologies in Mathematics Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io/media/12.07.2022.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20221207T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20221207T110000
DTSTAMP:20240216T091837Z
CREATED:20230705T075744Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240216T091837Z
UID:10001134-1670407200-1670410800@live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io
SUMMARY:Controlling Quantum Matter with Quantum Cavity Fields
DESCRIPTION:Topological Quantum Matter Seminar \nSpeaker: Vasil Rokaj (Harvard) \nTitle: Controlling Quantum Matter with Quantum Cavity Fields \nAbstract: Cavity modification of material properties and phenomena is a novel research field motivated by the advances in strong light-matter interactions [1]. For condensed matter systems it has been demonstrated experimentally that the transport properties of 2D materials can be modified via coupling to vacuum fields [2\,3]. While in polaritonic chemistry it has been shown that ground state chemical properties can be controlled with cavity fields [4]. In the first part of my talk\, I will present how the quantized cavity field can alter the conduction properties of a condensed matter system by focusing on the paradigmatic Sommerfeld model of the free electron gas [5]. The exact analytic solution of the Sommerfeld model in the cavity will be presented as well as its fundamental properties. Then\, in the second part of the talk\, I will focus on a many-particle system of cold ions in a harmonic trap coupled to the cavity field. I will show how this system couples collectively to the cavity and that hybrid states between light and matter\, known as polaritons\, emerge. The formation of polaritons leads to the modification of the properties of the cold ions and enhances the localization of the many-body wave function [6]. Connections to experiments will be discussed as well. \n[1] F. Garcia-Vidal\, C. Ciuti\, T. W. Ebbesen\, Science\, 373\, 178 (2021) \n[2] G. L. Paravicini-Bagliani et al.\, Nat. Phys. 15\, 186-190 (2019) \n[3] F. Appugliese et al.\, Science 375 (6584)\, 1030-1034 (2022) \n[4] T. W. Ebbesen\, Acc. Chem. Res. 49\, 11\, 2403–2412 (2016) \n[5] V. Rokaj\, M. Ruggenthaler\, F. G. Eich\, A. Rubio\, Phys. Rev. Research 4\, 013012 (2022) \n[6] V. Rokaj\, S.I. Mistakidis\, H.R. Sadeghpour\, arXiv:2207.03436 (2022)
URL:https://live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io/event/tqms_12722/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Topological Quantum Matter Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io/media/CMSA-Topological-Seminar-12.07.22.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20221202T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20221202T120000
DTSTAMP:20240229T111029Z
CREATED:20230817T164654Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240229T111029Z
UID:10001230-1669978800-1669982400@live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io
SUMMARY:Compactness and Anticompactness Principles in Set Theory
DESCRIPTION:Member Seminar \nSpeaker: Alejandro Poveda \nTitle: Compactness and Anticompactness Principles in Set Theory \nAbstract: Several fundamental properties in Topology\, Algebra or Logic are expressed in terms of Compactness Principles.For instance\, a natural algebraic question is the following: Suppose that G is an Abelian group whose all small subgroups are free – Is the group G free? If the answer is affirmative one says that compactness holds; otherwise\, we say that compactness fails. Loosely speaking\, a compactness principle is anything that fits the following slogan: Suppose that M is a mathematical structure (a group\, a topological space\, etc) such that all of its small substructures N have certain property $\varphi$; then the ambient structure M has property $\varphi$\, as well. Oftentimes when these questions are posed for infinite sets the problem becomes purely set-theoretical and axiom-sensitive. In this talk I will survey the most paradigmatic instances of compactness and present some related results of mine. If time permits\, I will hint the proof of a recent result (joint with Rinot and Sinapova) showing that stationary reflection and the failure of the Singular Cardinal Hypothesis can co-exist. These are instances of two antagonist set-theoretic principles: the first is a compactness principle while the second is an anti-compactness one. This result solves a question by M. Magidor from 1982.
URL:https://live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io/event/member-seminar-12222/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Member Seminar
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20221128T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20221201T153000
DTSTAMP:20241212T161357Z
CREATED:20230705T045806Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241212T161357Z
UID:10000061-1669626000-1669908600@live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io
SUMMARY:Representation Theory\, Calabi–Yau Manifolds\, and Mirror Symmetry
DESCRIPTION:Videos are available on the CMSA Youtube Playlist. \nOn November 28 – Dec 1\, 2022\, the CMSA hosted a Workshop on Representation Theory\, Calabi-Yau Manifolds\, and Mirror Symmetry. \nOrganizers: An Huang (Brandeis University) | Siu-Cheong Lau (Boston University) | Tsung-Ju Lee (CMSA\, Harvard) | Andrew Linshaw (University of Denver) \nScientific Advisor: Shing-Tung Yau (Harvard\, Tsinghua) \nLocation: Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge MA 02138 \n  \nThe conference was held in hybrid format\, both in-person and online. \nThe workshop was partially supported by Simons and NSF Grant DMS-2227199. \n  \nSpeakers:  \n\nTomoyuki Arakawa (Kyoto)\nThomas Creutzig (Edmonton)\nJonathan Mboyo Esole (Northeastern)\nFei Han (National University of Singapore)\nShinobu Hosono (Gakushuin University)\nFlor Orosz Hunziker (Colorado)\nCuipo Jiang (Shanghai)\nShashank Kanade (Denver)\nMatt Kerr (Washington University in St. Louis)\nCarl Lian (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin)\nNai-Chung Conan Leung (CUHK)\nIvan Loseu (Yale)\nRobert McRae (Tsinghua University)\nAnne Moreau (Université Paris-Saclay\, Orsay)\nTony Pantev (University of Pennsylvania)\nMauricio Romo (Tsinghua University)\nBailin Song (USTC)\nCumrun Vafa (Harvard University)\nChin-Lung Wang (National Taiwan University)\nWeiqiang Wang (Virginia)\nYaping Yang (University of Melbourne)\nShing-Tung Yau (Tsinghua University)\nChenglong Yu (Tsinghua University)\nGufang Zhao (University of Melbourne)\n\n \n  \nSchedule (Eastern Time) \nSchedule (pdf) \n11/28 (Monday) \n\n\n\n08:30am – 08:55am\nRefreshments\n\n\n08:55am – 09:00am\nOpening remarks by Horng-Tzer Yau\n\n\n09:00am – 09:45am\nShing-Tung Yau*\nTitle: The Hull-Strominger system through conifold transitions \nAbstract: In this talk I discuss the geometry of C-Y manifolds outside of the Kähler regime and especially describe the Hull-Strominger system through the conifold transitions.\n\n\n10:00am – 10:45am\nChenglong Yu*\nTitle: Commensurabilities among Lattices in PU(1\,n) \nAbstract: In joint work with Zhiwei Zheng\, we study commensurabilities among certain subgroups in PU(1\,n). Those groups arise from the monodromy of hypergeometric functions. Their discreteness and arithmeticity are classified by Deligne and Mostow. Thurston also obtained similar results via flat conic metrics. However\, the classification of the lattices among them up to conjugation and finite index (commensurability) is not completed. When n=1\, it is the commensurabilities of hyperbolic triangles. The cases of n=2 are almost resolved by Deligne-Mostow and Sauter’s commensurability pairs\, and commensurability invariants by Kappes-Möller and McMullen. Our approach relies on the study of some higher dimensional Calabi-Yau type varieties instead of complex reflection groups. We obtain some relations and commensurability indices for higher n and also give new proofs for existing pairs in n=2.\n\n\n11:00am – 11:45am\nThomas Creutzig*\nTitle: Shifted equivariant W-algebras \nAbstract: The CDO of a compact Lie group is a family of VOAs whose top level is the space of functions on the Lie group. Similar structures appear at the intersections of boundary conditions in 4-dimensional gauge theories\, I will call these new families of VOAs shifted equivariant W-algebras. I will introduce these algebras\, construct them and explain how they can be used to quickly prove the GKO-coset realization of principal W-algebras.\n\n\n11:45am – 1:30 pm\nLunch\n\n\n01:30pm – 02:15pm\nCumrun Vafa\nTitle: Reflections on Mirror Symmetry \nAbstract: In this talk I review some of the motivations leading to the search and discovery of mirror symmetry as well as some of the applications it has had.\n\n\n02:30pm – 03:15pm\nJonathan Mboyo Esole\nTitle: Algebraic topology and matter representations in F-theory \nAbstract: Recently\, it was observed that representations appearing in geometric engineering in F-theory all satisfy a unique property: they correspond to characteristic representations of embedding of Dynkin index one between Lie algebras. However\, the reason why that is the case is still being understood. In this talk\, I will present new insights\, giving a geometric explanation for this fact using K-theory and the topology of Lie groups and their classifying spaces. In physics\, this will be interpreted as conditions on the charge of instantons and the classifications of Wess-Zumino-Witten terms.\n\n\n03:15pm – 03:45 pm\nBreak\n\n\n03:45pm – 04:30pm\nWeiqiang Wang\nTitle: A Drinfeld presentation of affine i-quantum groups \nAbstract: A quantum symmetric pair of affine type (U\, U^i) consists of a Drinfeld-Jimbo affine quantum group (a quantum deformation of a loop algebra) U and its coideal subalgebra U^i (called i-quantum group). A loop presentation for U was formulated by Drinfeld and proved by Beck. In this talk\, we explain how i-quantum groups can be viewed as a generalization of quantum groups\, and then we give a Drinfeld type presentation for the affine quasi-split i-quantum group U^i. This is based on joint work with Ming Lu (Sichuan) and Weinan Zhang (Virginia).\n\n\n04:45pm – 05:30pm\nTony Pantev\nTitle: Decomposition\, anomalies\, and quantum symmetries \nAbstract: Decomposition is a phenomenon in quantum physics which converts quantum field theories with non-effectively acting gauge symmetries into equivalent more tractable theories in which the fields live on a disconnected space. I will explain the mathematical content of decomposition which turns out to be a higher categorical version of Pontryagin duality. I will examine how this duality interacts with quantum anomalies and secondary quantum symmetries and will show how the anomalies can be canceled by homotopy coherent actions of diagrams of groups. I will discuss in detail the case of 2-groupoids which plays a central role in anomaly cancellation\, and will describe a new duality operation that yields decomposition in the presence of anomalies. The talk is based on joint works with Robbins\, Sharpe\, and Vandermeulen.\n\n\n\n  \n11/29 (Tuesday) \n  \n\n\n\n\nRefreshments\n\n\n09:00am – 09:45am\nRobert MacRae*\nTitle: Rationality for a large class of affine W-algebras \nAbstract: One of the most important results in vertex operator algebras is Huang’s theorem that the representation category of a “strongly rational” vertex operator algebra is a semisimple modular tensor category. Conversely\, it has been conjectured that every (unitary) modular tensor category is the representation category of a strongly rational (unitary) vertex operator algebra. In this talk\, I will describe my results on strong rationality for a large class of affine W-algebras at admissible levels. This yields a large family of modular tensor categories which generalize those associated to affine Lie algebras at positive integer levels\, as well as those associated to the Virasoro algebra.\n\n\n10:00am – 10:45am\nBailin Song*\nTitle: The global sections of chiral de Rham complexes on compact Calabi-Yau manifolds \nAbstract: Chiral de Rham complex is a sheaf of vertex algebras on a complex manifold. We will describe the space of global sections of the chiral de Rham complexes on compact Calabi-Yau manifolds.\n\n\n11:00am – 11:45am\nCarl Lian*\nTitle: Curve-counting with fixed domain \nAbstract: The fixed-domain curve-counting problem asks for the number of pointed curves of fixed (general) complex structure in a target variety X subject to incidence conditions at the marked points. The question comes in two flavors: one can ask for a virtual count coming from Gromov-Witten theory\, in which case the answer can be computed (in principle) from the quantum cohomology of X\, or one can ask for the “honest” geometric count\, which tends to be more subtle. The answers are conjectured to agree in the presence of sufficient positivity\, but do not always. I will give an overview of some recent results and open directions. Some of this work is joint with Alessio Cela\, Gavril Farkas\, and Rahul Pandharipande. \n\n\n\n11:45am – 01:30pm\nLunch\n\n\n01:30pm – 02:15pm\nChin-Lung Wang\nTitle: A blowup formula in quantum cohomology \nAbstract: We study analytic continuations of quantum cohomology $QH(Y)$ under a blowup $\phi: Y \to X$ of complex projective manifolds along the extremal ray variable $q^{\ell}$. Under $H(Y) = \phi^* H(X) \oplus K$ where $K = \ker \phi_*$\, we show that (i) the restriction of quantum product along the $\phi^*H(X)$ direction\, denoted by $QH(Y)_X$\, is meromorphic in $x := 1/q^\ell$\, (ii) $K$ deforms uniquely to a quantum ideal $\widetilde K$ in $QH(Y)_X$\, (iii) the quotient ring $QH(Y)_X/\widetilde K$ is regular over $x$\, and its restriction to $x = 0$ is isomorphic to $QH(X)$. This is a joint work (in progress) with Y.-P. Lee and H.-W. Lin.\n\n\n02:30pm – 03:15pm\nIvan Loseu\nTitle: Quantizations of nilpotent orbits and their Lagrangian subvarieties \nAbstract: I’ll report on some recent progress on classifying quantizations of the algebras of regular functions of nilpotent orbits (and their covers) in semisimple Lie algebras\, as well as the classification of quantizations of certain Lagrangian subvarieties. An ultimate goal here is to understand the classification of unitary representations of real semisimple Lie groups.\n\n\n03:15pm – 03:45pm\nBreak\n\n\n03:45pm – 04:30pm\nMatt Kerr*\nTitle: $K_2$ and quantum curves \nAbstract: The basic objects for this talk are motives consisting of a curve together with a $K_2$ class\, and their mixed Hodge-theoretic invariants. \nMy main objective will be to explain a connection (recently proved in joint work with C. Doran and S. Sinha Babu) between (i) Hodge-theoretically distinguished points in the moduli of such motives and (ii) eigenvalues of operators on L^2(R) obtained by quantizing the equations of the curves. \nBy local mirror symmetry\, this gives evidence for a conjecture in topological string theory (due to M. Marino\, A. Grassi\, and others) relating enumerative invariants of toric CY 3-folds to spectra of quantum curves.\n\n\n04:45pm – 05:30pm\nFlor Orosz Hunziker\nTitle: Tensor structures associated to the N=1 super Virasoro algebra \nAbstract:  We have recently shown that there is a natural category of representations associated to the N=1 super Virasoro vertex operator algebras that have braided tensor structure. We will describe this category and discuss the problem of establishing its rigidity at particular central charges. This talk is based on joint work in progress with Thomas Creutzig\, Robert McRae and Jinwei Yang.\n\n\n\n  \n  \n  \n11/30 (Wednesday) \n\n\n\n08:30am – 09:00am\nRefreshments\n\n\n09:00am – 09:45am\nTomoyuki Arakawa\nTitle: 4D/2D duality and representation theory \nAbstract: This talk is about the 4D/2D duality discovered by Beem et al. rather recently in physics. It associates a vertex operator algebra (VOA) to any 4-dimensional superconformal field theory\, which is expected to be a complete invariant of thl theory. The VOAs appearing in this manner may be regarded as chiralization of various symplectic singularities and their representations are expected to be closely related with the Coulomb branch of the 4D theory. I will talk about this remarkable 4D/2D duality from a representation theoretic perspective.\n\n\n10:00am – 10:45am\nShashank Kanade\nTitle: Combinatorics of principal W-algebras of type A \nAbstract: The combinatorics of principal W_r(p\,p’) algebras of type A is controlled by cylindric partitions. However\, very little seems to be known in general about fermionic expressions for the corresponding characters. Welsh’s work explains the case of Virasoro minimal models W_2(p\,p’). Andrews\, Schilling and Warnaar invented and used an A_2 version of the usual (A_1) Bailey machinery to give fermionic characters (up to a factor of (q)_\infty) of some\, but not all\, W_3(3\,p’) modules. In a recent joint work with Russell\, we have given a complete set of conjectures encompassing all of the remaining modules for W_3(3\,p’)\, and proved our conjectures for small values of p’. In another direction\, characters of W_r(p\,p’) algebras also arise as appropriate limits of certain sl_r coloured Jones invariants of torus knots T(p\,p’)\, and we expect this to provide further insights on the underlying combinatorics.\n\n\n11:00am – 11:45am\nGufang Zhao\nTitle: Quasimaps to quivers with potentials \nAbstract: This talk concerns non-compact GIT quotient of a vector space\, in the presence of an abelian group action and an equivariant regular function (potential) on the quotient. We define virtual counts of quasimaps from prestable curves to the critical locus of the potential. The construction borrows ideas from the theory of gauged linear sigma models as well as recent development in shifted symplectic geometry and Donaldson-Thomas theory of Calabi-Yau 4-folds. Examples of virtual counts arising from quivers with potentials are discussed. This is based on work in progress\, in collaboration with Yalong Cao.\n\n\n11:45am – 01:30pm\nGroup Photo\, Lunch\n\n\n01:30pm – 02:15pm\nYaping Yang\nTitle: Cohomological Hall algebras and perverse coherent sheaves on toric Calabi-Yau 3-folds \nAbstract: Let X be a smooth local toric Calabi-Yau 3-fold. On the cohomology of the moduli spaces of certain sheaves on X\, there is an action of the cohomological Hall algebra (COHA) of Kontsevich and Soibelman via “raising operators”. I will discuss the “double” of the COHA that acts on the cohomology of the moduli space by adding the “lowering operators”. We associate a root system to X. The double COHA is expected to be the shifted Yangian of this root system. We also give a prediction for the shift in terms of an intersection pairing. We provide evidence of the aforementioned expectation in various examples. This is based on my joint work with M. Rapcak\, Y. Soibelman\, and G. Zhao\n\n\n02:30pm – 03:15pm\nFei Han\nTitle: Graded T-duality with H-flux for 2d sigma models \nAbstract: T-duality in string theory can be realised as a transformation acting on the worldsheet fields in the two-dimensional nonlinear sigma model. Bouwknegt-Evslin-Mathai established the T-duality in a background flux for the first time upon compactifying spacetime in one direction to a principal circle by constructing the T-dual maps transforming the twisted cohomology of the dual spacetimes. In this talk\, we will describe our recent work on how to promote the T-duality maps of Bouwknegt-Evslin-Mathai in two aspects. More precisely\, we will introduce (1) graded T-duality\, concerning the graded T-duality maps of all levels of twistings; (2) the 2-dimensional sigma model picture\, concerning the double loop space of spacetimes. This represents our joint work with Mathai.\n\n\n03:15pm – 3:45pm\nBreak\n\n\n03:45pm – 04:30pm\nMauricio Romo\nTitle: Networks and BPS Counting: A-branes view point \nAbstract: I will review the countings of BPS invariants via exponential/spectral networks and present an interpretation of this counting as a count of certain points in the moduli space of A-branes corresponding to degenerate Lagrangians.\n\n\n04:45pm – 05:30pm\nShinobu Hosono\nTitle: Mirror symmetry of abelian fibered Calabi-Yau manifolds with ρ = 2 \nAbstract: I will describe mirror symmetry of Calabi-Yau manifolds fibered by (1\,8)-polarized abelian surfaces\, which have Picard number two. Finding a mirror family over a toric variety explicitly\, I  observe that mirror symmetry of all related Calabi-Yau manifods arises from the corresponding boundary points\, which are not necessarily toric boundary points.  Calculating Gromov-Witten invariants up to genus 2\, I find that the generating functions are expressed elliptic (quasi-)modular forms\, which reminds us the modular anomaly equation found for elliptic surfaces. This talk is based on a published work with Hiromichi Takaki (arXiv:2103.08150).\n\n\n06:00pm\nBanquet @ Royal East Restaurant\, 782 Main St\, Cambridge\, MA 02139\n\n\n\n  \n12/1 (Thursday) \n\n\n\n08:30am – 09:00am\nRefreshments\n\n\n09:00am – 09:45am\nConan Nai Chung Leung*\nTitle: Quantization of Kahler manifolds \nAbstract: I will explain my recent work on relationships among geometric quantization\, deformation quantization\, Berezin-Toeplitz quantization and brane quantization.\n\n\n10:00am – 10:45am\nCuipo Jiang*\nTitle: Cohomological varieties associated to vertex operator algebras \nAbstract: We define and examine the cohomological variety of a vertex algebra\, a notion cohomologically dual to that of the associated variety\, which measures the smoothness of the associated scheme at the vertex point.  We study its basic properties. As examples\, we construct a closed subvariety of the cohomological variety for rational affine vertex operator algebras constructed from finite dimensional simple Lie algebras. We also determine the cohomological varieties of the simple Virasoro vertex operator algebras. These examples indicate that\, although the associated variety for a rational $C_2$-cofinite vertex operator algebra is always a simple point\, the cohomological variety can have as large a dimension as possible. This talk is based on joint work with Antoine Caradot and Zongzhu Lin.\n\n\n11:00am – 11:45am\nAnne Moreau*\nTitle: Action of the automorphism group on the Jacobian of Klein’s quartic curve \nAbstract: In a joint work with Dimitri Markouchevitch\, we prove that the quotient variety of the 3-dimensional Jacobian of the plane Klein quartic curve by its full automorphism group of order 336 is isomorphic to the 3-dimensional weighted projective space with weights 1\,2\,4\,7. \nThe latter isomorphism is a particular case of the general conjecture of Bernstein and Schwarzman suggesting that a quotient of the n-dimensional complex space by the action of an irreducible complex crystallographic group generated by reflections is a weighted projective space. \nIn this talk\, I will explain this conjecture and the proof of our result. An important ingredient is the computation of the Hilbert function of the algebra of invariant theta-functions on the Jacobian.\n\n\n11:45am – 11:50am\nClosing remarks\n\n\n11:50am\nFree discussions and departure\n\n\n\n* = Online speaker \nCMSA COVID-19 Policies \n 
URL:https://live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io/event/representation-theory-calabi-yau-manifolds-and-mirror-symmetry/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Workshop
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io/media/Workshop_HMS_11.28.22.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20221123T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20221123T100000
DTSTAMP:20240216T092538Z
CREATED:20230705T075447Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240216T092538Z
UID:10001135-1669194000-1669197600@live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io
SUMMARY:Continuum field theory of graphene bilayer system
DESCRIPTION:Topological Quantum Matter Seminar \nSpeaker: Jian Kang\, School of Physical Science and Technology\, ShanghaiTech University\, Shanghai\, China \nTitle: Continuum field theory of graphene bilayer system \nAbstract: The Bistritzer-MacDonald (BM) model predicted the existence of the narrow bands in the magic-angle twisted bilayer graphene (MATBG)\, and nowadays is a starting point for most theoretical works. In this talk\, I will briefly review the BM model and then present a continuum field theory [1] for graphene bilayer system allowing any smooth lattice deformation including the small twist angle. With the gradient expansion to the second order\, the continuum theory for MATBG [2] produces the spectrum that almost perfectly matches the spectrum of the microscopic model\, suggesting the validity of this theory. In the presence of the lattice deformation\, the inclusion of the pseudo-vector potential does not destroy but shift the flat band chiral limit to a smaller twist angle. Furthermore\, the continuum theory contains another important interlayer tunneling term that was overlooked in all previous works. This term non-negligibly breaks the particle-hole symmetry of the narrow bands and may be related with the experimentally observed particle-hole asymmetry. \n1. O. Vafek and JK\, arXiv: 2208.05933.\n2. JK and O. Vafek\, arXiv: 2208.05953. \n 
URL:https://live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io/event/tqms_112322/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Topological Quantum Matter Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io/media/CMSA-Topological-Seminar-11.23.22.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20221118T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20221118T120000
DTSTAMP:20240209T052933Z
CREATED:20230809T111725Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240209T052933Z
UID:10001229-1668769200-1668772800@live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io
SUMMARY:Light states in the interior of CY moduli spaces
DESCRIPTION:Member Seminar \nSpeaker: Damian van de Heisteeg \nTitle: Light states in the interior of CY moduli spaces \nAbstract: In string theory one finds that states become massless as one approaches boundaries in Calabi-Yau moduli spaces. In this talk we look in the opposite direction\, that is\, we search for points where the mass gap for these light states is maximized — the so-called desert. In explicit examples we identify these desert points\, and find that they correspond to special points in the moduli space of the CY\, such as orbifold points and rank two attractors.
URL:https://live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io/event/member-seminar-111822/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Member Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io/media/CMSA-Member-Seminar-11.18.22.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20221117T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20221117T140000
DTSTAMP:20240122T172011Z
CREATED:20230824T175941Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240122T172011Z
UID:10001315-1668690000-1668693600@live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io
SUMMARY:Dynamic and multicolor electron microscopy
DESCRIPTION:Active Matter Seminar\n\n\nSpeaker: Max Prigozhin (Harvard) \nTitle: Dynamic and multicolor electron microscopy \nAbstract: My lab is developing biophysical methods to achieve multicolor and dynamic biological imaging at the molecular scale. Our approach to capturing the dynamics of cellular processes involves cryo-vitrifying samples after known time delays following stimulation using custom cryo- plunging and high-pressure freezing instruments. To achieve multicolor electron imaging\, we are exploring the property of cathodoluminescence—optical emission induced by the electron beam. We are developing nanoprobes (“cathodophores”) that will be used as luminescent protein tags in electron microscopy. We are applying these new methods to study G-protein- coupled receptor signaling and to visualize the formation of biomolecular condensates.
URL:https://live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io/event/am-111722/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Active Matter Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io/media/CMSA-Active-Matter-Seminar-11.17.22.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20221116T123000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20221116T133000
DTSTAMP:20240214T112838Z
CREATED:20230817T174642Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240214T112838Z
UID:10001271-1668601800-1668605400@live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io
SUMMARY:Noether’s Learning Dynamics: Role of Symmetry Breaking in Neural Networks
DESCRIPTION:Colloquium \nSpeaker: Hidenori Tanaka (NTT Research at Harvard) \nTitle: Noether’s Learning Dynamics: Role of Symmetry Breaking in Neural Networks \nAbstract: In nature\, symmetry governs regularities\, while symmetry breaking brings texture. In artificial neural networks\, symmetry has been a central design principle\, but the role of symmetry breaking is not well understood. Here\, we develop a Lagrangian formulation to study the geometry of learning dynamics in neural networks and reveal a key mechanism of explicit symmetry breaking behind the efficiency and stability of modern neural networks. Then\, we generalize Noether’s theorem known in physics to describe a unique symmetry breaking mechanism in learning and derive the resulting motion of the Noether charge: Noether’s Learning Dynamics (NLD). Finally\, we apply NLD to neural networks with normalization layers and discuss practical insights. Overall\, through the lens of Lagrangian mechanics\, we have established a theoretical foundation to discover geometric design principles for the learning dynamics of neural networks.
URL:https://live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io/event/collquium-111622/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Colloquium
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20221116T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20221116T113000
DTSTAMP:20240216T092731Z
CREATED:20230705T075111Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240216T092731Z
UID:10001136-1668592800-1668598200@live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io
SUMMARY:Vacuum fluctuations in cavities: breakdown of the topological protection in the integer Quantum Hall effect
DESCRIPTION:Topological Quantum Matter Seminar \nSpeaker: Jérôme Faist  (ETH Zurich) \nTitle: Vacuum fluctuations in cavities: breakdown of the topological protection in the integer Quantum Hall effect \nAbstract: When a collection of electronic excitations are strongly coupled to a single mode cavity\, mixed light-matter excitations called polaritons are created. The situation is especially interesting when the strength of the light-matter coupling ΩR is such that the coupling energy becomes close to the one of the bare matter resonance ω0. For this value of parameters\, the system enters the so-called ultra-strong coupling regime\, in which a number of very interesting physical effects were predicted caused by the counter-rotating and diamagnetic terms of the Hamiltonian. \nIn a microcavity\, the strength of the electric field caused by the vacuum fluctuations\, to which the strength of the light-matter coupling ΩR is proportional\, scales inversely with the cavity volume. One very interesting feature of the circuit-based metamaterials is the fact that this volume can be scaled down to deep subwavelength values in all three dimension of space.1 Using metamaterial coupled to two-dimensional electron gases under a strong applied magnetic field\, we have now explored to which extend this volume can be scaled down and reached a regime where the stability of the polariton is limited by diffraction into a continuum of plasmon modes2. \nWe have also used transport to probe the ultra-strong light-matter coupling3\, and show now that the latter can induce a breakdown of the integer quantum Hall effect4. The phenomenon is explained in terms of cavity-assisted hopping\, an anti-resonant process where an electron can scatter from one edge of the sample to the other by “borrowing” a photon from the cavity5. We are also evaluating a proposal suggesting that the value of the quantization voltage can be renormalized by the cavity6. \n  \n\nScalari\, G. et al. Ultrastrong Coupling of the Cyclotron Transition of a 2D Electron Gas to a THz Metamaterial. Science 335\, 1323–1326 (2012).\nRajabali\, S. et al. Polaritonic Nonlocality in Light Matter Interaction. Nat Photon 15\, 690–695 (2021).\nParavicini-Bagliani\, G. L. et al. Magneto-Transport Controlled by Landau Polariton States. Nat. Phys. 15\, 186–190 (2019).\nAppugliese\, F. et al. Breakdown of topological protection by cavity vacuum fields in the integer quantum Hall effect. Science 375\, 1030–1034 (2022).\nCiuti\, C. Cavity-mediated electron hopping in disordered quantum Hall systems. Phys. Rev. B 104\, 155307 (2021).\nRokaj\, V.\, Penz\, M.\, Sentef\, M. A.\, Ruggenthaler\, M. & Rubio\, A. Polaritonic Hofstadter butterfly and cavity control of the quantized Hall conductance. Phys. Rev. B 105\, 205424 (2022).\n\n 
URL:https://live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io/event/tqms_111622/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Topological Quantum Matter Seminar
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20221115T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20221115T120000
DTSTAMP:20240228T111805Z
CREATED:20230730T184327Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240228T111805Z
UID:10001155-1668510000-1668513600@live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io
SUMMARY:The Emergence Proposal in Quantum Gravity and the Species Scale
DESCRIPTION:Swampland Seminar \nSpeaker: Alvaro Herraez (Saclay) \nTitle: The Emergence Proposal in Quantum Gravity and the Species Scale \nAbstract: The Emergence Proposal claims that in Quantum Gravity the kinetic terms of the fields in the IR emerge from integrating out (infinite) towers of particles up to the QG cutoff. After introducing this proposal in the context of the Swampland Program\, I will explain why it is natural to identify this QG cutoff with the Species Scale\, motivating it by direct computation in the presence of the relevant towers. Then\, I will present evidence for this proposal by directly studying how it is realized in different string theory setups\, where the kinetic terms of scalars\, p-forms and even scalar potentials can be shown to emerge after integrating out such towers. \n  \n 
URL:https://live-hu-cmsa-222.pantheonsite.io/event/swampland_111522/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Swampland Seminar
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