University of Georgia
Department of Mathematics

Seminar Schedule
September 22, - September 26, 2003

All Seminars are held in Boyd Graduate Studies Bldg. unless otherwise noted.

MONDAY, September 22, 2003

Numerical Analysis
1:30p.m., Room 524
Speaker: Paul Wenston, University of Georgia
Title of talk: Simulation of Fluid Flows with Two Viscocities

Geometry
1:30p.m., Room 410
Speaker: Wilfrid Gangbo, Georgia Tech.
Titleof talk: Geometric properties of the set of probability densities of prescribed second moments.
Abstract: The set of probability densities can be endowed with the so-called Wasserstein metric. The geodesic between two probability densities can be explicitly written using the convex function that appear in the Monge-Ampere equation involving these densities. Motivated by applications in kinetic theory, we analyze the induced geometry of the set of densities satisfying the constraint on the variance and means, and we determine all of the geodesics on it. It turns out, for example, that the entropy is uniformly strictly convex on the constrained manifold, though not uniformly convex without the constraint.

Topology
2:30p.m., Room 323
Speaker: Will Kazez, University of Georgia
Title of talk: Knot theory, dynamics, and some recent work of Ghrist and Kin, continued

VIGRE - Algebra Seminar
2:30p.m., Room 410
Organizer: Daniel Nakano, University of Georgia
Program: We will have a 5 minute organizational meeting and break up into smaller groups to work on our project.

Faculty and Graduate Social
3:00p.m., Room 409
Coffee, Tea, Cookies

Lie Theory
3:30p.m., Room 303
Speaker: Daniel Nakano, University of Georgia
Title of talk: How to determine the representation type for algebras

TUESDAY, September 23, 2003

VIGRE Graduate Student Seminar
2:00-3:15pm, Room 304
Speaker: Konstantin Oskolkov
Title of talk: The valleys of shadow in the Talbot-Schr\"odinger landscape

Special Analysis Seminar
11:00a.m., Room 524
Speaker: Mihaly Bakonyi from Ga State.
Title of talk: On extensions of operator-valued functions on ordered groups
Abstract: First, we show that every positive definite operator-valued function defined on a symmetric interval of an ordered group can be extended to a positive definite function on the whole group. Second, we present several interpolation results for functions defined on ordered groups and we end with a Commutant Lifting Theorem for semigroups of contractions.

WEDNESDAY, September 24, 2003

Group Representation & Cohomology
2:30p.m., Room 410
Speaker: JangHyun, Jo, University of Georgia
Title of talk: Multiple complexes and gaps in Farrell cohomology
Abstract: We will talk about multiple complexes for the groups of finite virtual cohomological dimension and gaps in Farrell cohomology.

Algebraic Geometry
2:30pm, Room 303
Speaker: Robert Varley, University of Georgia
Title of talk: Singularities of the special divisor variety of an etale double cover of curves
Abstract: The variety of degree g-1 effective divisors on a (nonsingular) curve is particularly useful since it is always
nonsingular and parametrizes the theta divisor of the Jacobian. For an etale double cover of curves, the corresponding
divisor variety that parametrizes the theta divisor of the Prym can be singular, and I will discuss the singularities of this special divisor variety. I will describe results and conjectures in joint work with R. Smith and mention the relation with recent work of Casalaina-Martin and Friedman on multiplicities of Prym theta divisors.

Faculty and Graduate Social
3:00pm, Room 409
Coffee, Cookies, Tea

Number Theory/Arithmetic Geometry
3:30pm, Room 304
Speaker: Su-Ion Ih
Title of talk: Rational points on varieties (Part II)
Abstract: We will continue to talk about some issues concerning rational points on varieites --- what topics are at issue these days and why they are important in number theory.

THURSDAY, September 25, 2003

VIGRE Quantum Mechanics Seminar
2:00p.m., Room 303
Speaker: Charles Pooh, University of Georgia
Title of talk: Introduction to creation and annihilation operators

VIGRE - Contact Topology
2:00p.m., Room 326

Student Number Theory
3:30p.m., Room 304
Speaker: Joe Rusinko, University of Georgia
Title of talk: Introduction to Mahler Measure
Abstract: Taking the Mahler measure of a number is one method for determining how complicated that number is. Lehmer conjectured that all numbers that are not roots of unity have a Mahler measure that is bounded below by 1+epsilon. We will try and figure out if this conjecture is reasonable, and discuss methods for finding numbers with very small Mahler Measure.

FRIDAY, September 26, 2003

CATS
1:25p.m., Room 306
Speaker: Michael Geller, Computer Science, University of Georgia
Title of talk: Part II. Superconducting qubits.
Abstract: Here I will explain how to make a qubit, the most basic element of a quantum computer, out of a Josephson junction.

Wavelet Analysis
2:30p.m., Room 524
Speaker: Ming-Jun Lai, University of Georgia
Title of talk: Poisson summation formulation and Strang-Fix Conditions