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Events for the weeks of February 15th – 27th

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Tue, Feb. 17 2:30pm (MATH 3…	Lie Theory Carlos Ortiz (Colorado State University) X A fundamental problem in topology is to determine when two spaces are distinct. For surfaces, classical invariants suffice, but for three-dimensional manifolds the question is considerably harder. The Witten-Reshetikhin-Turaev invariants, originating in quantum field theory, provide one family of tools. For torus bundles, i.e. 3-manifolds built by cutting a torus, applying a mapping class in SL(2,Z), and regluing, the skein algebra embeds into a non-commutative torus at roots of unity, yielding a finite-dimensional representation that makes these invariants concretely computable. Exploiting this structure, we develop a classical dynamic programming algorithm and a quantum algorithm that encodes the computation into logarithmically many qubits, achieving an exponential reduction in space. We further identify a natural coefficient-counting problem that is #P-complete yet admits efficient quantum approximation. The first half of the talk will be expository, requiring only linear algebra and modular arithmetic. The second half will outline the algorithmic results. How to tell shapes apart using quantum computers
Tue, Feb. 17 3:30pm (MATH 3…	Topology Gregory Berkolaiko (Texas A&M) X The Rayleigh-Ritz method approximates the eigenvalues of a large Hermitian matrix B with Ritz values, which are the eigenvalues of B's restriction() to a smaller trial subspace S. We can view the k-th Ritz value as a real-valued function ("Ritz energy landscape") on the manifold of all possible s-dimensional trial subspaces, the Grassmannian (or for the real symmetric case). Motivated by questions from quantum chemistry and spectral optimization, this talk explores the topology of the Ritz energy landscape. A Morse function is called "perfect" if it describes the topology of its domain in the most efficient way possible, meaning the number of its critical points of each type exactly matches the corresponding Betti number of the space. We demonstrate that for a matrix B with distinct eigenvalues, the Ritz landscape is indeed perfect. While the function itself is not everywhere smooth and its critical points are not isolated --- and not even Morse-Bott --- its critical structure is nevertheless well-defined and ultimately reflects the topology of the Grassmannian in a minimal, perfect way. To be more precise, we show that the filtration of the Grassmannian by the sublevel sets of the k-th Ritz value is homologically perfect. The proof proceeds by introducing a suitable perturbation which ensures that points of non-smoothness are not critical (by a theorem of Zelenko and the presenter) and that the remaining smooth critical points are isolated. Based on a joint work with Mark Goresky (IAS). Footnote (): the term "restriction" is appropriate in the equivalent formulation of eigenvalues of quadratic forms. For an operator B, we apply it to vectors in S and then project the result orthogonally back onto S; this is called a "compression" of B. Ritz energy landscape is perfect (almost) Morse
Tue, Feb. 17 5pm (Math 350)	Math Club Edouard Heitzmann X The legal standard set in Rucho v Common Cause puts the onus on the plaintiffs in a Voting Rights Act (VRA) case to demonstrate that a map is a racial rather than a partisan gerrymander in order for it to be struck down as unlawful. This means plaintiffs have to 'do the homework' of the defendants for them: they must produce a map that is at least as politically gerrymandered as the defendants drew, while achieving better racial representation outcomes. This standard was successfully met by a group of mathematicians in the El Paso redistricting case, winning in federal court before the Supreme Court shadow docket put a hold on the decision, allowing the racial gerrymander to go through. The mathematicians who accomplished this used Monte Carlo Markov Chain (MCMC) methods to draw a so-called 'ensemble' of millions of alternative congressional maps for Texas, and used statistical methods to show that the enacted map was an outlier for racial representation among the maps that had similar partisan outcomes. In this talk I will go over these mathematical details, as well as describe the computational tools currently used in this field. Note: If you have a working Jupyter Notebook installation, you are encouraged to bring it to the talk, as you will have the opportunity to follow along the computational demos included in the talk. The Mathematics of Redistricting—what they did in Texas
Wed, Feb. 18 2:10pm (Math350)	Math Phys Howy Jordan (CU Boulder) View Online:https://cuboulder.zoom.us/j/97049173677 The spectral theorem and projection valued measures I
Thu, Feb. 19 2:30pm (MATH 3…	Functional Analysis Robin Deeley (CU Boulder) X I will introduce a class of dynamical systems called shifts of finite type. There are a number of C-algebras one can construct from a shift of finite type. I will discuss properties of these C-algebras such as rational Poincare duality and rational isomorphism. Rationalizing shifts of finite type - Part II
Fri, Feb. 20 12:20pm (Math …	Math Edu Peter Karanevich X This talk will introduce Lev Vygotsky's learning theory of the zone of proximal development. We will then transition to an application of the theory, the concept of productive struggle. Participants will define productive struggle and learn how to modify questions to encourage students to engage in productive struggle. Productive Struggle in the Zone of Proximal Development
Tue, Feb. 24 12:10pm (MATH …	Kempner Liviu Suciu (The Pennsylvania State University) X I plan to discuss several related arithmetic and analytic dualities governed by the Möbius function and the sawtooth function. While these dualities—whether pointwise (twisted or untwisted), or functional in the L^2 or continuous setting—are formally valid, identifying conditions under which they become genuine identities is a subtle and challenging problem. It draws on deep results in analytic number theory, including Vinogradov-type bounds for exponential sums over primes (Davenport; de la Bretèche–Tenenbaum), as well as Tauberian theory (Wintner; Ingham). Arithmetic and analytic dualities governed by the Mobius and sawtooth functions
Tue, Feb. 24 2:30pm (MATH 3…	Lie Theory Richard Green (CU) X The E8 root system is a highly symmetric configuration of vectors, corresponding to the 240 spheres that touch a given one in the densest possible packing of spheres in 8-dimensional Euclidean space. Despite this eightness, some combinatorial features of the root system are much easier to understand in terms of 9-dimensional coordinates. We will use this point of view to gain insight into a certain tightly structured partially ordered set, by using the combinatorics of perfect matchings and Fano planes. This is based on work in progress with Tianyuan Xu (University of Richmond). The ninefold symmetry of the E8 root system
Wed, Feb. 25 2:10pm (Math350)	Math Phys Howy Jordan (CU Boulder) View Online:https://cuboulder.zoom.us/j/97049173677 The spectral theorem and projection valued measures II
Wed, Feb. 25 4:40pm (MATH 3…	Grad Student Seminar Daniel Lyness (CU Boulder) X TBD What even is a Toric Variety?
Thu, Feb. 26 11:15am (MATH …	Algebraic Geometry Lior Alon (MIT) X Abstract: The Poisson summation formula tells us that a lattice and its dual lattice are related through Fourier transform: the Fourier transform of the counting measure of one is the counting measure of the other. The search for non-periodic analogues of Poisson summation—discrete sets whose Fourier transform is again a discrete measure—has appeared independently across number theory, harmonic analysis, and crystallography. In the physical setting, the Fourier transform of the counting measure of an atomic structure is exactly the diffraction pattern observed experimentally. The term quasicrystal refers to a non-periodic set whose diffraction is a pure point measure, and the discovery of such materials by Dan Shechtman in 1984 profoundly altered crystallography and led to a Nobel Prize. A major mystery that remained unresolved until very recently was whether one could find a quasicrystal whose Fourier transform is supported on a discrete (rather than merely countable) set. These objects are now called Fourier quasicrystals (FQs), and until 2020 only the trivial periodic examples were known. Kurasov and Sarnak constructed the first genuinely non-periodic one-dimensional FQ using Lee–Yang polynomials, multivariate polynomials whose zeroes avoid prescribed regions of the complex plane. In our recent work, we show that every one-dimensional Fourier quasicrystal arises from the Kurasov–Sarnak construction via Lee–Yang polynomials, yielding a complete classification in dimension one. We then extend this framework to all dimensions by introducing Lee–Yang varieties, high-codimension algebraic varieties whose geometric and analytic properties govern the Fourier structure of the associated quasicrystals. The talk will introduce Fourier quasicrystals, Lee–Yang polynomials, and Lee–Yang varieties, and explain the geometric mechanism of generating summation formulas from algebraic varieties and how it is related to real-rootedness of trigonometric equations. No prior background will be assumed. Joint work with Alex Cohen, Cynthia Vinzant, Mario Kummer, and Pavel Kurasov. Fourier Quasicrystals and Lee–Yang Varieties
Thu, Feb. 26 3:30pm (Math 3…	Probability Lior Alon (MIT) TBD

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