Past Events

E.g., Apr 19, 2026

Caelan Ritter

University of Washington
The Ceresa period from tropical homology

March 30, 2026

MATH 104

The Jacobian of a very general curve of genus at least 3 contains an algebraic cycle called the Ceresa cycle that is homologically trivial but algebraically nontrivial. It is straightforward to show that hyperelliptic curves have trivial Ceresa cycle, but understanding whether the converse holds... Read more

  • Algebra and Algebraic geometry

Elina Robeva

UBC
Learning linear causal models via algebraic constraints

March 30, 2026

MATH 104

The main task of causal discovery is to learn direct causal relationships among observed random variables. These relationships are usually depicted via a directed graph whose vertices are the variables of interest and whose edges represent direct causal effects. In this talk we will discuss the... Read more

  • Algebra and Algebraic geometry

Didier Lesesvre


From four squares to trace formulas: an introduction to arithmetic statistics on automorphic forms

March 27, 2026

ESB 2012 and Zoom

In 1671, Bachet conjectured that every natural number can be written as sum of four squares. A century of efforts and ideas was needed for Lagrange to reach a proof, and almost another century for Jacobi to quantify precisely this result. Today, variations of this elementary questions remain far... Read more

Brian Marcus

UBC
Coding theorems in Symbolic Dynamics

March 26, 2026

ESB 4133

After reviewing some basic concepts and examples in topological dynamics, we will focus on the conjugacy problem for shifts of finite type, which has been open for more than fifty years. Read more

Melanie Matchett Wood

Harvard University
Finite quotients of 3-manifold groups (PIMS network-wide colloquium)

March 26, 2026

Zoom. Register here: https://ubc.zoom.us/meeting/register/OoGJFra5SMiLY8pSQJqhJw#/registration

It is well-known that for any finite group G, there exists a closed 3-manifold M with G as a quotient of the fundamental group of M. However, we can ask more detailed questions about the possible finite quotients of 3-manifold groups, e.g. for G and H_1,...,H_n finite groups, does there exist a... Read more

Joel Vanin

Indiana University
Math-Bio: V-Cornea: A Multi-Scale In Silico Framework for Ocular Toxicology and IVIVE

March 25, 2026

ESB 4133

Predicting injury severity and time-to-recovery after ocular chemical exposure is critical for chemical classification and risk assessment. Time-resolved in vitro data from localized injury on reconstructed corneal epithelium reveal concentration-dependent lesion evolution, including secondary... Read more

  • Mathematical Biology

Joel Vanin

Indiana University
Math-Bio: V-Cornea: A Multi-Scale In Silico Framework for Ocular Toxicology and IVIVE

March 25, 2026

ESB 4133

Predicting injury severity and time-to-recovery after ocular chemical exposure is critical for chemical classification and risk assessment. Time-resolved in vitro data from localized injury on reconstructed corneal epithelium reveal concentration-dependent lesion evolution, including secondary... Read more

  • Mathematical Biology

Nicolaos Kapouleas

Brown University
Minimal surfaces and hypersurfaces in the unit spheres and their index

March 24, 2026

PIMS Library - ESB 4133

In the first part of the talk (introduction) I will recall classical and semi-classical results and conjectures. In the second part I will review the current status of PDE gluing constructions of minimal surfaces. In the last (main) part of the talk I will present the recent paper arXiv:2512.... Read more

  • Differential geometry
  • Mathematical Physics
  • Partial Differential Equations

Connor Mooney

UC Irvine
Regularity vs. singularity for the special Lagrangian equation

March 23, 2026

PIMS Library - ESB 4133

The special Lagrangian equation (SLE) is a fully nonlinear elliptic PDE that originates in the work of Harvey and Lawson on calibrated geometries. The question whether a viscosity solution to the SLE is smooth (or at least has minimal gradient graph) is delicate, and the answer depends on... Read more

  • Differential geometry
  • Mathematical Physics
  • Partial Differential Equations

Dustin Ross

SFSU
Ehrhart fans

March 23, 2026

MATH 104

If X is a smooth complete variety, then the alternating sums of dimensions of sheaf cohomology groups gives an additive map from the Grothendieck group of vector bundles on X to the integers. If X is not complete, then sheaf cohomology groups are generally infinite-dimensional, so we shouldn’t... Read more

  • Algebra and Algebraic geometry