Past Events

Using a group of automorphisms of the free group F_2 isomorphic to the braid group B_3, we construct a non-abelian one-cocycle P: F_2 --> F_2, which turns out to take palindromic values and to be continuous for the profinite topology on F_2. We...

Abstract: Many problems of mechanics, sound propagation, mathematical biology, etc., can be effectively modelled with matrix eigenvalue problems in which the eigenvalue parameter appears in a nonlinear fashion. Over the last fifty years or so, this...

Polynomial optimization concerns minimizing a polynomial subject to polynomial equations and inequalities. While this is a natural model for many applications, there are many difficulties (usually numerical and algorithmic) that have prevented their...

Abstract: We begin by outlining the standard ideas of robust estimation of an unknown parameter (e.g., the mean of a normal distribution) under contamination by an unknown distribution. The basic concepts of ``contamination models'', ``asymptotic...

A crucial element for life is fertilization and for this to take place a sperm must meet an egg. The question is how does the sperm locate and swim towards the egg. Here, we consider the case of sea urchins for which fertilization is external and...

Abstract: Apollonius's Theorem states that given three mutually tangent circles, there are exactly two circles which are tangent to all three. Apollonian circle packings are produced by repeatin the c onstruction of mutually tangent circles to fill...