Past Seminars: 2012


  Fall 2012

  • September 20, 2012
    Friedemann Schuricht, Dresden University of Technology
    Nonsmooth analysis in PDE problems
    Abstract: We consider nonlinear PDE-problems that are related to variational problems that do not have the usual differentiability properties. It turns out that nonsmooth analytical tools developed in optimization theory can be used for a successful treatment. After some introductory examples we discuss basic ideas of convex analysis and some non-convex extensions. Here we are led to completely new phenomena that are relevant in the applications.

  • September 27, 2012
    Jorge Basilio, CUNY Graduate Center
    Introduction to BV-functions
    Abstract:

  • October 4, 2012
    Sajjad Lakzian, CUNY Graduate Center
    Ricci Flow Through Singularities
    Abstract: We will give a brief review of key facts about Ricci Flow and in particular Ricci Flow neckpinch singularity. We will explain and build on the work of Angenent-Caputo-Knopf on the smooth forward evolution of Ricci Flow and will explore two ways towards defining a weak Ricci Flow through singularities.

  • October 11, 2012
    Deane Yang, NYU-Poly
    Sobolev via Shannon
    Abstract: I will describe how sharp Sobolev inequalities on R^n can be derived using information theoretic invariants and inequalities.

  • October 18, 2012
    Luca Martinazzi, Rutgers University
    The Moser-Trudinger equation on a disk: sharp blow-up behavior and non-existence
    Abstract: We study the Moser-Trudinger equation Delta u = lambda u Exp(u^2), lambda>0 on a 2-dimensional disk, arising from the Moser-Trudinger sharp embedding of H^1_0(Disk) into the Orlicz space of functions u with Exp(u^2) integrable. We answer some long standing open questions:
    a) The weak limit of a blowing-up sequence of solutions to the Moser-Trudinger equation on a disk is 0
    b) The Dirichlet energy of a blowing-up sequence of solutions on a disk converges to 4pi.
    c) For L large enough, the Moser-Trudinger equation on a disk admits no solution with Dirichlet energy larger than L.
    This work is joint project with Andrea Malchiodi (SISSA - Trieste)

  • October 25, 2012
    No Seminar: Lawson's birthday conference at Stony Brook this week

  • November 1, 2012 (Canceled)
    Michael Kiessling, Rutgers University
    Statistical mechanics of point vortices: The Onsager legacy
    Abstract: In 1949 Lars Onsager wrote a milestone paper where he predicted the quantization of vorticity in superfluids (in a footnote!), observed that the non-dissipative Euler equations can have dissipative solutions (more than 10 years before Harold Grad rediscovered that idea for ideal magnetofluid dynamics), and for the first time ever applied classical equilibrium statistical mechanics to the Hamiltonian point vortex system, predicting negative vortex "gas" temperatures (7 years before Ramsey rediscovered that idea for spin systems). In my talk I survey the developments since Onsager's paper in regard to the statistical mechanics of point vortices.

  • November 8, 2012
    One day symposium in Room 4102 from 9:30am-4:00pm
    Recent Progress in General Relativity
    Speakers: Carla Cederbaum, Gerhard Huisken, Shadi Tahvildar-Zadeh, Mu-Tao Wang
    For more details, click here
    An event sponsored by the Initiative for the Theoretical Sciences at CUNY (ITS)

  • November 15, 2012: No Seminar

  • November 22, 2012: Thanksgiving, No Meeting today

  • November 29, 2012
    Po Lam Yung, Rutgers University
    Two non-linear wave equations with conformal invariance
    Abstract: In this talk, we will look at two non-linear wave equations in 2+1 dimensions, whose elliptic parts exhibit conformal invariance. These equations have their origins in prescribing the Gaussian and mean curvatures respectively, and the goal is to understand well-posedness, blow-up and bubbling for these equations. This is joint work with Sagun Chanillo.

  • December 6, 2012
    One day symposium in Room 4102 from 9:30am-4:00pm
    Harmonic Maps
    Speakers: John Bolton, Fanghua Lin, Tristan Riviere, J.C. Wood
    Poster and schedule, [abstract]
    An event sponsored by the Initiative for the Theoretical Sciences at CUNY (ITS)

  • December 13, 2012
    Michael Kiessling, Rutgers University
    Statistical mechanics of point vortices: The Onsager legacy
    Abstract: In 1949 Lars Onsager wrote a milestone paper where he predicted the quantization of vorticity in superfluids (in a footnote!), observed that the non-dissipative Euler equations can have dissipative solutions (more than 10 years before Harold Grad rediscovered that idea for ideal magnetofluid dynamics), and for the first time ever applied classical equilibrium statistical mechanics to the Hamiltonian point vortex system, predicting negative vortex "gas" temperatures (7 years before Ramsey rediscovered that idea for spin systems). In my talk I survey the developments since Onsager's paper in regard to the statistical mechanics of point vortices.


  Spring 2012

  • February 23, 2012
    One day symposium in Room 4102 from 9:30am-4:00pm
    Recent developments in minimal surfaces [abstracts], [poster]
    An event sponsored by the Initiative for the Theoretical Sciences at CUNY (ITS)
    and planned by members of the CIAMCS

  • March 1, 2012 at 12:15pm: No seminar

  • March 15, 2012 at 12:15pm
    Silvius Klein, Medgar Evers College of CUNY
    Spectral Problems for Discrete Quasi-Periodic Schrodinger Operators
    • Abstract: I will describe the discrete quasi-periodic Schrodinger operator and some of its expected spectral properties. These operators are used in solid state physics to model disordered systems such as alloys and quasi-crystals. I will mention some of the known results for such operators with real analytic potential functions, focusing more on the positivity of the Lyapunov exponent. Then, I will discuss my own results and research projects for more general (rougher) potential functions.

  • March 22, 2012
    One day symposium in Room 4102 from 9:30am-4:00pm
    Aggregation models in biology [abstracts], [poster]
    An event sponsored by the Initiative for the Theoretical Sciences at CUNY (ITS)
    and planned by members of the CIAMCS

  • March 29, 2012: No seminar

  • April 5, 2012 at 1:15PM (Note Special Time)
    Luis Fernandez, Bronx Community College (CUNY)
    Minimal immersions in spheres
    Abstract: TBA

  • April 12, 2012: No seminar, Spring Break

  • April 19, 2012 at 12:15pm
    Timur Milgrom, Drexel University
    Temporal boundary value problems in interfacial fluid dynamics
    Abstract: We will develop existence and uniqueness theory for a type of boundary value problems, where the boundary data is specified at two different times. The framework developed will consider problems on a real line and problems which are spatially periodic. The general theory will be applied to two problems from interfacial fluid dynamics: a family of the Boussinesq equations developed by Bona, Chen and Saut, and a vortex sheet.

  • April 26, 2012
    One day symposium in Room 4102 from 9:30am-4:00pm
    Hyperbolic conservation laws [abstracts], [poster]
    An event sponsored by the Initiative for the Theoretical Sciences at CUNY (ITS)
    and planned by members of the CIAMCS

  • May 1, 2012 (Tuesday)
    Meeting in Room 4102 from 9:30am-5:00pm
    Hunter-GC Joint Mathematics Day [poster], [abstracts]

  • May 3, 2012
    No seminar (Graduate and undegraduate conference on May 1st in Science Center)

  • May 10, 2012 at 12:15pm
    Long-Zhi Lin, Rutgers University
    On the uniqueness of weakly harmonic maps and a global estimate for the energy density
    Abstract: In this talk we shall report a recent joint work with Tobias Lamm on a global estimate (in the local Hardy space) on the energy density of critical points of a class of conformally invariant variational problems with small energy on the unit 2-disc, using Riviere's gauge decomposition technique and Wente type estimates. As a corollary we obtain a new proof of the energy convexity and uniqueness result for weakly harmonic maps with small energy on the unit 2-disc.