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Please note: The University of Waterloo is closed for all events until further notice.

# Events by month

## July 2020

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### Algebraic Combinatorics Seminar - Timothy Miller

Thursday, July 2, 2020 — 2:30 PM EDT

Title: Factorial Schur Functions and Quantum Intergrability

Speaker: Timothy Miller Affiliation: University of Waterloo Zoom: Contact Karen Yeats

Abstract:

I will introduce factorial Schur functions as they relate to my Master's thesis. Factorial Shur functions are a generalization of Schur functions with a second family of "shift" parameters. In 2009, Zinn-Justin reproved the answer to a tiling problem (the puzzle rule) with a toy fermionic model, using techniques from physics to extract the result.

### Tutte Colloquium - Peter Selinger

Friday, July 3, 2020 — 3:30 PM EDT

Title: Number-theoretic methods in quantum computing

Speaker: Peter Selinger Affiliation: Dalhousie University Zoom: Please email Emma Watson

Abstract:

An important problem in quantum computing is the so-called \emph{approximate synthesis problem}: to find a quantum circuit, preferably as short as possible, that approximates a given target operation up to given $\epsilon$. For nearly two decades, from 1995 to 2012, the standard solution to this problem was the Solovay-Kitaev algorithm, which is based on geometric ideas. This algorithm produces circuits of size $O(\log^c(1/\epsilon))$, where $c$ is a constant approximately equal to $3.97$. It was a long-standing open problem whether the exponent $c$ could be reduced to $1$.

### Algebraic Graph Theory seminar - Maxwell Levit

Monday, July 6, 2020 — 11:30 to 11:30 AM EDT

Title: A covering graph perspective on Huang’s theorem

Speaker: Maxwell Levit Affiliation: University of Waterloo Zoom: Contact Soffia Arnadottir

Abstract:

Just about a year ago, Hao Huang resolved the sensitivity conjecture by proving that any induced subgraph on more than half the vertices of the hypercube $Q_n$ has maximum degree at least $\sqrt(n)$. The key ingredient in his proof is a special $\pm 1$ signing of the adjacency matrix of $Q_n$.

### Algebraic Combinatorics Seminar - Olya Mandelshtam

Thursday, July 9, 2020 — 2:30 PM EDT

Title: Formulas for Macdonald polynomials arising from the ASEP

Speaker: Olya Mandelshtam Affiliation: Brown University Zoom: Contact Karen Yeats

Abstract:

The asymmetric simple exclusion process (ASEP) is a one-dimensional model of hopping particles that has been extensively studied in statistical mechanics, probability, and combinatorics. It also has remarkable connections with orthogonal symmetric polynomials in many variables such as Macdonald and Koornwinder polynomials.

### Tutte Colloquium - Felix Leditzky

Friday, July 10, 2020 — 3:30 PM EDT

Title: Symmetries and asymptotics of port-based teleportation

Speaker: Felix Leditzky Affiliation: University of Waterloo Zoom: Please email Emma Watson

Abstract:

Quantum teleportation is one of the fundamental building blocks of quantum Shannon theory. The original teleportation protocol is an exact protocol and amazingly simple, but it requires a non-trivial correction operation to make it work. Port-based teleportation (PBT) is an approximate variant of teleportation with a simple correction operation that renders the protocol unitarily covariant.

### Algebraic Graph Theory Seminar - Sebastian Cioaba

Monday, July 13, 2020 — 11:30 to 11:30 AM EDT

Title: On the flip graph on perfect matchings of complete graphs and sign reversal graphs

Speaker: Sebastian Cioaba Affiliation: University of Delaware Zoom: Contact Soffia Arnadottir

Abstract:

In this talk, we study the flip graph on the perfect matchings of a complete graph of even order. We investigate its combinatorial and spectral properties including connections to the signed reversal graph and we improve a previous upper bound on its chromatic number.

### Algebraic Combinatorics Seminar - Oliver Pechenik

Thursday, July 16, 2020 — 2:30 PM EDT

Title: Dynamics of plane partitions

Speaker: Oliver Pechenik Affiliation: University of Waterloo Zoom: Contact Karen Yeats

Abstract:

Consider a plane partition P in an a X b X c box. The rowmotion operator sends P to the plane partition generated by the minimal elements of its complement. We show rowmotion resonates with frequency a+b+c-1, in the sense that each orbit size shares a prime divisor with a+b+c-1. This confirms a 1995 conjecture of Peter Cameron and Dmitri Fon-Der-Flaass. (Based on joint works with Kevin Dilks & Jessica Striker and with Becky Patrias.)

Friday, July 17, 2020 — 1:30 PM EDT

Title: Two unsolved problems: Birkhoff--von Neumann graphs and PM-compact graphs

Speaker: Nishad Kothari Affiliation: CSE Department, Indian Institute of Technology Madras Zoom: Contact Sharat Ibrahimpur

Abstract:

A well-studied object in combinatorial optimization is the {\it perfect matching polytope} $\mathcal{PMP}(G)$ of a graph $G$ --- the convex hull of the incidence vectors of all perfect matchings of $G$. A graph $G$ is {\it Birkhoff--von Neumann} if $\mathcal{PMP}(G)$ is characterized solely by non-negativity and degree constraints, and $G$ is {\it PM-compact} if the combinatorial diameter of $\mathcal{PMP}(G)$ equals one.

### Tutte Colloquium - Shachar Lovett

Friday, July 17, 2020 — 3:30 PM EDT

Title: Point Location and Active Learning - Learning Halfspaces Almost Optimally

Speaker: Shachar Lovett Affiliation: UC San Diego Zoom: Please email Emma Watson

Abstract:

The point location problem is a central problem in computational geometry. It asks, given a known partition of R^d by n hyperplanes, and an unknown input point, to find the cell in the partition to which the input point belongs. The access to the input is via linear queries. A linear query is specified by an hyperplane, and the result of the query is which side of the hyperplane the input point lies in.

### Algebraic Graph Theory Seminar - Karen Meagher

Monday, July 20, 2020 — 11:30 to 11:30 AM EDT

Title: Group Theory and the Erd\H{o}s-Ko-Rado (EKR) Theorem

Speaker: Karen Meagher Affiliation: University of Regina Zoom: Contact Soffia Arnadottir

Abstract:

Group theory can be a key tool in sovling problems in combinatorics; it can provide a clean and effective proofs, and it can give deeper understanding of why certain combinatorial results hold. My research has focused on the famous Erd\H{o}s-Ko-Rado (EKR) theorem.

### Algebraic Combinatorics Seminar - Marcel Golz

Thursday, July 23, 2020 — 2:30 PM EDT

Title: Chord diagrams, colours, and QED

Speaker: Marcel Golz Affiliation: University of Waterloo Zoom: Contact Karen Yeats

Abstract:

Feynman graphs in quantum electrodynamics are essentially chord diagrams with photon edges taking the role of chords attached to lines or cycles given by electron edges. The associated Feynman integrals involve traces of Dirac gamma matrices whose computation leads to large sums of scalar Feynman integrals (cf. the earlier talk by O. Schnetz).

### Combinatorial Optimization Reading Group - Sharat Ibrahimpur

Friday, July 24, 2020 — 1:30 PM EDT

Title: A 4/3-Approximation Algorithm for the Minimum 2-Edge Connected Multisubgraph Problem in the Half-Integral Case

Speaker: Sharat Ibrahimpur Affiliation: University of Waterloo Zoom: Contact Sharat Ibrahimpur

Abstract:

Given a connected undirected graph G on n vertices, and non-negative edge costs c, the 2ECM problem is that of finding a 2-edge connected spanning multisubgraph of G of minimum cost. The natural linear program (LP) for 2ECM, which coincides with the subtour LP for the Traveling Salesman Problem on the metric closure of G, gives a lower bound on the optimal cost.

### Tutte Colloquium - Hamza Fawzi

Friday, July 24, 2020 — 3:30 PM EDT

Title: Semidefinite programming representations for separable states

Speaker: Hamza Fawzi Affiliation: University of Cambridge Zoom: Please email Emma Watson

Abstract:

The set of separable (i.e., non-entangled) bipartite states is a convex set that plays a fundamental role in quantum information theory. The problem of optimizing a linear function on the set of separable states is closely related to polynomial optimization on the sphere. After recalling the sum-of-squares hierarchy for this problem, I will show bounds on the rate of convergence of this SDP hierarchy; and prove that the set of separable states has no SDP representation of finite size.

### Algebraic Graph Theory Seminar - Chris Godsil

Monday, July 27, 2020 — 11:30 to 11:30 AM EDT

Title: Continuous Quantum Walks on Graphs

Speaker: Chris Godsil Affiliation: University of Waterloo Zoom: Contact Soffia Arnadottir

Abstract:

A quantum walk is a (rather imperfect analog) of a random walk on a graph. They can be viewed as gadgets that might play a role in quantum computers, and have been used to produce algorithms that outperform corresponding classical procedures.

### Algebraic Combinatorics Seminar - Gilyoung Cheong

Thursday, July 30, 2020 — 2:30 PM EDT

Title: P\'olya enumeration theorems in algebraic geometry

Speaker: Gilyoung Cheong Affiliation: University of Michigan Zoom: Contact Karen Yeats

Abstract:

We will start by comparing Macdonald's formula of the generating function for the symmetric powers of a compact complex manifold and Grothendieck's formula of the zeta series of a projective variety over a finite field, an explicit version of Dwork's rationality result.

### Combinatorial Optimization Reading Group - Haripriya Pulyassary

Friday, July 31, 2020 — 1:30 PM EDT

Title: Weighted Maximum Multicommodity Flows over time

Speaker: Haripriya Pulyassary Affiliation: University of Waterloo Zoom: Contact Sharat Ibrahimpur

Abstract:

In various applications, flow does not travel instantaneously through a network, and the amount of flow traveling on an edge may vary over time. This temporal dimension is not captured by the classic static network flow models but can be modeled using flows over time.

### Tutte Colloquium - Jim Luedtke

Friday, July 31, 2020 — 3:30 PM EDT

Title: Data-Driven Sample-Average Approximation for Stochastic Optimization with Covariate Information

Speaker: Jim Luedtke Affiliation: University of Wisconsin-Madison Zoom: Please email Emma Watson

Abstract:

We consider optimization models for decision-making in which parameters within the optimization model are uncertain, but predictions of these parameters can be made using available covariate information.  We consider a data-driven setting in which we have observations of the uncertain parameters together with concurrently-observed covariates.  Given a new covariate observation, the goal is to choose a decision that minimizes the expected cost conditioned on this observation.  We investigate a data-driven framework in which the outputs from a machine learning prediction model are directly used to define a stochastic programming sample average approximation (SAA).

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