Events

Title: The Tutte Symmetric Function

Abstract:

The Tutte polynomial is one of the most celebrated and most well-studied graph functions, in part because it specializes to every graph polynomial with a linear deletion-contraction relation, such as the chromatic polynomial. In the 1990s, Stanley generalized the Tutte polynomial to a symmetric function, but at the cost of the deletion-contraction relation.

Title: Monogamy Violations in Perfect State Transfer

Abstract:

Continuous-time quantum walks on a graph are defined using a Hermitian matrix associated to a graph. For a quantum walk on a graph using either the adjacency matrix or the Laplacian, there can be perfect state transfer from a vertex to at most one other vertex in the graph.

Title: Filtering Grassmannian cohomology via k-Schur functions

Abstract:

This talk concerns the cohomology rings of complex Grassmannians. In 2003, Reiner and Tudose conjectured the form of the Hilbert series for certain subalgebras of these cohomology rings. We build on their work in two ways. First, we conjecture two natural bases for these subalgebras that would imply their conjecture using notions from the theory of k-Schur functions. Second we formulate an analogous conjecture for Lagrangian Grassmannians.

Joint work with Michael Feigen, Victor Reiner, and Ajmain Yamin.

Title: Packings of partial difference sets

Abstract:

Partial difference sets are highly structured group subsets that occur in various guises throughout design theory, finite geometry, coding theory, and graph theory. They admit only two possible nontrivial character sums and so are often studied using character theory.

Title: Constructing broken SIDH parameters: a tale of De Feo, Jao, and Plut's serendipity

Abstract:

This talk is motivated by analyzing the security of the cryptographic key exchange protocol SIDH (Supersingular Isogeny Diffie-Hellman), introduced by 2011 by De Feo, Jao, and Plut. We will first recall some mathematical background as well as the protocol itself. The 'keys' in this protocol are elliptic curves, which are typically described by equations in x and y of the form y^2 = x^3 + ax + b.

Title: Scaling limits for the Gibbs states on distance-regular graphs with classical parameters

Abstract:

Limits of the normalized spectral distributions and other related probability distributions of families of graphs have been studied in the context of quantum probability theory as analogues of the central limit theorem. First I will review some of the previous work by Hora, Obata, and others, focusing on the case of distance-regular graphs, and emphasizing how the theory is related to the Terwilliger algebra.

Title: Face enumeration and real-rootedness

Abstract:

About fifteen years ago F. Brenti and V. Welker showed that the face enumerating polynomial of the barycentric subdivision of any Cohen-Macaulay simplicial complex has only real roots. It is natural to ask whether similar results hold when barycentric subdivision is replaced by more general types of triangulations, or when simplicial complexes are replaced by more general cell complexes.

Title: Sampling Under Symmetry

Abstract:

Exponential densities on orbits of Lie groups such as the unitary group are endowed with surprisingly rich mathematical structure and. traditionally, arise in diverse areas of physics, random matrix theory, and statistics.

In this talk, we will discuss the computational properties of such distributions and also present new applications to quantum inference and differential privacy.

Title: Fractional revival on graphs

Abstract:

Let A be the adjacency matrix of a weighted graph, and let U(t)=exp(itA). If there is a time t such that U(t)e_a=\alpha e_a+\beta e_b, then we say there is fractional revival (FR) between a and b. For the special case when \alpha=0, we say there is perfect state transfer (PST) between vertices a and b. It is known that PST is monogamous (PST from a to b and PST from a to c implies b=c) and vertices a b are cospectral in this case. If \alpha\beta\neq 0, then there is proper fractional revival.

Title: Some new lemmas about polynomials with only real roots

Abstract:

Recent investigations in Ehrhart theory suggested some conjectures involving interlacing relations among polynomials with only real roots, and Veronese sections of them. Revisiting some old theorems, we find as corollaries some new lemmas which have been overlooked for a long time. One of these lemmas directly implies a strong form of the motivating conjecture.  Similar applications of the other lemmas are anticipated. This is ongoing joint work with Christos Athanasiadis (U. Athens).