Scientific

Cloaking and Transformation Optics

Speaker: 
Gunther Uhlmann
Date: 
Mon, Jul 6, 2009 to Tue, Jul 7, 2009
Location: 
University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
Conference: 
1st PRIMA Congress
Abstract: 

We describe recent theoretical and experimental progress on making objects invisible to detection by electromagnetic waves, acoustic waves and quantum waves. Maxwell's equations have transformation laws that allow for design of electromagnetic materials that steer light around a hidden region, returning it to its original path on the far side. Not only would observers be unaware of the contents of the hidden region, they would not even be aware that something was being hidden. The object, which would have no shadow, is said to be cloaked. We recount the recent history of the subject and discuss some of the mathematical and physical issues involved, especially the use of singular transformations.

Class: 
Scientific
Subject: 
Mathematics

What I am Doing in Australia

Speaker: 
Jonathan Borwein
Date: 
Wed, May 18, 2011
Location: 
IRMACS Center, Simon Fraser University
Conference: 
JonFest 2011, Computation & Analytical Mathematics Conference
Abstract: 

Jonathan Borwein talks about his current research and the Priority Research Center for Computer Assisted Research Mathematics and its Applications (CARMA). Professor Borwein is both a Laureate Professor and the Director at CARMA which is located at the University of Newcastle in New South Wales, Australia.

Class: 
Scientific
Subject: 
Mathematics
Numerical Analysis

New geometric and functional analytic ideas arising from problems in symplectic geometry

Speaker: 
Helmut Hofer
Date: 
Mon, Oct 23, 2006 to Tue, Oct 24, 2006
Location: 
PIMS, University of British Columbia
Conference: 
PIMS 10th Anniversary Lectures
Abstract: 

The study of moduli spaces of holomorphic curves in symplectic geometry is the key ingredient for the construction of symplectic invariants. These moduli spaces are suitable compactifications of solution spaces of a first order nonlinear Cauchy-Riemann type operator. The solution spaces are usually not compact due to bubbling-off phenomena and other analytical difficulties.

Class: 
Scientific
Subject: 
Mathematics
Differential Geometry and Geometric Analysis
Functional Analysis

Frozen Boundaries and Log Fronts

Speaker: 
Andrei Okounkov
Date: 
Mon, Oct 16, 2006
Location: 
University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
Conference: 
PIMS 10th Anniversary Lectures
Abstract: 

In this talk, based on joint work with Richard Kenyon and Grisha Mikhalkin, Andrei Okounkov discusses a binary operation on plane curves which

  1. generalizes classical duality for plane curves and
  2. arises naturally in probabilistic context,

namely as a facet boundary in certain random surface models.

Class: 
Scientific
Subject: 
Algebraic Geometry

IGTC Summit, 2011

The 2011 IGTC (International Graduate Training Centre) Summit was held as part of the Applied Mathematics Perspectives thematic program at the University of Victoria. There was a poster session, research discussion session where students and experts interacted, and an education session for IGTC students.

Conference: 
2011 IGTC Summit
Applied Mathematics Perspectives
Date: 
Thu, Jul 14, 2011
Class: 
Scientific
Subject: 
Applied Mathematics
Environmental Science

Hyperplane Arrangements and Applications

Some photos from the Hyperplane Arrangements and Applications conference which took place at UBC Vancouver, August 8-12. This conference was held in honour of Hiroaki Terao.

Conference: 
Hyperplane Arrangements and Applications
Date: 
Mon, Aug 8, 2011
Class: 
Scientific
Subject: 
Algebraic Geometry
Combinatorics
Algebra
Topology

Applied Mathematics Perspectives

Photos taken during the Applied Mathematics Perspectives workshops, July 12-17, 2011 at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver.

Conference: 
Applied Mathematics Perspectives
Date: 
Tue, Jul 12, 2011
Class: 
Scientific
Subject: 
Applied Mathematics

PIMS Board Meeting - Fall 2011

The PIMS 2011 Fall board meeting was held at the University of Saskatchewan. In addition to the board meeting, board members toured the Canadian Light Source facility.

Date: 
Sat, Oct 1, 2011
Class: 
Scientific
Subject: 
Mathematics
Applied Mathematics
Physics
Statistics
Nonlinear Sciences
Computer Science

Summer School in Probablility 2008

The School schedule ran 4 days per week to give participants ample time for study, interaction with other students and discovering Vancouver and its surroundings. Many explored the old growth forests at Lighthouse Park and Lynn Canyon and Headwaters Parks on the North Shore. Those who enjoy more strenuous hiking discovered the beauty of the surrounding mountains and ocean on a number of organized hikes. This year we went to the top of Anvil Island which is only accessible by water taxi from Horseshoe Bay. The 2500 ft.

Date: 
Wed, Jun 11, 2008
Class: 
Scientific
Subject: 
Mathematics
Probability

On Long-Run Covariance Matrix Estimation with the Truncated Flat Kernel

Author: 
Shinichi Sakata
Date: 
Tue, Jun 3, 2008
Location: 
Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada
Conference: 
PIMS Vancouver Econometrics Workshop
Abstract: 

Despite its large sample efficiency, the truncated flat (TF) kernel estimator of long-run covariance matrices is seldom used, because it lacks the guaranteed positive semidefiniteness and sometimes performs poorly in small samples, compared to other familiar kernel estimators. This paper proposes simple modifications to the TF estimator to enforce the positive definiteness without sacrificing the large sample efficiency and make the estimator more reliable in small samples through better utilization of the bias-variance tradeoff. We study the large sample properties of the modified TF estimators and verify their improved small-sample performances by Monte Carlo simulations.

Notes: 
PDF icon sakata.pdf
Class: 
Scientific
Subject: 
Econometrics
Statistics Theory

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