Calendar
- 25September 25, 2023
Algebraic Geometry in String Theory Seminar: Species Scale across String Moduli Spaces
String theories feature a wide array of moduli spaces. We propose that the energy cutoff scale of these theories – the so-called species scale – can be determined through higher-curvature corrections. This species scale varies with the moduli; we use it both asymptotically to bound the diameter of the field space, as well as in the interior to determine a “desert point” where it is maximized.
Please note that there will be a pre-talk aimed at graduate students by David Wu from 10:00-10:30am
CMSA Colloquium: Predicting non-continuous functions
20 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138One of the strangest consequences of the Axiom of Choice is the following Hardin-Taylor 2008 result: there is a “predictor” such that for every function $f$ from the reals to the reals—even nowhere continuous $f$—the predictor applied to $f \restriction (-\infty,t)$ correctly predicts $f(t)$ for *almost every* $t \in R$. They asked how robust such a predictor could be, with respect to distortions in the time (input) axis; more precisely, for which subgroups $H$ of Homeo^+(R) do there exist $H$-invariant predictors? Bajpai-Velleman proved an affirmative answer when H=Affine^+(R), and a negative answer when H is (the subgroup generated by) C^\infty(R). They asked about the intermediate region; in particular, do there exist analytic-invariant predictors? We have partially answered that question: assuming the Continuum Hypothesis (CH), the answer is “no”. Regarding other subgroups of Homeo^+(R), we have affirmative answers that rely solely on topological group-theoretic properties of the subgroup. But these properties are very restrictive; e.g., all known positive examples are metabelian. So there remain many open questions. This is joint work with Aldi, Buffkin, Cline, Cody, Elpers, and Lee.