CMSA Quantum Matter in Math and Physics Seminar: What Observables are Safe to Calculate?

CMSA QUANTUM MATTER IN MATH & PHYSICS SEMINAR, CMSA EVENTS

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April 26, 2024 10:30 am - 12:00 pm
CMSA, 20 Garden St, G10
Address: 20 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
Speaker:

Jesse Thaler - MIT


In collider physics, perturbative quantum field theory is the workhorse framework for computing theoretical predictions to compare to experimental measurements. An observable is called "safe" if its cross section can be predicted order-by-order in perturbation theory with controlled non-perturbative corrections. In this talk, I show that naive definitions of "safety" are inadequate to determine which observable are perturbatively calculable. I then argue for a more refined definition of safety based on principles from optimal transport theory.

Zoom: https://harvard.zoom.us/j/977347126

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