Center for Mathematical Sciences Research
Sourav Chatterjee – Stanford University
Wednesday, October 28, 2026
Zoom opens: 10:30AM EDT
Seminar begins: 10:45AM EDT
Some exact calculations in timelike Liouville field theory
Timelike Liouville field theory is a toy model of 2D gravity that has received attention in the recent literature. Most of the conjectures about this theory are currently beyond the reach of rigorous mathematics. I will present a recent work where I was able to perform some exact calculations for certain parameter values. No background is necessary.
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Alex Kontorovich – Rutgers University
Date/Time/Location
Thursday, October 29 , 2026, 12:10 pm; Hill Center 705
"What do we do now?"
We'll discuss a variety of naturally arising questions, now that AI is capable of solving major research problems.
Smitha Vishveshwara – University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Wednesday, November 4, 2026
Exploring Condensate Shells: From ground-based lattices to Space
Bose-Einstein Condensates trapped in shell-shaped geometries are expected to be found in a variety of unique settings from co-existent superfluid-Mott insulating phases in optical lattices to neutron stars. On Earth, such freely standing condensate shells generally cannot exist due to gravitational sag. Remarkably, such structures, however, are being realized in microgravity conditions in the Cold Atomic Laboratory aboard the International Space Station. Following a survey of these shells from laboratory to astrophysical settings, I describe our theoretical studies in close connection with experiments in optical lattices and in Space. I discuss the collective mode structure of shell shaped condensates and related signatures of hollowing, quantum interference effects in time-of-flight expansion, and vortex behavior. In the instance of microgravity, I present the thermodynamics of expanding shells, parallels in cosmological scenarios, and the journey that brought these experiments to Space.
Matthew P.A. Fisher – UC Santa Barbara
Wednesday, November 11, 2026
Strong-to-weak U(1) Symmetry Breaking in Open System Dynamics
In generic open quantum systems, universal dynamical processes tend to exhibit classicality - dissipation washes out quantum effects. Here I consider open quantum dynamics in the presence of a global U(1) symmetry. In mixed states, this symmetry can be either strong or weak, and distinct dynamical phases can be characterized by the spontaneous breaking of either symmetry. The strong-to-weak spontaneous symmetry breaking (SW-SSB) transition is characterized by various information theoretic quantities which are non-linear in the system's mixed state density matrix. Within a Lindblad framework for U(1) dynamics, we show that a finite-time SW-SSB transition occurs in two and three dimension, whereas in one dimension the correlation length grows linearly with time and diverges only in the in finite-time steady state. Moreover, with carefully chosen Lindblad dynamics, the SW-SSB transition signals a finite time breakdown of quantum dynamics, giving rise to classical dynamics described by a stochastic Langevin equation (Model F of Halperin-Hohenberg). When the weak symmetry is spontaneously broken, the system enters a superfluid state with classical hydrodynamics. I will describe observation of a SW-SSB phase and phase transition in cold atomic gas simulators, as revealed by an appropriately chosen quantum-classical cross-correlator
131st Statistical Mechanics Conference Sunday December 13, 2026 - Tuesday December 15 2026 at 0800am - 0500pm nbspHill Center 100 Frelinghuysen Road Room 116 Piscataway NJ nbsp Celebrating the achievements of our guests of honor Eric Carlen, Eduardo Fradkin and Sid Redner
