University of Chicago Probability Seminar

Friday, Oct. 23, Ilya Gruzberg, Physics Department, U of C, Network models for quantum Hall transitions and conformal restriction

Friday, Oct 30, Zachary Madden, U of C, topics in percolation

Friday, Nov. 13, Steffen Rohde, University of Washington, Space filling curves and the Loewner equation

Abstract: After reviewing path properties of the (deterministic) Loewner equation and Schramm's stochastic Loewner equation SLE, I will discuss self-similar curves such as the van Koch, Sierpinski- and the Hilbert curve. I will show (joint work with Joan Lind) that there is a "second phase transition" for the Loewner equation, just like in SLE.

Friday, Dec 4, Tom Kurtz, U of Wisconsin, Prophetic constructions of branching and related processes

A collection of well-known population models (branching processes, branching Markov processes, branching processes in random environments, etc.) is constructed in a manner that associates with each individual in the population a characteristic called a level. If the levels are known to an observer, then a great deal is known about the future behavior of individuals (e.g., the exact time of death). If the levels are not known, then the models evolve as the observer would expect from their classical descriptions. The constructions enable straight forward proofs of a variety of known and not-so-well-known results including limit theorems, conditioning arguments, and derivation of properties of genealogies.

Friday, Jan. 29, Brigitta Vermesi, IPAM and Seattle

Friday, Feb. 5, Tom Kennedy, U. of Arizona