Scientific

This talk was one of the IGTC Student Presentations.

In many applications of optimization, an exact solution is less useful than a simple, well structured approximate solution. An example is found in compressed sensing, where we prefer a sparse signal (e.g. containing few frequencies) that matches the observations well to a more complex signal that matches the observations even more closely. The need for simple, approximate solutions has a profound effect on the way that optimization problems are formulated and solved. Regularization terms can be introduced into the formulation to induce the desired structure, but such terms are often non-smooth and thus may complicate the algorithms. On the other hand, an algorithm that is too slow for finding exact solutions may become competitive and even superior when we need only an approximate solution. In this talk we outline the range of applications of sparse optimization, then sketch some techniques for formulating and solving such problems, with a particular focus on applications such as compressed sensing and data analysis.

This talk will discuss mathematical problems which are challenged by the fact they involve functions of a very large number of variables. Such problems arise naturally in learning theory, partial differential equations or numerical models depending on parametric or stochastic variables. They typically result in numerical difficulties due to the so-called ''curse of dimensionality''. We shall explain how these difficulties may be handled in various contexts, based on two important concepts: (i) variable reduction and (ii) sparse approximation.

In this talk, we shall tell the tale of the origin of Quantum Cryptography from the birth of the first idea by Wiesner in 1970 to the invention of Quantum Key Distribution in 1983, to the first prototypes and ensuing commercial ventures, to exciting prospects for the future. No prior knowledge in quantum mechanics or cryptography will be expected.

This is a lecture given on the occasion of the launch of the PIMS CRG in "L-functions and Number Theory".

The theory of expander graphs is undergoing intensive development. It finds more and more applications to diverse areas of mathematics. In this talk, aimed at a general audience, I will introduce the concept of expander graphs and discuss some interesting connections to arithmetic geometry, group theory and cryptography, including some very recent breakthroughs.