Focus Programmes

Focus Programme 2027
Focus Programme 2027

Rigorous analysis of random complex systems

April ‒ September 2027

This Focus Programme centers on the rigorous analysis of the effective behavior of complex random systems. Such systems arise naturally across several mathematical domains, with canonical examples stemming from statistical mechanics, homogenization, and training algorithms for artificial neural networks. These areas, while diverse in their origins, share a common mathematical foundation rooted in probability theory and analysis, and they pose challenges that require a unified and rigorous approach.

Conferences and Workshops:
Further information will follow.

  • 23 April 2027: Mini-Workshop
    Random tessellations and statistical learning
    The aim of this workshop is to gather the researchers working in stochastic geometry with particular focus on random tessellations and those working in statistical learning with a particular focus on methods that utilise random partitions, creating the opportunity to foster new collaborations and get an input on recent developments in both areas.
  • 26 ‒ 28 April 2027: School/workshop
    Dynamics and Geometry of Point Processes
    This workshops aims to present recent developments in analytical and geometrical aspects of point processes, such as functional inequalities, asymptotic large scale behaviour, geometric models, and dynamics.
  • June 2027 (tba): Workshop
    Homogenisation and Mixing
    tba
  • 30 August ‒ 3 September 2027: Conference
    Dynamics, Random Media and Universality of Complex Physical systems
    The conference will address a broad spectrum of topics at the interface of probability theory and statistical mechanics. It will bring together leading experts alongside early-career researchers, fostering a lively and productive exchange of ideas.

Organisers:

Steffen Dereich, Arnulf Jentzen, Anna Gusakova, Martin Huesmann, Zakhar Kabluchko, Matthias Löwe, Chiranjib Mukherjee, Christian Seis, Hendrik Weber, Caterina Zeppieri

Focus Programme 2023
Focus Programme 2023

Actions of totally disconnected locally compact groups on discrete structures

September - October 2023

This Focus Programme aims to foster collaborations in the study of locally compact groups acting on infinite discrete structures such as graphs and buildings. Key themes include geometric and combinatorial approaches, local-to-global phenomena, self-similarity and topological dynamics. We encourage participation of researchers at any career stage in related fields.

Conferences and Workshops:

  • 4 - 8 September 2023: Summer School
    Introduction to totally disconnected locally compact groups
    This summer school provides an introduction to various aspects of t.d.l.c. groups aimed at graduate students and postgraduate fellows. Topics include Cayley-Abels graphs, homological methods, p-adic Lie groups and self-similarity.

  • 11 - 15 September 2023: Workshop 1
    Totally disconnected locally compact groups from a geometric perspective
    Many discrete geometric structures admit symmetries that are not determined by a finite substructure. This phenomenon is reflected in the non-discreteness of their automorphism group. Conversely, sufficiently non-discrete t.d.l.c. groups admit geometric actions on such structures. This workshop focuses on the above approaches and their interplay.
  • 9 - 13 October 2023: Workshop 2
    Totally disconnected locally compact groups: local to global
    This workshop studies the relationship between local, or small-scale, and global, or large-scale, properties of t.d.l.c. groups, which is more subtle than for Lie groups. Small-scale structure, which manifests both in the topological group structure and the objects on which the groups act, interacts with large-scale properties such as simplicity, amenability and quasi-isometry type.


Organisers:

Simon André (Münster), Michal Ferov (Newcastle), Alejandra Garrido (Madrid), Shirly Geffen (Münster), David Kerr (Münster), Colin Reid (Newcastle), Katrin Tent (Münster), Stephan Tornier (Newcastle), George Willis (Newcastle)

Fotos

Summer School: Introduction to totally disconnected locally compact groups, September 2023
Summer School: Introduction to totally disconnected locally compact groups, September 2023
© MM/vl
  • Totally disconnected locally compact groups from a geometric perspective, September 2023
    © MM/vl
  • Totally disconnected locally compact groups: local to global, October 2023
    © MM

News 06/2023: Humboldt Research Awards for Prof. George Willis and Dr. Colin Reid

Focus Programme 2022 - 2023
Focus Programme 2022 - 2023

Effective and dynamic behaviour of random structures

July 2022 - March 2023

This Focus Programme addresses probability theory and its interplay with analysis as well as mathematical physics. Topics include Gaussian multiplicative chaos, Liouville quantum gravity, renormalization theory, stochastic partial differential equations, stochastic approximation for neural networks, optimal transport, branching random walks, random polytopes and random graphs.

Conferences and Workshops:

Organisers:

Gerold Alsmeyer, Steffen Dereich, Anna Gusakova, Martin Huesmann, Arnulf Jentzen, Zakhar Kabluchko, Matthias Löwe, Chiranjib Mukherjee, André Schlichting, Christian Seis, Angela Stevens, Raimar Wulkenhaar, Caterina Zeppieri

Fotos

Quantum many body systems and interacting particles, Juni 2022
Quantum many body systems and interacting particles, Juni 2022
© MM/vl
  • Open Japanese-German conference on stochastic analysis and applications, September 2022
    © MM/vl
  • Open Japanese-German conference on stochastic analysis and applications, September 2022
    © MM/vl
  • Random discrete structures, März 2023
    © MM/vl
Focus Programme 2021
Focus Programme 2021

Geometry and PDEs: from theory to applications

September - November 2021

This Focus Programme aims to connect the fields of differential geometry, metric geometry, PDEs, calculus of variations, data science and numerics. We will study geometric flows, geometric viewpoints on PDEs and data, as well as measure-based generalizations of geometric notions.

Conferences and Workshops:

Organisers:

Christoph Böhm, Manuel Friedrich, Hans-Joachim Hein, Gustav Holzegel, Martin Huesmann, Joachim Lohkamp, Stephan Luckhaus, Christian Seis, Anna Siffert, Burkhard Wilking, Benedikt Wirth, Caterina Zeppieri

Coordinators:

Christoph Böhm
Benedikt Wirth

Fotos

Workshop on Curvature and Global Shape, August 2021
Workshop on Curvature and Global Shape, August 2021
© MM/vl
  • Analysis on singular spaces, September 2021
    © MM/vl
  • Talk by Karl-Theodor Sturm, Analysis on singular spaces, September 2021
    © MM/vl

Operator algebras and topological dynamics: amenability and beyond

© Focus Programme Operator algebras and topological dynamics
Summer 2021

This is a Focus Programme on operator algebras and their interplay with group actions. In this context we will be interested in amenable structures and their many incarnations, and in rigidity phenomena which typically arise as soon as one leaves the amenable setup.

Conferences and Workshops:

Organisers:

Kristin Courtney, Tim de Laat, Siegfried Echterhoff, Eusebio Gardella, Wilhelm Winter

Fotos

Interactions between expanders, groups and operator algebras, June 2021
Interactions between expanders, groups and operator algebras, June 2021
© MM
  • Groups meet C*-algebras, June - July 2021
    © MM/vl
  • Cuntz semigroups Workshop, July 2021
    © MM
  • Young Mathematicians in C*-Algebra, August 2021, week 1
    © MM/vl
  • Young Mathematicians in C*-Algebra, August 2021, week 2
    © MM/vl