Research

Analysis

(Leader: Prof. Dmitry Khavinson )

Friday, November 20, 2009

Title: Minimal Discrete Energy on the Sphere, Part IV
Speaker: E. A. Rakhmanov
Time: 3:00pm–4:00pm
Place: PHY 118

Friday, November 13, 2009

Title: Minimal Discrete Energy on the Sphere, Part III
Speaker: E. A. Rakhmanov
Time: 3:00pm–4:00pm
Place: PHY 118

Friday, November 6, 2009

Title: Minimal Discrete Energy on the Sphere, Part II
Speaker: E. A. Rakhmanov
Time: 3:00pm–4:00pm
Place: PHY 118

Friday, October 30, 2009

Title: Minimal Discrete Energy on the Sphere
Speaker: E. A. Rakhmanov
Time: 3:00pm–4:00pm
Place: PHY 118

Abstract

We will make a review of some results on distributions of \(N\) points on the \(2\)D sphere minimizing discrete Riesz Energy. In particular, we mention

  1. Numerical experiment: How to compute extremal points.
  2. Comparatively small \(N\) — symmetries of configurations.
  3. Asymptotics of energy as \(N\) goes to infinity: Smale problem.
  4. Open Problems

Friday, October 16, 2009

Title: Integrability and Laplacian growth: another view on the Schwarz potential, Part III
Speaker: Razvan Teodorescu
Time: 4:00pm–5:00pm
Place: PHY 118

Friday, October 9, 2009

Title: On a Uniqueness Property of Harmonic Functions
Speaker: Dmitry Khavinson
Time: 4:00pm–5:00pm
Place: PHY 118

Abstract

We shall discuss the problem of uniqueness for functions \(u\) harmonic in a domain \(G\) in \(R^n\) and vanishing on some parts of the intersection \(V\) (not necessarily connected) of \(G\) with a line \(m\). The question originated more than a decade ago with N. Nadirashvili (private communication). For example, let \(G\) be a spherical shell, i.e., the region between two concentric spheres, and \(m\) is a line through the origin. Does \(u\) vanish on both segments along which \(m\) intersects \(G\) if it does so on one of them? To illustrate the cunning depth of the question note that if you let \(G\) to be the annulus with a sector cut out, the function \(u=\arg z\) in the plane does vanish on the positive part of the real axis, but not on the whole intersection. What happens if \(G\) is a spherical shell but m does NOT pass through the center? What if we replace harmonic functions by polyharmonic functions, or, more generally, solutions of analytic elliptic equations, or even worse, by linear combinations of Riesz potentials that satisfy no PDE altogether? The answers are by no means obvious and, in many cases, may be judged as surprising.

Friday, October 2, 2009

Title: Integrability and Laplacian growth: another view on the Schwarz potential, Part II
Speaker: Razvan Teodorescu
Time: 4:00pm–5:00pm
Place: PHY 118

Friday, September 25, 2009

Title: Integrability and Laplacian growth: another view on the Schwarz potential
Speaker: Razvan Teodorescu
Time: 4:00pm–5:00pm
Place: PHY 118

Abstract

The Schwarz potential introduced by Khavinson and Shapiro allows to describe Laplacian growth in terms of a Cauchy problem for the evolution in physical time \(t\). Under this evolution, a maximal set of parameters (harmonic moments) are preserved, hinting to the integrability of the system. The most elegant proof of integrability is an unexpected application of the Schwarz potential. I will discuss these connections and a number of examples.

Friday, September 18, 2009

Title: Laplacian Growth in \(R^n\) and the Schwarz Potential
Speaker: Erik Lundberg
Time: 4:00pm–5:00pm
Place: PHY 118

Abstract

We consider the problem of describing the moving interface between an inviscid fluid (water) pushing against a region of viscous fluid (oil) where there is a sinc. Under the simplifying assumption that surface tension is zero, the pressure in the oil domain coincides with Green's function with singularity at the position of the sinc. The velocity of the moving boundary is then (a constant times) negative the gradient of pressure. It has been pointed out that the time derivative of the Schwarz function of the moving boundary coincides with \(z\)-derivative of the pressure. We discuss a generalization to arbitrary dimensions using Khavinson and Shapiro's generalization of the Schwarz function. We will then speculate on the prospect of this point-of-view leading to exact solutions of \(n\)-dimensional Laplacian growth for \(n > 2\).

Friday, August 28, 2009

Title: Wave flows in the capillary hydrodynamics: bifurcations and attractors
Speaker: Grigori Sisoev, School of Mathematics
University of Birmingham, UK
Time: 4:00pm–5:00pm
Place: PHY 118

Abstract

Experiments for films flowing down a vertical plane demonstrate a wide spectrum of wave regimes which are strongly dependent on flow conditions and liquid properties. In a wide range of physical parameters, the film flow is modelled by evolutionary partial differential equations for film thickness and local flow rate. Dynamical system generated by the model for space-periodic solutions is investigated. Manifold of its limit cycles is numerically constructed. Attracting invariant solutions, limit cycles and invariant tori, developing from different initial data are discussed. The attracting solutions are in a good agreement with experimental data.