[BANANA] Special Seminar, Monday, Oct. 26, 11:30am--12:30pm

[Ming Gu]

Hi everyone,

There will not be a regular LAPACK seminar meeting on
Wednesday, Oct. 28 due to the SIAM Meeting on Applied Linear
Algebra in Monterey. However, there will be a special
seminar on Monday, Oct. 26, 11:30am--12:30pm in 380 Soda
Hall, hosted by Prof. Lek-Heng Lim. 

Date: Oct. 26
Time: 11:30am--12:30pm
Place: 380 Soda Hall
Host: Prof. Lek-Heng Lim
Speaker: Prof. Shmuel Friedland, University of Illinois at Chicago
Title:  Theoretical and computational methods in statistical mechanics
Abstract: In this lecture, for a general mathematical audience, we will 
discuss theoretical and computational aspect of the Pott's model in 
statistical mechanics on the integer lattice in d-dimensional space. (The 
Pott's models are generalizations of Ising model.) We will introduce the 
notion of the grand partition function and pressure. We will relate the 
first order transition in Pott's models to non-differentiability of 
corresponding Lipschitz convex functions. We will demonstrate the 
computability of the pressure using rigorous upper and lower bounds via 
the transfer matrices. This lecture is dedicated to the memory of my 
colleague and collaborator Uri N. Peled, and is based on our joint paper 
http://arxiv.org/abs/0906.5176 An early variant of this talk is available 
at http://www2.math.uic.edu/friedlan/preshusem12.06.pdf