2023-2024 ACADEMIC YEAR
UPCOMING TALKS
Take a look below for the schedule for Prairie Mathematics Colloquiums this year. If you have any questions about specific activities or event timing, please don’t hesitate to get in touch - we’ll be happy to help.
​
Keep watch for event links to upcoming events hosted via online platforms.
NOVEMBER 23, 2023
SPEAKER: Raphaël Clouâtre, Associate Professor, University of Manitoba
(Learn more about the speaker here)
​
TITLE: "Pure States on Operator Algebras"
​​
ABSTRACT: Let B be a normed space and let A be a subspace. When does a continuous linear functional on A admit a unique norm-preserving extension to B? If A and B are C*-algebras and the functional is a so-called pure state, this question was at the heart of a long-standing conjecture of Kadison and Singer from 1959, which was eventually verified in 2015 by Marcus, Spielman and Srivastava. In this talk I will explore the corresponding problem for pure states on subspaces of C*-algebras. I will explain how this is non-trivial even for familiar choices of B, such as the continuous functions on some compact space, or the n x n matrices. I will attempt to clarify this issue using a non-commutative counterpart to the classical notion of peak point from function theory.
​​
TIME: All in the Central Time Zone
​​
Meet and Greet:
-
2:00pm-2:30pm CST
​Talk:
-
2:30pm-3:20pm CST
Questions:
-
3:20pm-3:30pm CST
​
LOCATION:
The event will take place via Zoom
​​
ZOOM LINK: https://usask-ca.zoom.us/j/96349416490?pwd=MTg2dDZZNXdOMlJESEs2Ly9WL1ZoZz09
​
Meeting ID: 963 4941 6490
Passcode: 64909186
​​​
JANUARY 18, 2024
SPEAKER: Steven Rayan, Director, quanTA Centre and Professor, University of Saskatchewan
(Learn more about the speaker here​)
​
TITLE: "Moduli Spaces and Quantum Matter: From Materials to Pure Mathematics and Back"
​
ABSTRACT: The advent of topological materials, a form of physical matter with unusual but useful properties, has brought with it unexpected new connections between pure mathematics on the one side and physics, chemistry, and material science on the other side. As the name suggests, topology has played a significant role in understanding and classifying these materials. In this talk, I will offer a brief look at a vast extension to this story, arising from my work as a pure mathematician in collaboration with a number of individuals from the physical sciences over the last three years. This work sees geometry — in particular, the complex algebraic geometry of Riemann surfaces and moduli spaces associated to them — being used to anticipate new models of quantum matter. There will be lots of pictures.
​​
TIME: All in the Central Time Zone
​​
Meet and Greet:
-
2:00pm-2:30pm
​Talk:
-
2:30pm-3:20pm
Questions:
-
3:20pm-3:30pm
​
LOCATION: The event will take place via Zoom
​
Zoom Meeting Details:
​
ZOOM LINK: https://uregina-ca.zoom.us/j/99484286876?pwd=b1JRNjRjRmRCaEFqekNJVEdob2NVQT09
Meeting ID: 994 8428 6876
​​
Passcode: 688175
MARCH 7, 2024
​
SPEAKER: Sarah Plosker, Associate Professor & Canada Research Chair, Brandon University
​
(Learn more about the speaker here​)
​
TITLE: "Generalized Hadamard Matrices, Graphs Diagonalized by Such Matrices, and Quantum State Transfer"
​
ABSTRACT:
A Hadamard matrix $H \in\mathcal{M}_n$ is a matrix whose entries are either 1 or -1 and satisfies $H^T H=n I$. A recent generalization of this definition is the notion of a weak Hadamard matrix: a $\{-1,0, 1\}$-matrix $P$ such that $PP^T$ is tridiagonal. We further generalize to consider either $\{-1,0,1\}$- or $\{-1,1\}$-valued matrices, with various generalized orthogonality conditions so that $PP^T$ is banded. Combinatorial and algebraic properties of these matrices are considered.
​
Graphs whose Laplacian matrix is diagonalized by a Hadamard matrix have been of interest in recent years, and in particular have been studied for their quantum state transfer abilities. We therefore consider graphs whose Laplacian matrix is diagonalized by a weak Hadamard matrix, in relation to quantum state transfer. We provide a complete list of all simple, connected graphs on nine or fewer vertices that are $\{-1,0,1\}$- or $\{-1,1\}$-diagonalizable.
​​
TIME: All in The Central Time Zone
​​
Meet and Greet:
-
2:00pm-2:30pm CST
​Talk:
-
2:30pm-3:20pm CST
Questions:
-
3:20pm-3:30pm CST
​​
LOCATION:
The event will take place via Zoom
​​
Zoom Meeting Details:
​​
ZOOM LINK: https://umanitoba.zoom.us/j/65198628181?pwd=S3M3eURZK21XT3psYU1nYWkvd1p5dz09
Meeting ID: 651 9862 8181
​
Passcode: 443969
PREVIOUS TALKS
Take a look at our previous speakers, and their talks at various institutions. Follow this links to watch their past live-stream from the event.