Printer friendly version

Kadanoff CNLS Kac lectures begin today

One of the world's leading theoretical physicists will present three talks at the Center for Non-Linear Studies beginning today.

Professor Leo Kadanoff of the University of Chicago will give three Mark Kac Memorial Lectures. The schedule of talks is as follows:

• "Excellence in Computer Simulations," 3 this afternoon in the Physics Building Auditorium at Technical Area 3;
• "Making a Splash; Breaking a Neck," 10 a.m., Wednesday, Center for Nonlinear Studies Conference Room, Building 1690, TA-3; and
• "Loewner Evolution: Maps and Shapes in Two Dimensions" 10 a.m., Thursday, CNLS Conference Room.

In the first talk, Kadanoff will discuss the integration of computer simulations, modeling and science with examples drawn from the work of the Alliance Laboratories and from recent work on astrophysics at the University of Chicago's Alliance Center for Astrophysical Thermonuclear Flashes, which is part of the ASC Academic Strategic Alliances Program Center.

His second talk on Wednesday will explore the fundamentals of fluid flow and how the model-examples provided by fluids provide a better understanding of the nature of complexity. Problems encountered modeling fluid flows lead to broader issues, such as predictability and chaos, the likelihood of very extreme outcomes and the natural formation of complex 'machines.'

Kadanoff's third lecture is more technical in nature and reports on recent application of Loewner's method that uses conformal maps for constructing fractal line patterns, a method that has allowed for the solution of shape problems in percolation, self-avoiding walks and critical phenomena.

For more information, see the Feb. 17 Daily Newsbulletin.

Other Headlines