 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
6.30, No Host Dinner
Friday March 12. 9.00-10.00: Jon Borwein, Presentation and demonstration of
10.00-12.00: Discussion of opportunities for technology based collaboration in AARMS and AceNet.
Lunch at Faculty Club
2.00-5.00: Next steps (Keith Taylor will join us)
6.00: Dinner for participants at Jon and Judi Borwein, 857 Bridges.
Abstracts
Dan Kucerovsky. The algebraic topology of non-commutative spaces
We introduce C*-algebras as generalizations of topological spaces. The key notion of Kasparov
theory is the absorbing extension, which appears to be the proper non-commutative counterpart of
the classical concept of a loop in $\pi_1(X)$, the fundamental group. We attempt to indicate some
applications.
RJ Wood. Complete Distributivity (CD)
Even basic theorems about (CD) lattices depend on the axiom of choice (AC).
In the early 90's, Fawcett and Wood formulated the definition of constructively completely
distributive (CCD) lattices for which the corresponding theorems avoid choice. In fact they proved
(AC)<==>(CD<==>CCD)
I will explain how the (CCD) idea illustrates `less is more' in constructive mathematics.
Jon Borwein: Maximizing Surprise
The Surprise Examination or Unexpected Hanging Paradox has long fascinated mathematicians
and philosophers, as the number of publications devoted to it attests. In this talk, the optimization
problems arising from an information theoretic avoidance of the Paradox are examined and solved.
They provide a very satisfactory application of both the Kuhn-Tucker theory and of various classical
inequalities and estimation techniques. Although the necessary convex analytic concepts are
recalled in the course of the talk, some elementary knowledge of optimization is assumed. Those
unfamiliar with this background may simply ignore a couple of proofs and few technical details.
This is joint work with D. Borwein (UWO) and P. Marechal (Montpellier). Our joint paper appeared in
the MAA Monthly and is available at www.cecm.sfu.ca/preprints/1998pp.html#116
.
 |