37th Conference on Stochastic Processes and their Applications

New York University, New York NY

Investigators

Abstract

This award supports the participation of approximately twenty young U.S. researchers in the 37th Conference on Stochastic Processes and their Applications (SPA), to be held July 28-August 1, 2014, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The meeting is organized under the auspices of the Bernoulli Society of the International Statistics Institute, and co-sponsored by the Institute of Mathematical Statistics. SPA conferences traditionally cover a wide range of current research topics in theoretical and applied probability, stochastic processes and statistical mechanics. The core of the present edition consists of scaling limits for random processes in discrete space, like interacting particle systems and models from Statistical Physics. Models such as exclusion processes, percolation and Ising give rise to continuum objects governed by PDEs or SPDEs, with the KPZ equation and the SLE emerging as the most relevant limiting objects. More applied topics as neuroscience and mathematic models for adaptive dynamics are also well represented, as well as Boltzmann equations, aging, hydrodynamic limits and spin glasses. In addition to plenary lectures by distinguished speakers there will time for young researchers, post docs and graduate students to present their results and interact with each other and with the experts. Stochastic modeling has become ubiquitous these says. Realistic modeling is done at the smallest scale where it is easy to understand the physical process. But questions are often asked about what happens in a much larger scale. The transition involves a scaling limit and in this process certain universal behavior emerges. Different models at the micro level exhibit similar qualitative behavior at the macro scale. This notion of universality is important to understand from a mathematical point of view. The noise or randomness present at the micro level, while it is often suppressed in large scales, sometimes persists. When it does, the statistics of this noise shows a universal behavior, and it is important to understand what to expect in a given situation. There has been considerable progress recently along these lines and this has created a buzz. The conference will provide a forum for learning and exchanging ideas about them. Meeting web site: mate.dm.uba.ar/~probab/spa2014/about.html