Conference on Ergodic Theory and Combinatorics

University Of Memphis, Memphis TN

Investigators

Abstract

This award supports the participation of U.S.-based researchers and graduate students in the conference "Ergodic Theory and Combinatorics," held at the University of Agder, Kristiansand, Norway from June 8 to June 12, 2015. The theme of the conference is the fusion of two mathematical theories. The part of combinatorics that is of interest is Ramsey theory. Ramsey theory finds order in completely random structures, such as the relationships among an arbitrary set of people. Ergodic theory is the mathematical theory behind statistical mechanics. The strong connection between the two theories is unexpected, and since its discovery in the late 1970's, Ergodic Ramsey Theory has become an increasingly vibrant area of research. The activity in the area of Ergodic Ramsey Theory area has greatly accelerated after the ground breaking work of Green, Tao, Host, and Kra less than a decade ago. The main theme of the conference is at the cross section of ergodic theory, combinatorics, number theory, and Fourier analysis. Ergodic Ramsey Theory has contributed to all four areas and serves as a perfect example of how the interplay of many areas of mathematics can facilitate progress. The conference will highlight recent developments in this area and introduce students and new researchers to many open questions. Conference web site: www.uia.no/en/ergodic-theory-and-combinatorics-conference