Speaker: Tammy Ziegler, HU Title: Extending weakly polynomial functions from high rank varieties Abstract: Let k be a field, V a k-vector space, X in V a subset. Say that f: X —> k is weakly polynomial of degree a if its restriction to any isotropic subspace is a polynomial degree of a. We show that if X is a high rank variety then any weakly polynomial function of degree a is the restriction to X of a polynomial of degree a on V. Joint work with D. Kazhdan.

Speaker: Ohad Klein, BIU Title: Biased halfspaces, noise sensitivity, and local Chernoff inequalities Abstract: Let X be a random variable defined by X=\sum_i a_i x_i where x_i are independent random variables uniformly distributed in \{-1, 1\}, and a_i in R, the reals. Assume Var(X)=1=sum a_{i}^2. We investigate the tail behavior of the variable X, and apply the results to study halfspace functions f:{-1,1}^{n}-->{-1,1} defined by f(x)=1 (\sum_i a_i x_i > t) for some t in R. A puzzle: Let a = max_{i} |a_{i}|. Is it true that Pr[|X| \leq a] \geq a/10?

Speaker: Spencer Backman, HU Title: Cone valuations, Gram's relation, and flag-angles

Speaker: Igor Pak, UCLA Title: Counting linear extensions. Abstract: I will survey various known and recent results on counting the number of linear extensions of finite posets. I will emphasize the asymptotic and complexity aspects for special families, where the problem is especially elegant yet remains #P-complete. In the second half of the talk I will turn to posets corresponding to (skew) Young diagrams. This special case is important for many applications in representation theory and algebraic geometry.

Speaker: Noam Lifshitz, BIU Title: Sharp thresholds for sparse functions with applications to extremal combinatorics. Abstract: The sharp threshold phenomenon is a central topic of research in the analysis of Boolean functions. Here, one aims to give sufficient conditions for a monotone Boolean function $f$ to satisfy $\mu_{p}(f)=o(\mu_{q}(f))$, where $q = p + o(p)$, and $\mu_{p}(f)$ is the probability that $f=1$ on an input with independent coordinates, each taking the value $1$ with probability $p$.

Title: On a local version of the fifth Busemann-Petty Problem Abstract: In 1956, Busemann and Petty posed a series of questions about symmetric convex bodies, of which only the first one has been solved. Their fifth problem asks the following. Let K be an origin symmetric convex body in the n-dimensional Euclidean space and let H_x be a hyperplane passing through the origin orthogonal to a unit direction x. Consider a hyperplane G parallel to H_x and supporting to K and let C(K,x)=vol(K\cap H_x)dist (0, G).

Abstract: An inhomogeneous Markov chain X_n is a Markov chain whose state spaces and transition kernels change in time. A “local limit theorem” is an asymptotic formula for probabilities of th form Prob[S_N-z_N\in (a,b)] , S_N=f_1(X_1,X_2)+....+f_N(X_N,X_{N+1}) in the limit N—>infinity. Here z_N is a “suitable” sequence of numbers. I will describe general sufficient conditions for such results. If time allows, I will explain why such results are needed for the study of certain problems related to irrational rotations. This is joint work with Dmitry Dolgopyat.

Krieger’s generator theorem shows that any free invertible ergodic measure preserving action (Y,\mu, S) can be modelled by A^Z (equipped with the shift action) provided the natural entropy constraint is satisfied; we call such systems (here it is A^Z) universal. Along with Tom Meyerovitch, we establish general specification like conditions under which Z^d-dynamical systems are universal. These conditions are general enough to prove that 1) A self-homeomorphism with almost weak specification on a compact metric space (answering a question by Quas and Soo)