Consider a sequence of random walks on $\mathbb{Z}/p\mathbb{Z}$ with symmetric generating sets $A= A(p)$. I will describe known and new results regarding the mixing time and cut-off. For instance, if the sequence $|A(p)|$ is bounded then the cut-off phenomenon does not occur, and more precisely I give a lower bound on the size of the cut-off window in terms of $|A(p)|$. A natural conjecture from random walk on a graph is that the total variation mixing time is bounded by maximum degree times diameter squared.

Title: Arithmetic of Double Torus Quotients and the Distribution of Periodic Torus Orbits Abstract: In this talk I will describe some new arithmetic invariants for pairs of torus orbits on inner forms of PGLn and SLn. These invariants allow us to significantly strengthen results towards the equidistribution of packets of periodic torus orbits on higher rank S-arithmetic quotients. An important aspect of our method is that it applies to packets of periodic orbits of maximal tori which are only partially split.

To every topological group, one can associate a unique universal minimal flow (UMF): a flow that maps onto every minimal flow of the group. For some groups (for example, the locally compact ones), this flow is not metrizable and does not admit a concrete description. However, for many "large" Polish groups, the UMF is metrizable, can be computed, and carries interesting combinatorial information. The talk will concentrate on some new results that give a characterization of metrizable UMFs of Polish groups. It is based on two papers, one joint

To every topological group, one can associate a unique universal minimal flow (UMF): a flow that maps onto every minimal flow of the group. For some groups (for example, the locally compact ones), this flow is not metrizable and does not admit a concrete description. However, for many "large" Polish groups, the UMF is metrizable, can be computed, and carries interesting combinatorial information. The talk will concentrate on some new results that give a characterization of metrizable UMFs of Polish groups. It is based on two papers, one joint

Title: Rigidity of higher rank diagonalizable actions in positive characteristic

The (wrapped) Fukaya category of a symplectic manifold is a category whose objects are Lagrangian submanifolds and which contains a wealth of information about the symplectic topology. I will discuss the construction of the wrapped Fukaya category for certain completely integrable Hamiltonian systems. These are 2n-dimensional symplectic manifolds carrying a system of n commuting Hamiltonians surjecting onto Euclidean space. This gives rise to a Lagrangian torus fibration with singularities.

Title: Equidistribution of expanding translates of curves in homogeneous spaces and Diophantine approximation. Abstract: We consider an analytic curve $\varphi: I \rightarrow \mathbb{M}(n\times m, \mathbb{R}) \hookrightarrow \mathrm{SL}(n+m, \mathbb{R})$ and embed it into some homogeneous space $G/\Gamma$, and translate it via some diagonal flow

Speaker: Misha Belolipetsky Title: Arithmetic Kleinian groups generated by elements of finite order Abstract: We show that up to commensurability there are only finitely many cocompact arithmetic Kleinian groups generated by rotations. The proof is based on a generalised Gromov-Guth inequality and bounds for the hyperbolic and tube volumes of the quotient orbifolds. To estimate the hyperbolic volume we take advantage of known results towards Lehmer's problem. The tube volume estimate requires study of triangulations of lens spaces which may be of independent interest.

"Entropy theory for non-amenable groups (part II)"

Abstract: Adamczewski and Bell proved in the 2013 the Loxton - van der Poorten conjecture. It says the following. Let f be a Laurent power series (with complex coefficients) and let \sigma_p be the operator substituting x^p for x in f. Suppose that f satisfies a homogenous polynomial equation in the operator \sigma_p with coefficients which are rational functions, and a similar equation in the operator \sigma_q where p and q are multiplicatively independent natural numbers. Then f is a rational function.

Abstract: Adamczewski and Bell proved in the 2013 the Loxton - van der Poorten conjecture. It says the following. Let f be a Laurent power series (with complex coefficients) and let \sigma_p be the operator substituting x^p for x in f. Suppose that f satisfies a homogenous polynomial equation in the operator \sigma_p with coefficients which are rational functions, and a similar equation in the operator \sigma_q where p and q are multiplicatively independent natural numbers. Then f is a rational function.

Speaker: Misha Tyomkyn (TAU) Title: Lagrangians of hypergraphs and the Frankl-Furedi conjecture Abstract: Frankl and Furedi conjectured in 1989 that the maximum Lagrangian of all r-uniform hypergraphs of given size m is realised by the initial segment of the colexicographic order. For r=3 this was partially solved by Talbot, but for r\geq 4 the conjecture was widely open. We verify the conjecture for all r\geq 4, whenever $\binom{t-1}{r} \leq m \leq \binom{t}{r}- \gamma_r t^{r-2}$ for a constant $\gamma_r>0$. This range includes the principal case

Title: Character values on compact simple Lie groups Abstract: This work is part of a joint project with Aner and others to find upper bounds for values of irreducible characters in two related settings: compact simple Lie groups and finite groups of Lie type. I will discuss the first case, presenting bounds of the form $$|\chi(g)| = O(\chi(1)^\alpha),$$

Abstract: We will discuss the characters of some classes of finite p-groups, in particular groups of maximal class and generalizations, and normally monomial groups.