For a given deterministic measure we construct a random measure on the Brownian path that has expectation the given measure. For the construction we introduce the concept of weak convergence of random measures in probability. The machinery can be extended to more general sets than Brownian path.

Motivated by the long-standing problem of finding sharp lower estimates for the Hausdorff dimension of self-affine sets, I will describe some recent results on the equilibrium states of the singular value function. These equilibrium states arise as candidates for the measures of maximal Hausdorff dimension on self-affine sets. In particular I will discuss a sufficient condition for uniqueness of the equilibrium state (from joint work with Antti Käenmäki) and an unconditional bound for the number of ergodic equilibrium states (from joint work with Jairo Bochi).

In his influential disjointness paper, H. Furstenberg proved that weakly-mixing systems are disjoint from irrational rotations (and in general, Kronecker systems), a result that inspired much of the modern research in dynamics. Recently, A. Venkatesh managed to prove a quantitative version of this disjointness theorem for the case of the horocyclic flow on a compact Riemann surface. I will discuss Venkatesh's disjointness result and present a generalization of this result to more general actions of nilpotent groups, utilizing structural results about nilflows proven by Green-Tao-Ziegler.

If N denotes a Poisson process, a splitting of N is formed by two point processes N_1 and N_2 such that N=N_1+N_2. If N_1 and N_2 are independent Poisson processes then the splitting is said to be Poisson and such a splitting is always available (We allow the possibility to enlarge the ambient probability space). In general, a splitting is not Poisson but the situation changes if we require that the distributions of the point processes involved are left invariant by a common underlying map that acts at the level of each point of the processes.

Abstract: Borel studied the topological group actions that are possible on locally symmetric manifolds. In these two talks, I will explain Borel's work and interpret these results as a type of rigidity statement very much related to the well-known Borel conjecture of high dimensional topology. In particular, I will give the characterization of locally symmetric manifolds (of dimension not 4) which have a unique maximal conjugacy of finite group of orientation preserving homeomorphisms, due to Cappell, Lubotzky and myself. We will then

In this talk I will provide some counter-examples for quantitative multiple recurrence problems for systems with more than one transformation.  For instance, I will show that there exists an ergodic system $(X,\mathcal{X},\mu,T_1,T_2)$ with two commuting transformations such that for every $\ell < 4$ there exists $A\in \mathcal{X}$ such that  \[ \mu(A\cap T_1^n A\cap T_2^n A) < \mu(A)^{\ell} \]  for every $n \in \mathbb{N}$.  The construction of such a system is based on the study of ``big'' subsets of $\mathbb{N}^2$ and $\mathbb{N}^3$  satisfying combinatorial properties.  

Abstract: In 2009 the speaker and Vladimir Markovic constructed nearly geodesic surfaces in a given closed hyperbolic 3-manifold M. The construction proceeded by taking all "good pants" in M and matching them at their boundaries to produce a closed surface. I will describe this construction, as well as a new construction with Alexander Wright, of a nearly geodesic surface in the case where M has a cusp. If time permits, I will discuss the potential applications of this construction to higher rank nonuniform lattices and mapping class groups.

Abstract Borel studied the topological group actions that are possible on locally symmetric manifolds. In these two talks, I will explain Borel's work and interpret these results as a type of rigidity statement very much related to the well-known Borel conjecture of high dimensional topology. In particular, I will give the characterization of locally symmetric manifolds (of dimension not 4) which have a unique maximal conjugacy of finite group of orientation preserving homeomorphisms, due to Cappell, Lubotzky and myself. We will then

A sequence of Picard/Galois orbits of special points in a product of arbitrary many modular curves is conjectured to equidistribute in the product space as long as it escapes any closed orbit of an intermediate subgroup. This conjecture encompasses several well-known results and conjectures, including Duke's Theorem, the Michel-Venkatesh mixing conjecture and the equidistribution strengthening of André-Oort in this setting.