Moscow - Petersburg

Seminar on Low-Dimensional Mathematics

[Russian version]

Place: Room 311, PDMI (27 Fontanka, St.-Petersburg).
Time: Fridays, 16:00--17:45.
Sponsor: oil company Schlumberger.
Organizer: S.Duzhin.

• September 28: S.K.Lando (IUM, Moscow) "Galois group acting on graphs".
  Abstract in English, Abstract in Russian.

• October 5: S.V.Duzhin (PDMI, SPb) "A dozen low-dimensional problems" (version of October 5th).
  New updated version ("Twenty one problems"): PostScript file, TeX/xfig sources, (last updated February 2, 2004; remarks about solved problems added).

  Related texts:
  (1) This strange and mysterious Rolle's theorem. A paper by B.Shapiro and M.Shapiro containing several low-dimensional problems.
  (2) A paper by A.Gaifullin, A.Skopenkov, M.Skopenkov and A.Shapovalov related to Problem no. 8: LaTeX source with EPS pictures, PostScript.
  (3) Solution of problem 1 by M.Vsemirnov.
  

• October 12: O.Karpenkov (MSU-IUM, Moscow) "Energy of a knot".
  Abstract in English, Abstract in Russian.

• October 19: Yu.V.Matiyasevich (PDMI, SPb). "Some Probabilistic Restatements of the Four Color Conjecture".
  Short English Abstract, Long English Abstract, Short Russian Abstract.

• October 26: S.Orevkov (MIAN, Moscow -- Toulouse, France). "Recent results on Hilbert's 16th Problem".

• November 2: V.Makeev (SPb University). Inscribed and circumscribed polyhedra and sections of convex bodies.
  

• November 9: E.B.Vinberg (MSU-IITP, Moscow): "On largeness of hyperbolic discrete groups"

• November 16: G.Panina (IIAS, SPb) "Virtual polytopes and some classical problems of geometry".
  Abstract in English, Abstract in Russian.

• November 23: G.Mikhalkin (PDMI, SPb and Univ. of Utah, USA): Algebraic varieties and their amoebas.

• November 30: A.S.Gasparyan (Pereslavl-Zalessky). A generalization of A.D.Alexandrov's inequality about mixed discriminants of quadratic forms.

• December 7th: A.B.Sossinsky (IUM, Moscow) Could the Poincare Conjecture be false?

• December 14th: I.S.Krasilschik (IUM, Moscow) Geometry of differential equations and their algebraic invariants.

• December 21st: A.M.Vershik (PDMI, SPb). Universality and Universal Objects (Urysohn's Space, Hall's Group, Erd\"os' Graph).

Current schedule.

The two titles of the seminar ("Moscow--Petersburg" and "Low-dimensional Mathematics") should not be taken too seriously.

On one hand, although our primary aim is to foster working contacts between the two main mathematical schools of Russia (Moscow and St.Petersburg), we also encourage mathematicians from other Russian cities as well as from outside Russia to present their talks at the seminar.

On another hand, although I personally prefer low-dimensional objects to high-dimensional and infinite-dimensional, the scope of the seminar is not, in principle, limited to any specific field of mathematics. Talks dedicated to any reasonable mathematical subject will be earnestly considered. Preference will be given to the talks of 'colloquium' nature, interesting to the general mathematical audience, not only to narrow specialists.

The seminar is sponsored by the oil company Schlumberger with which I have a research contract. This will allow us to cover the travel and living expenses for visitors from Moscow and probably from other Russian cities. Local speakers will be able to get a (small) fee for their talks, too. We shall not be able to cover the travel expenses from abroad; however, we will do our best to help the international visitors with accomodation and sightseeing in St.Petersburg.

Announcements about this seminar are sent over a special mailing list. If you want your address to be included in this list, please write me at duzhin@pdmi.ras.ru. To arrange your talk at the seminar, use the same address. If you have a wish to prepare a talk in principle, but are not yet sure about your nearest schedule, do not hesitate to write me, either. The talks are expected to be 1.5 hours (two 45 minute sections with a break).