Wolfgang-Pauli Lectures 2006

The lectures are open for the public and they will take place in the main building of the ETH Zurich (Rämistrasse 101)

contact: Sinikka Kyburz

Prof. Richard Hamilton

Columbia University, New York

Geometrization

Monday, June 12, 20:15 h, Auditorium Maximum
We will talk about three-dimensional worlds (manifolds) curved back on themselves like the earth is in two dimensions, the idea of improving the geometry of such a space by the Ricci Flow, which is the heat equation for the geometry, and how it can break up the space into separate pieces and give each piece a nice (homogeneous) geometry, mostly by drawing pictures [rated G-general audience].

Flow by Ricci Curvature

Tuesday, June 13, 20:15 h, Auditorium Maximum
We will show in greater detail the behavior of the Ricci Flow by treating it as a system of partial differential equations, going through the estimates which contol the behavior of the metric,including the celebrated non-collapsing result of Perelman [rated PG-scientists].

Geometric Flows

Thursday, June 15, 20:15 h, HG F 1
We will discuss the field of geometric flows, playing compare and contrast with Ricci flow, mean curvature flow, Harmonic Map flow etc, and speculate on the future of the field [rated R-mathematicians].