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Distinguished Lecture Series
The Fields Institute Distinguished Lecture Series (DLS) is
intended to bring a leading international mathematician to
give a series of three lectures. In addition, at least the
following lectures should be aimed at a general mathematical
audience including post-doctoral fellows and graduate students.
SHING-TUNG
YAU
The Chinese University of Hong Kong and Harvard University
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What is the Shape
of Inner Space?
PUBLIC LECTURE January 19, 2011
at 6:00 p.m.
Earth Sciences Auditorium, UToronto
In this public lecture, Professor Yau will talk about how mathematics
and physics can come together to the benefit of both fields,
particularly in the case of Calabi-Yau spaces and string theory--our
leading attempt to explain the universe to date. He will discuss
his personal introduction to geometry, as well as a bit of the
history of geometry.
Thus, Professor Yau hopes to give the audience a sense of how
mathematicians think and approach the world and convey the realization
that mathematics does not have to be a wholly abstract discipline,
disconnected from everyday phenomena, but is instead crucial
to our understanding of the physical world.
Further Exploration
of the Shape of Inner Space
Thursday, January 20, 2011 at 4 p.m.
Fields Institute, 222 College Street
Mass and Momentum in General Relativity
Friday, January 21, 2011 at 3 p.m.
Fields Institute, 222 College Street
For further information please contact gensci(PUT_AT_SIGN_HERE)fields.utoronto.ca
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Professor Yau's work has impacted both mathematics and physics. Calabi-Yau
manifolds are among the standard toolkit for string theorists
today. He has made fundamental contributions at the interface between
geometry and theoretical physics. His proof of the positive energy
theorem in general relativity demonstrated sixty years after its discovery
that Einstein's theory is consistent and stable. His proof of the
Calabi conjecture allowed physicists using Calabi-Yau compactification
to show that string theory is a viable candidate for a unified theory
of nature.
Speakers in the Distinguished Lecture Series (DLS) have made outstanding
contributions to their field of mathematics. The DLS consists of
a series of three one-hour lectures. Index of Fields
Distinguished and Coxeter Lectures
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