Wednesday
01 09 2021
Utrecht
DELTA ITP
ADVANCED TOPICS IN THEORETICAL PHYSICS
DELTA ITP Event

Theoretical physics: Techniques in Stochastic Processes, TBA and the SYK model (fall 2021)

We are happy to announce the Delta ITP Course Advanced Topics in Theoretical Physics aimed at advanced Master’s students, PhD and postdoctoral researchers, which takes place in the fall 2021 and has as theme "Techniques in Stochastic Processes, TBA and the SYK model".
The course consists of three 5-week modules. Each module consists of four lectures and exercise sessions, as well as an exam.
Lectures will take place on Monday's at 11:15-13:00, followed by a study/exercise session 13:45- end.
At the end of the module there is an exam. All exams will be graded with a pass or fail. You need to pass all three exams to receive credit for the course.
We expect that in-person (or hybrid) teaching will be possible, with the location of this course rotating between the three institutes. The first module is in Utrecht. Directions to the institutes can be found here: Amsterdam, Utrecht, Leiden. Students who do not have an OV-card from the Dutch government can have their travel costs reimbursed from D-ITP. Please contact the local coordinator (below) for details.
Please register here before the course begins, even if you do not take the course for credit. We cannot process your grade or send important notices if you do not register.
Please contact your local organizer (below) for details.

  • Module 1:

    Farshid Jafarpour (UU)
    Techniques in Stochastic Processes
    Lectures and exercises: Sept 6, 13, 20, 27 (Oct 4 is a UL holiday), room: BBG 7.12 and MS Teams
    Exam: Oct 11, room TBA

    Abstract: An overview of three classes of stochastic processes, their relationships, and applicable techniques. (1) Discrete-time, discrete-state processes: Bernoulli Process, Branching Processes, Discrete Random Walks, (2) Continuous-time, discrete-state: Poisson Process, Birth-Death Processes, Radioactive Decay, Chemical Reactions (3) Continuous-time, continuous state: Brownian Motion and Continuous Random Walks, Langevin Equation, Stochastic Differential Equations. In this course, students will learn the following concepts and techniques: Generating Functions, Master Equations, Kramers-Moyal Expansion, Fokker-Planck Equation, Dynamics of Moments and Temporal Statistics, Decomposition of Noise to Intrinsic and Extrinsic Components, and time permitting, Numerical Techniques such as Gillespie Algorithm and Euler Method for Simulating SDEs.

  • Module 2:

    Jan Zaanen (UL)
    Quantum field theory 2.0: densely many body entangled quantum matter.
    Lectures and exercises: Oct 18, 25, Nov 1, 8 – 11:15-13:00 Room Snellius 312 and from
    14:15-17:00 Problem sessions: Gorleaus DM 109
    Exam: Nov 15; 11:15-13:00 hour, Room HL 226

    Abstract: Propelled by progress in quantum information, experimental developments in condensed matter physics and especially the holographic duality of string theory mankind is in the process of discovering states of matter that are completely different from the textbook lore. These are in the grip of “quantum supremacy”, the exponential complexity of quantum many body physics. I will present an elementary overview that revolves around recent developments in high energy-, condensed matter and computational physics.

    Lecture 1: Stoquastic physics: short range entanglement versus the quantum critical point.
    Lecture 2: The Fermion sign problem, introduction to AdS/CFT.
    Lecture 3: The holographic strange metals
    Lecture 4: Quantum supremacy and the physics of high Tc superconductors.

  • Module 3:

    Micha Berkooz (Weizmann/UvA)
    The SYK model, quantum chaos and low dimensional gravity
    Lectures and exercises: Nov 22, 29, Dec 6, 13
    Rooms: lecture on Nov 22 lecture and exercises online, Nov 29 lecture and exercises online, Dec 6 lecture: G4.15, exercises D1.114, and Dec 13 lecture: G4.15 and exercises D1.115
    Exam: Dec 20 exam is online, details TBA

    Abstract: The Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev (SYK) model, and its generalizations, sit at the interface of quantum gravity, condensed matter physics and quantum chaos. It is a tractable large N model of interacting particle, with a random all-to-all p-local interaction, and it is dual to 2D gravity on nearly-AdS spacetime. In the lectures we will discuss 1) basic aspects and observables of classical and quantum chaos, 2) set up the SYK model and solve it using the replica method and using combinatorial tools (related to non-commutative geometry), 3) discuss the dual JT gravity model and use the above to discuss wormholes in low dimensional gravity.

  • Contact:

    Dr. Lars Fritz
    Institute for Theoretical Physics
    Utrecht University
    Princetonplein 5
    3584 CC Utrecht
    tel: +31 30 253 3880
    e-mail: l.fritz@uu.nl

    Prof. Koenraad Schalm
    Instituut-Lorentz for Theoretical Physics
    Leiden University
    Niels Bohrweg 2
    2335 CA Leiden
    email: kschalm@lorentz.leidenuniv.nl

    Dr. Wouter Waalewijn
    Institute for Theoretical Physics
    University of Amsterdam
    Science Park 904
    1098 XH Amsterdam
    tel: +31 (0)20 525 3204
    e-mail: w.j.waalewijn@uva.nl

    Administrative matters:
    Mariëlle Hilkens
    Institute for Theoretical Physics
    Utrecht University
    Princetonplein 5
    3584 CC Utrecht
    tel: +31 30 253 5906
    e-mail: m.e.t.hilkens@uu.nl