Taming Infinities

Professor Martin Hairer

Regius Professor of Mathematics, The University of Warwick
Fields Medal (2014)
Fröhlich Prize (2014)
Fermat Prize (2013)
Fellow of the Royal Society
Fellow of American Mathematical Society
Member of the Austrian Academy of Sciences
Member of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina
Doctor of Science, honoris causa, Hong Kong Baptist University

15 November 2016 (Tuesday)

2:30 - 4:00 p.m.

Venue: WLB103, Dr. Hari Harilela Lecture Theatre,
                Lam Woo International Conference Centre,
                55 Renfrew Road,  Shaw Campus,
                Hong Kong Baptist University

Abstract:

Some physical and mathematical theories have the unfortunate feature that if one takes them at face value, many quantities of interest appear to be infinite! Various techniques, usually going under the common name of "renormalisation" have been developed over the years to address this, allowing mathematicians and physicists to tame these infinities. We will tip our toes into some of the mathematical aspects of these techniques and we will see how they have recently been used to make precise analytical statements about the solutions of some equations whose meaning was not even clear until now.