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The main objective of this course is to discuss some advanced topics in gravitational physics and its applications to high energy physics. Necessary mathematical tools will be introduced on the way. These mathematical tools will include a review of differential geometry (tensors, forms, Lie derivative), vielbeins and Cartan’s formalism, hypersurfaces, Gauss-Codazzi formalism, and variational principles (Einstein-Hilbert action & Gibbons-Hawking term). Several topics in black hole physics including the Kerr solution, black hole astrophysics, higher-dimensional black holes, black hole thermodynamics, Euclidean action, and Hawking radiation will be covered. Additional advanced topics will include domain walls, brane world scenarios, Kaluza-Klein theory and KK black holes, Gregory-Laflamme instability, and gravitational instantons

This course will cover the basics of Quantum Foundations under three main headings. Part I – Novel effects in Quantum Theory. A number of interesting quantum effects will be considered. (a) Interferometers: Mach-Zehnder interferometer, Elitzur-Vaidman bomb tester, (b) The quantum-Zeno effect. (c) The no cloning theorem. (d) Quantum optics (single mode). Hong-Ou-Mandel dip. Part II Conceptual and interpretational issues. (a) Axioms for quantum theory for pure states. (b) Von-Neumann measurement model. * (c) The measurement (or reality) problem. (d) EPR Einstein’s 1927 remarks, the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen argument. (e) Bell’s theorem, nonlocality without inequalities. The Tirolson bound. (f) The Kochen-Specker theorem and related work by Spekkens (g) On the reality of the wavefunction: Epistemic versus ontic interpretations of the wavefunction and the Pusey-Barrett-Rudolph theorem proving the reality of the wave function. (h) Gleason’s theorem. (i) Interpretations. The landscape of interpretations of quantum theory (the Harrigen Spekkens classification). The de Broglie-Bohm interpretation, the many worlds interpretation, wave-function collapse models, the Copenhagen interpretation, and QBism. Part III Structural issues. (a) Reformulating quantum theory: I will look at some reformulations of quantum theory and consider the light they throw on the structure of quantum theory. These may include time symmetric quantum theory and weak measurements (Aharonov et al), quantum Bayesian networks, and the operator tensor formalism. (b) Generalised probability theories: These are more general frameworks for probabilistic theories which admit classical and quantum as special cases. (c) Reasonable principles for quantum theory: I will review some of the recent work on reconstructing quantum theory from simple principles. (d) Indefinite causal structure and indefinite causal order. Finally I will conclude by looking at (i) the close link between quantum foundations and quantum information and (ii) possible future directions in quantum gravity motivated by ideas from quantum foundations.

This workshop will bring together a group of young trendsetters working at the frontier of machine learning and quantum information. The workshop will feature two days of talks, and ample time for participants to interact and form new collaborations in the inspiring environment of the Perimeter Institute. Topics will include machine learning, quantum field theory, quantum information, and unifying theoretical concepts.

https://pirsa.org/C22034

Territorial Land Acknowledgement

Perimeter Institute acknowledges that it is situated on the traditional territory of the Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee, and Neutral peoples.

Perimeter Institute is located on the Haldimand Tract. After the American Revolution, the tract was granted by the British to the Six Nations of the Grand River and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation as compensation for their role in the war and for the loss of their traditional lands in upstate New York. Of the 950,000 acres granted to the Haudenosaunee, less than 5 percent remains Six Nations land. Only 6,100 acres remain Mississaugas of the Credit land. 

We thank the Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee, and Neutral peoples for hosting us on their land.

The course has three parts. In the first part of the course, the path integral formulation of non-relativistic quantum mechanics and the functional integral formulation of quantum field theory are developed. The second part of the course covers renormalization and the renormalization group. Finally, non-abelian gauge theories are quantized using functional integral techniques.

The course begins by discussing several topics in equilibrium statistical physics including phase transitions and the renormalization group. The second part of the course covers non-equilibrium statistical physics including kinetics of aggregation, spin dynamics, population dynamics, and complex networks.

The goal of this conference is for quantum matter researchers at Perimeter, University of British Columbia, and University of Toronto to share their recent work with each other, to facilitate discussion and collaboration.

https://pirsa.org/C22033

Territorial Land Acknowledgement

Perimeter Institute acknowledges that it is situated on the traditional territory of the Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee, and Neutral peoples.

Perimeter Institute is located on the Haldimand Tract. After the American Revolution, the tract was granted by the British to the Six Nations of the Grand River and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation as compensation for their role in the war and for the loss of their traditional lands in upstate New York. Of the 950,000 acres granted to the Haudenosaunee, less than 5 percent remains Six Nations land. Only 6,100 acres remain Mississaugas of the Credit land. 

We thank the Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee, and Neutral peoples for hosting us on their land.

This course uses quantum electrodynamics (QED) as a vehicle for covering several more advanced topics within quantum field theory, and so is aimed at graduate students that already have had an introductory course on quantum field theory. Among the topics hoped to be covered are: gauge invariance for massless spin-1 particles from special relativity and quantum mechanics; Ward identities; photon scattering and loops; UV and IR divergences and why they are handled differently; effective theories and the renormalization group; anomalies.

Join us on Monday October 24 to welcome our new cohort of postdocs at Perimeter Institute at the Postdoc Welcome 2022! Each new postdoc will be given 5 minutes to introduce themselves to the PI Community.  The time will be used to tell us a little bit about themselves and to showcase their current research.  These presentations are very casual and should not be misconstrued as formal talks. Some discussion will follow the presentations, whereby current PI Residents may have the opportunity to ask questions.

Conference Schedule:

9:30AM - 11AM - short talks session 1 in Sky room.
11:00AM -11:30AM - coffee break in 1st floor Bistro
11:30AM - 1:00PM - short talks session 2 in Sky room.
1:00PM - 2:00PM - group lunch in the Bistro in 2nd floor Bistro (new postdocs, postdoc reps)
2:00PM - 5:30PM - off-site activity (new postdocs, existing postdocs)

https://pirsa.org/C22042

Territorial Land Acknowledgement

Perimeter Institute acknowledges that it is situated on the traditional territory of the Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee, and Neutral peoples.

Perimeter Institute is located on the Haldimand Tract. After the American Revolution, the tract was granted by the British to the Six Nations of the Grand River and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation as compensation for their role in the war and for the loss of their traditional lands in upstate New York. Of the 950,000 acres granted to the Haudenosaunee, less than 5 percent remains Six Nations land. Only 6,100 acres remain Mississaugas of the Credit land.

We thank the Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee, and Neutral peoples for hosting us on their land.

Join us for a day that celebrates the advance of human knowledge!  Come and hear from scientific luminaries responsible for defining the modern landscape of physics and working to transform it in the future.  Presentations by Nobel and Breakthrough Prize winners will describe some of the most exciting topics in science today, followed by talks by Perimeter researchers on how these are being pursued now, and culminating with animated panel conversations on how breakthrough science was, is and will be done. 

https://pirsa.org/C22040

Territorial Land Acknowledgement

Perimeter Institute acknowledges that it is situated on the traditional territory of the Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee, and Neutral peoples.

Perimeter Institute is located on the Haldimand Tract. After the American Revolution, the tract was granted by the British to the Six Nations of the Grand River and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation as compensation for their role in the war and for the loss of their traditional lands in upstate New York. Of the 950,000 acres granted to the Haudenosaunee, less than 5 percent remains Six Nations land. Only 6,100 acres remain Mississaugas of the Credit land. 

We thank the Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee, and Neutral peoples for hosting us on their land.

This is an introductory course on general relativity (GR). We shall cover the basics of differential geometry and its applications to Einstein’s theory of gravity. The plan is to discuss black holes, gravitational waves, and observational evidence for GR, as well as to cover some of the more advanced topics.

The course starts by looking for a quantum theory that is compatible with special relativity, without assuming fields are fundamental. Nevertheless fields turn out to be a very good, maybe inevitable mathematical tool for formulating and studying such a relativistic quantum theory. The second part of the course introduces the Dirac theory and canonically quantizes it. It also quantizes the Maxwell field theory. The Feynman diagram technique for perturbation theory is developed and applied to the scattering of relativistic fermions and photons. Renormalization of quantum electrodynamics is done to one-loop order.

Prerequisite: PSI Quantum Theory course or equivalently Graduate level Quantum Mechanics and QFT of scalar theory

There has been recent activity in looking for new conserved charges and symmetries in gravity, most notably at infinity but also for finite regions. An important question is whether some of these charges and symmetries have physical implications. These charges are evaluated on codimension-2 surfaces  called corners, which constitute the main focus of this conference. The goal is to bring together leading experts and promote discussions and exchanges among different approaches to (quantum) gravity. 

https://pirsa.org/C22029

Territorial Land Acknowledgement

Perimeter Institute acknowledges that it is situated on the traditional territory of the Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee, and Neutral peoples.

Perimeter Institute is located on the Haldimand Tract. After the American Revolution, the tract was granted by the British to the Six Nations of the Grand River and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation as compensation for their role in the war and for the loss of their traditional lands in upstate New York. Of the 950,000 acres granted to the Haudenosaunee, less than 5 percent remains Six Nations land. Only 6,100 acres remain Mississaugas of the Credit land. 

We thank the Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee, and Neutral peoples for hosting us on their land.