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A bijection transforms one type of mathematical object into another. Such transformations provide new perspectives on these objects, revealing surprising properties and uncovering new mysteries. We discuss bijections from alternating sign matrices to other objects in mathematics and physics and recent progress in the search for a missing bijection.
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Is it possible to approximate arbitrary points in space by vectors with rational coordinates, with which we, and computers, feel much more comfortable? If yes, can we approximate those points arbitrarily close? In this snapshot, we explore how the geometric configuration of these points influences the answers to these questions. Further, we delve into the closely related problem of counting rational vectors near surfaces. The unlikely tool which helps us in this endeavour is Fourier analysis – the study of waves and oscillations!
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Richard Brauer (1901–1977) was a German–American mathematician who is regarded as the founder of a highly active mathematical area known as modular representation theory. This area grew from group theory, which can be thought of as the mathematical study of symmetries. In this snapshot, we hope to impress on the reader the legacy left by Brauer and celebrate the 60th anniversary of “Brauer’s problems”, a list of 43 conjectures and objectives suggested by Brauer in 1963. These problems inspired an entire branch within character theory, studying “local-global conjectures”.
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In the ’70s, physicists introduced a new type of symmetry – supersymmetry – to address some unresolved issues in particle physics models. Its mathematical foundations involve the representation theory of the associated symmetry groups, called supergroups.
Our aim is to understand fusion rules, which describe how a combination of two physical systems can be broken down into more fundamental building blocks. Although the answer is largely unknown, we can get approximate answers in some cases.
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This snapshot compares two techniques of shuffling a deck of cards, asking how long it will take to shuffle the cards until a “well-mixed deck” is obtained. Surprisingly, the number of shuffles can be very different for very similar looking shuffling techniques.
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The Dutch catalog for the exhibition “Pracht en kracht van wiskunde,” which toured Belgium and the Netherlands in 2022 and 2023, is available here.
This gallery contains additional information about the exhibition, posters in English and Dutch, and other materials.
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Differential equations make predictions on the future state of a system given the present. In order to get a sensible prediction, sometimes it is necessary to include randomness in differential equations, taking microscopic effects into account. Surprisingly, despite the presence of randomness, our probabilistic prediction of future states is stable with respect to changes in the surrounding environment, even if the original prediction was unstable. This snapshot will unveil the core mathematical mechanism underlying this “regularisation by noise” phenomenon.
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This snapshot compares two techniques of shuffling a deck of cards, asking how long it will take to shuffle the cards until a “well-mixed deck” is obtained. Surprisingly, the number of shuffles can be very different for very similar looking shuffling techniques.
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Everyone loves a good game, but when the players can access the counterintuitive world of quantum mechanics, watch out!
“God does not play dice with the universe” – Albert Einstein
“Not only does God play dice but… he sometimes throws them where they cannot be seen.” – Stephen Hawking
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Wir werden einige grundlegende Ideen der Eichtheorie und der dazugehörigen Differentialtopologie erkunden. Damit kann sich die Leserin ein Bild des Modulraums flacher Zusammenhänge machen und ihn mit den physikalisch motivierten Ideen dahinter in Beziehung bringen. Den Begriffen von Symmetrien und Feldern gehen wir gründlich nach. Außerdem werfen wir einen flüchtigen Blick auf unendliche Symmetrie in zwei Dimensionen und auf vor kurzem entdeckte Verallgemeinerungen.