The 2024 Jubilee Chair Professor of the Indian Academy of Sciences is Professor Malabika Pramanik (University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada). She is visiting the Department of Mathematics at IISc from 16-20 December, 2024 (among other venues in India). During this time, she will deliver a series of two lectures at IISc. The details are as follows.
Title. The Geometry of Distances: A Tale of Points, Patterns, and Problems
Date and Time. December 17 and 18, 2024 (Tuesday and Wednesday), 3:30-4:30 pm
Talk 1 Livestream: https://youtube.com/live/faMPVNlNeZI?feature=share
Talk 2 Livestream: https://youtube.com/live/IWo1qgmJw_g?feature=share
Venue. LH-1, Mathematics Department
Abstract. For millennia, the Pythagorean theorem has provided a simple yet profound formula for computing distances between points. Remarkably, this timeless concept continues to captivate mathematicians, inspiring new discoveries and posing challenging open questions.
A central theme in this journey involves distance sets: collections of distances determined by points in a set. How large can a distance set be if the set of points it comes from is “large”? How does the structure of a set shape the distances it contains? These questions bridge classical geometry and modern mathematics, with applications reaching far beyond disciplinary boundaries.
This two-part series explores the surprising depth of these problems. The first talk introduces key ideas and landmark results in a way accessible to a general audience, requiring no advanced mathematical background. The second talk delves into analytical perspectives, uncovering deeper mathematical mysteries for those eager to explore the intricate beauty of this field.
