Probability Seminar

 Spring, 2008

We will meet on Thursdays at 2:00pm in Kidder 364.
Here is a tentative list of speakers (to be extended): Herold Dehling (Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Germany), Ed Waymire, Yevgeniy Kovchegov, Robert Burton, Qi-Man Shao (University of Oregon)
Registration information: Mth 607, Sec 006 - CRN 38146

Day/Time/Room

Speaker

Title and abstract

Thursday, April 3, 2:00pm
Kidder 364
Herold Dehling
Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Germany

"The empirical pair process and a CLT for non-symmetric U-statistics."

Abstract. In my talk I will introduce and analyze the empirical pair process, and show how this concept can be applied to obtain a central limit theorem for non-symmetric U-statistics (joint work with Sergey Utev).
Thursday, April 10
NO SEMINAR
No seminar this week



Thursday, April 17, 2:00pm
Kidder 364
Ed Waymire
Oregon State University

"On the existence of infinite volume tree polymer limits"

Abstract. Existence of an infinite volume tree polymer model is discussed in the case of weak and strong disorder, and some results related to recent speculation by Yuval Peres and computer simulations by Torrey Johnson will be indicated -- leading to further speculations.
Thursday, April 24
NO SEMINAR
No seminar this week



Thursday, May 1, 2:00pm
Kidder 364
Robert Burton
Oregon State University

"Monotone Iterated Function Systems and Self-Reinforced Learning Models."

Abstract. The early years of the decade starting with 1950s saw the development of learning models which were Markov chains arising as iteration of random processes with monotone properties. There were papers by Bush and Mosteller, T.Harris, and S.Karlin who studied Markov Chains with the structure of iterated random composition of monotone functions on an interval. These ideas were predecessors to g-Martingales of M.Keane, and in turn led to Iterated Function Systems. We take this idea and generalize it to associative structure, i.e. those in which past repetitions of a behavior make this behavior more likely in the future. From this, we can get Central Limit Theorems, even in the absence of uniform mixing assumptions. This is seen as falling into the L_1 / L_2 dichotomy of analysis.
Thursday, May 8
NO SEMINAR
No seminar this week



Thursday, May 15, 2:00pm
Kidder 364
Qi-Man Shao
University of Oregon
and
Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

"Stein's Method of Exchangeable Pairs with Application to the Curie-Weiss Model"

Abstract. PDF file
Thursday, May 22, 2:00pm
Kidder 364
Yevgeniy Kovchegov
Oregon State University

TBA

Abstract. TBA
Thursday, May 29, 2:00pm
Kidder 364
TBA

TBA

Abstract. TBA



Past probability seminars: Fall 2005, Winter 2006, Spring 2006, Fall 2006, Winter 2007, Spring 2007, Fall 2007, Winter 2008