- Series
- Stelson Lecture Series
- Time
- Friday, March 10, 2023 - 4:00pm for 1 hour (actually 50 minutes)
- Location
- Klaus lecture auditorium 1443
- Speaker
- Wilhelm Schlag – Yale University – wilhelm.schlag@yale.edu – https://gauss.math.yale.edu/~ws442/
- Organizer
- Gong Chen
Please Note: General audience lecture
Waves are ubiquitous in nature. Some wave phenomena are conspicuous, most notably in elastic objects, and in bodies of water. In electro-dynamics, quantum mechanics, and gravity, waves play a fundamental role but are much more difficult to find. Over the past centuries, major scientific breakthroughs have been associated with the discovery of hidden wave phenomena in nature. Engineering has enabled our modern information based society by developing sophisticated methods which allow us to harness wave propagation. Seismic exploration relies on wave scattering in the discovery of natural resources. Medicine depends heavily on wave-based imaging technology such as MRI and CAT scans.
Mathematics has played a major role in the understanding of wave propagation, and its many intricate phenomena including reflection, diffraction, and refraction. In its most basic form, the wave equation is a linear partial differential equation (PDE). However, modern science and engineering rely heavily on nonlinear PDEs which can exhibit many surprising and delicate properties. Mathematical analysis continues to evolve rapidly driven in part by the many open questions surrounding nonlinear PDEs and their solutions. This talk will survey some of the mathematics involved in our understanding of waves, both linear and nonlinear.