DISTINGUISHED LECTURE SERIES

December  8, 2024

Distinguished Lecture Series

The Fields Institute Distinguished Lecture Series (DLS) is intended to bring a leading international mathematician to give a series of three lectures. In addition, at least the following lectures should be aimed at a general mathematical audience including post-doctoral fellows and graduate students.

SHING-TUNG YAU
The Chinese University of Hong Kong and Harvard University

 

 

 


What is the Shape of Inner Space?
PUBLIC LECTURE
January 19, 2011 at 6:00 p.m.
Earth Sciences Auditorium, UToronto

In this public lecture, Professor Yau will talk about how mathematics and physics can come together to the benefit of both fields, particularly in the case of Calabi-Yau spaces and string theory--our leading attempt to explain the universe to date. He will discuss his personal introduction to geometry, as well as a bit of the history of geometry. 
Thus, Professor Yau hopes to give the audience a sense of how mathematicians think and approach the world and convey the realization that mathematics does not have to be a wholly abstract discipline, disconnected from everyday phenomena, but is instead crucial to our understanding of the physical world.

Further Exploration of the Shape of Inner Space
Thursday, January 20, 2011 at 4 p.m.
Fields Institute, 222 College Street

Mass and Momentum in General Relativity
Friday, January 21, 2011 at 3 p.m.
Fields Institute, 222 College Street

For further information please contact gensci(PUT_AT_SIGN_HERE)fields.utoronto.ca
Professor Yau's work has impacted both mathematics and physics. Calabi-Yau manifolds are among the ‘standard toolkit’ for string theorists today. He has made fundamental contributions at the interface between geometry and theoretical physics. His proof of the positive energy theorem in general relativity demonstrated sixty years after its discovery that Einstein's theory is consistent and stable. His proof of the Calabi conjecture allowed physicists using Calabi-Yau compactification to show that string theory is a viable candidate for a unified theory of nature.

Speakers in the Distinguished Lecture Series (DLS) have made outstanding contributions to their field of mathematics. The DLS consists of a series of three one-hour lectures. Index of Fields Distinguished and Coxeter Lectures