Category Archives: Computer Science and Optimization

Greg Kuperberg @ Tel Aviv University

Greg Kuperberg is on a short visit in Israel and yesterday he gave a fantastic lecture on an improved bound for the Solovay-Kitaev theorem. Here is a videotaped lecture of Greg on the same topic in QIP2023. The Solovay-Kitaev theorem … Continue reading

Posted in Algebra, Combinatorics, Computer Science and Optimization, Quantum | Tagged | Leave a comment

Israel AGT Day, Reichman University, March 5, 2023

We are running tomorrow the annual Israeli workshop in algorithmic game theory. Where: Reichman University. The conference will take place in room EL03, Adelson building.  Program: here. Registration: here (free). Main speakers: Moshe Babaioff (Microsoft Research), Gil Kalai (Reichman University … Continue reading

Posted in Computer Science and Optimization, Conferences, Economics, Games, Rationality | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Tel Aviv University Theory Fest is Starting Tomorrow

Tel Aviv University Theory Fest, December 26-December 28 2022. Cryptography workshop @ TAU TheoryFest December 29, 2022 TAU 2022 TheoryFest, December 26-28, 2022 The Theory of Computing was born as a purely mathematical investigation into the notion of computation. From … Continue reading

Posted in Computer Science and Optimization, Conferences | Tagged | Leave a comment

Inaugural address at the Hungarian Academy of Science: The Quantum Computer – A Miracle or Mirage

(Picture: János Pach) The Quantum Computer – A Miracle or Mirage inaugural address of Gil Kalai honorary member of the MTA, Budapest, 15 June, 2022, 15:00 Abstract: On February 12, 2002, Michel Devoret’s lecture entitled “The Quantum Computers: Miracle or … Continue reading

Posted in Academics, Computer Science and Optimization, Physics, Quantum | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Bo’az Klartag and Joseph Lehec: The Slice Conjecture Up to Polylogarithmic Factor!

Bo’az Klartag (right) and Joseph Lehec (left) In December 2020, we reported on Yuansi Chen breakthrough result on Bourgain’s alicing problem and the Kannan Lovasz Simonovits conjecture. It is a pleasure to report on a further fantastic progress on these … Continue reading

Posted in Analysis, Computer Science and Optimization, Convexity, Geometry, Probability | Tagged , | 3 Comments

ICM 2022. Kevin Buzzard: The Rise of Formalism in Mathematics

In this post I would like to report on Kevin Buzzard’s spectacular lecture on moving mathematics toward formal mathematical proofs.  (Here are the slides.) The picture above is based on images from the other spectacular Saturday morning lecture by Laure … Continue reading

Posted in Computer Science and Optimization, ICM2022, Logic and set theory, Mathematics and Computers, Number theory, What is Mathematics | 12 Comments

ICM 2022 awarding ceremonies (1)

Hugo Duminil-Copin, June Huh, James Maynard and Maryna Viazovska were awarded the Fields Medal 2022 and Mark Braverman was awarded the Abacus Medal 2022. I am writing from Helsinki where I attended the meeting of the General Assembly of the … Continue reading

Posted in Academics, Algebra, Applied mathematics, Combinatorics, Computer Science and Optimization, Convexity, Geometry, ICM2022, Probability | 7 Comments

Is HQCA Possible? A conversation with Michael Brooks

Here is a short email interview from April 2021 with Michael Brooks from “New Scientist”. Dear Professor Kalai, I’m writing a short feature for New Scientist magazine on the theme “Will we ever have a useful quantum computer?”. I’m aware … Continue reading

Posted in Computer Science and Optimization, Quantum | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Good Codes papers are on the arXiv

Here are some links to the breakthrough papers about error correcting codes that I mentioned in this post. The results about locally testable codes with constant rate distance and locality was achieved independently in papers 1 and 2.  1) Locally … Continue reading

Posted in Combinatorics, Computer Science and Optimization, Quantum | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Dream a Little Dream: Quantum Computer Poetry for the Skeptics (Part II, The Classics)

Quantum poetry for the skeptics had long roots, and, also here, Peter Shor along with Jennifer Shor had a pioneering role. Volker Strassen’s response is the earliest poem known to me on the skeptics’ side. We will start with Jennifer … Continue reading

Posted in Art, Computer Science and Optimization, Controversies and debates, Music, Poetry, Quantum | 1 Comment