EVENT DETAILS AND ABSTRACT

Title: Introduction to flexible mathematics: What is the h principle?
Speaker: Yakov Eliashberg
Speaker Info: Stanford University
Brief Description:
Special Note: Pinsky Lecture 3
Abstract:

Abstract The goal of Flexible Mathematics is to test the limits of what is possible in the mathematical world. This exploration often brings unexpected and counter-intuitive results, such as Steven Smale’s 2-sphere eversion and John Nash’s $C^1$-isometric phenomenon. Building on the results of Smale and Nash Mikhail Gromov developed powerful general techniques which revealed large classes of differential equations and inequalities whose solutions exhibit a similar flexible behavior. This created a new area, which is now called the h-principle. Some of the most interesting applications of the h-principle belong to symplectic topology, where in recent year new methods and applications were found. Other important area of applications of the h-principle techniques is in the theory of singularities and topology.