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Colloquium: Fritz Gesztesy

Event Type: 
Colloquium
Speaker: 
Fritz Gesztesy, Baylor University
Event Date: 
Thursday, March 22, 2018 -
3:30pm to 4:30pm
Location: 
SMLC 356
Audience: 
Faculty/StaffStudents
Sponsor/s: 
Maxim Zinchenko

Event Description: 

Title: Trace formulas and zeta functions for differential operators - or, a spectral theorist computes pi
 
Abstract: We discuss an effective method of computing traces, determinants, and zeta functions for some classes of linear operators and apply this to the concrete case of Sturm-Liouville operators.  
 
To illustrate the formalism, we will sketch a spectral theorist's computation of pi, Jacobi’s classical transformation formula for one-dimensional theta functions (utilizing the heat equation on the circle), and sketch a derivation of a formula for Apery’s constant, zeta(3), employing a trace formula.
 
The talk will minimize technicalities and be accessible to students. 
 
This is based in part on recent joint work with Klaus Kirsten.