Mathematical Sciences Department Colloquium
Speaker: Jordan Cotler, Harvard University
Friday, March 7th, 2025
11:00am -12:00pm
Stratton Hall 202
Title: Decoding Chaos: from Classical to Quantum
Abstract: Most systems in nature are chaotic, giving rise to complex dynamical behaviors that are difficult to characterize. We will examine classical and quantum chaotic dynamics through the lens of computation and information theory, providing new insights into chaotic universality classes, chaotic attractors, and quantum thermalization. First, we will build a bridge between chaotic universality classes and computational universality classes, characterizing chaotic systems by the kinds of algorithms that they can be ‘programmed’ to perform. For example, we will explain how systems with more chaos exhibit a lower capacity for storing memory. Next, we will highlight a key distinction between classical and quantum chaos, which has long made quantum chaos challenging to study. By leveraging recent advances in information theory and noncommutative geometry, we aim to overcome these challenges and offer a novel synthesis that unifies classical and quantum chaos.