Invitation to Random Tensor Models: from random geometry, enumeration of tensor invariants, to characteristic polynomials

2026年1月6日(火) 13:30 - 14:30

鳥海 玲子 (沖縄科学技術大学院大学 (OIST) 准教授)

I will introduce random tensor models by first reviewing their motivation coming from random geometric approach to quantum gravity. Then, I will selectively present some of the interesting research results, by highlighting recent results on enumeration of graphs representing tensor invariants, and reporting our recent work on a new notion of characteristic polynomials for tensors via Grassmann integrals and distributions of roots of random tensors. The latter two are based on arXiv:2404.16404[hep-th] and arXiv:2510.04068[math-ph]

会場: 研究本館 3階 359号室 (メイン会場) / via Zoom

イベント公式言語: 英語

Higher Gauge Structures and Invariant Action Principles

2026年1月6日(火) 15:15 - 16:15

Sebastián Salgado (External Researcher, Instituto de Alta Investigacion, Universidad de Tarapaca, Chile)

I present the systematic construction of gauge theories based on free differential and L-infinity algebras. This provides a consistent algebraic framework for constructing gauge-invariant theories whose field content is extended by higher-degree differential forms as gauge potentials. I derive explicit expressions for the corresponding extended Chern-Simons actions and the generalized anomaly terms that emerge from them. Possible applications to gravity and supergravity will also be discussed.

会場: セミナー室 (359号室) (メイン会場) / via Zoom

イベント公式言語: 英語

Median-based estimators for randomized quasi-Monte Carlo integration

2026年1月9日(金) 15:00 - 17:00

鈴木 航介 (山形大学 准教授)

High-dimensional numerical integration is a ubiquitous challenge across various fields, from mathematical finance to computational physics and Bayesian statistics. While standard Monte Carlo (MC) methods are robust, their probabilistic error convergence rate of $O(N^{-1/2})$ is often insufficient for demanding applications. In this talk, I will introduce Quasi-Monte Carlo (QMC) and Randomized QMC (RQMC) methods, which offer a powerful framework for accelerating integration using low-discrepancy point sets. A key advantage of this deterministic approach is its ability to achieve a convergence rate of $O(N^{-1+\epsilon})$, significantly outperforming the standard MC rate. The second part of the talk will focus on the construction of point sets, specifically lattice rules and digital nets. I will explain how these methods achieve higher-order convergence rates, faster than $O(N^{-1})$, for sufficiently smooth integrands. I will also discuss their randomized variants and demonstrate how RQMC with mean-based estimators provides practical error estimation while maintaining high-order convergence. Finally, I will discuss recent progress in RQMC involving median-based estimators. I will highlight how these estimators achieve almost optimal convergence rates for various function spaces without requiring prior knowledge of the integrand.

会場: セミナー室 (359号室) 3階 359号室とZoomのハイブリッド開催

イベント公式言語: 英語

Measuring evolutionary forces of cultural change

2026年1月13日(火) 14:00 - 15:30

ジョシュア・プロトキン (Walter H. and Leonore C. Annenberg Professor of the Natural Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, USA)

I will describe how to measure the forces that drive cultural change, using inference tools from evolutionary theory. We study time series data from large corpora of parsed English texts to identify what drives language change over the course of centuries. We also measure frequency-dependent effects in time series of baby names and purebred dog preferences. The form of frequency dependence we infer helps to explain the diversity distribution of names, and it replicates across the United States, France, Norway and the Netherlands. We find different growth laws for male versus female names, attributable to different rates of innovation, whereas names from the bible enjoy a genuine advantage at all frequencies. Frequency dependence emerges from a host of underlying social and cultural mechanisms, including a preference for novelty that recapitulates fashion trends in dog owners. Studying culture through the lens of evolutionary theory provides a quantitative account of social pressures to conform or to be different; and it provides inference tools that may be used in biology as genetic and phenotypic time series are increasingly available.

会場: 大河内記念ホール (メイン会場) / via Zoom

イベント公式言語: 英語

A one-world interpretation of quantum mechanics

2026年1月16日(金) 14:00 - 16:00

Isaac Layton (東京大学 大学院理学系研究科 物理学専攻 ポスドク研究員)

The measurement problem arises in trying to explain how the objective classical world emerges from a quantum one. In this talk I’ll advocate for an alternative approach, in which the existence of a classical system is assumed a priori. By asking that the standard rules of probability theory apply to it when it interacts with a system linearly evolving in Hilbert space, I’ll show that with a few additional assumptions one can recover the unitary dynamics, collapse and Born rule postulates from quantum theory. This gives an interpretation of quantum mechanics in which classically definite outcomes are always assigned probabilities, rather than superpositions, giving one-world instead of many. The main technical tool used is a change of measure on the space of classical paths, the functional form of which characterises the quantum dynamics and Born rules of a class of quantum-like theories. Time allowing, I will also discuss how these results clarify which additional assumptions must be accepted if one wishes to seriously consider classical alternatives to quantum gravity.

会場: 研究本館 4階 445-447号室 / via Zoom

イベント公式言語: 英語

Evolution of sterile soldier castes in aphids

2026年1月21日(水) 13:00 - 14:00

植松 圭吾 (慶応義塾大学)

Social evolution in aphids is tightly linked to the formation of galls on their host plants. Galls provide efficient colony defense and nutritionally rich feeding sites such that colony members need not forage outside, leading to high intra-group relatedness. Typically, social aphids form a gall on their primary host plant, after which winged morphs disperse to secondary host plants and establish a free-living, open colony. Remarkably, sterile soldier castes have independently evolved twice in these open colonies, where individuals live on plant surfaces without modifying their structure. These aphids raise intriguing questions about the prerequisites for eusocial evolution and the mechanisms by which two distinct social systems are maintained within a single genome. In this talk, I will first provide an overview of the life cycle and the diversity of altruistic behaviors in gall-forming aphids, and then present our studies of the evolution of a sterile soldier caste in aphids inhabiting open colonies. From a developmental perspective, we tested the hypothesis that the sterile soldiers evolved through the co-option of pre-existing soldier phenotypes in a gall, based on similarity in morphology, transcriptome and behavior. From an ecological perspective, we investigated the kin structure and altruistic behavior of young nymphs in the open colonies of pre-eusocial species, and demonstrate that young aphids exhibit altruism by yielding feeding sites to older kin. Together, we propose that the open colonies of social aphids provide an ideal model system for studying the evolution of altruism.

会場: セミナー室 (359号室) 3階 359号室とZoomのハイブリッド開催 (メイン会場) / via Zoom

イベント公式言語: 英語

New computational methods in quantum field theory 2026

2026年1月26日(月) - 28日(水)

Recent developments in quantum computers and related theoretical/technical advancements have brought attention to "new computational methods in quantum field theory" in the fields of high energy/nuclear physics. Main targets of this school are graduate students and postdocs. This school provides opportunities to discuss recent research trends and their applications through lectures by experts and presentations by participants. Lecturers: Junichi Haruna (University of Osaka) "Introduction to Quantum Error Correction (tentative)" Yoshimasa Hidaka (Yukawa Institute for Theoretical Physics/RIKEN iTHEMS) “Introduction to Hamiltonian Lattice Gauge Theory (tentative)” Tokiro Numasawa (University of Tokyo) "Open Majorana system (tentative)"

会場: 研究本館 4階 435-437号室

イベント公式言語: 英語

iTHEMS Cosmology Forum n°5 - Effective Field Theory approaches across the Universe

2026年1月29日(木) 10:00 - 17:00

青木 勝輝 (京都大学 基礎物理学研究所 基研特任助教)
野海 俊文 (東京大学 大学院総合文化研究科 准教授)
Lucas Pinol (CNRS Researcher, LPENS, CNRS/École Normale Supérieure, France)

This fifth workshop will bring together researchers exploring the effective field theory (EFT) framework in diverse cosmological contexts. Topics will include EFT formulations of interacting dark matter and dark energy, open EFTs for gravity, and multi-field inflationary dynamics. By highlighting recent progress and open questions, the workshop seeks to bridge insights from the early and late universe through the unifying language of EFT. In addition to the invited talks, the workshop will feature a panel discussion designed to promote interaction between the speakers and participants. One of the key goals of this event is to foster collaboration among researchers working in neighboring fields, and to encourage participation from young and early-career researchers who are interested in, but may not yet have worked on, these themes. The workshop welcomes a broad audience with an interest in theoretical cosmology, gravitation, and quantum field theory. The workshops are organised by the Cosmology Study Group at RIKEN iTHEMS.

会場: 研究本館 4階 435-437号室

イベント公式言語: 英語

Mathematical Application Research Team Meeting #12

2026年2月6日(金) 14:00 - 15:30

リッカルド・ムオロ (理化学研究所 数理創造研究センター (iTHEMS) 数理基礎部門 基礎科学特別研究員)

Mathematical Application Research Team invites Riccardo Muolo fom Division of Fundamental Mathematical Science to this meeting. You are welcome to join the meeting. Title: Dynamics beyond nodes: a topological framework for oscillatory dynamics on higher-order networks Abstract: In recent years, increasing attention has been given to dynamical processes taking place on higher-order networks, where interactions are not limited to links, but may involve also higher-dimensional simplices [1]. While classical network models assume that state variables live on nodes and interact through links, many real systems — including brain, climate, and transportation systems — cannot be fully described within this node-centric perspective [2]. In this seminar, I will introduce the framework of higher-order networks and the concept of topological signals, namely, dynamical variables defined on simplices of higher dimensions. I will briefly present the basic tools required for this setting, including elementary notions of discrete calculus, discrete topology and geometric algebra, which serve as the mathematical foundation for modeling dynamical processes beyond the node-based paradigm. Next, I will discuss models of oscillatory dynamics extended to this framework. First, I will present the topological Kuramoto model [3], in which phases are not restricted to nodes but may also be associated with links, and where the coupling arises from the combinatorial structure of the simplicial complex. Then, I will introduce the discrete Hodge Laplacian and the Dirac-Bianconi operator [4], the former generalizing diffusive interactions to the higher-order setting, while the latter provides cross-talk between signals defined on simplices of different dimensions. Finally, I will introduce the notion of Dirac-Bianconi driven oscillators, where the dynamics of node- and link-signals coexist, interact and may give rise to collective oscillatory behaviors [5].

会場: via Zoom

イベント公式言語: 英語

What can we learn from kilonovae about nucleosynthesis and high-density matter?

2026年2月9日(月) 14:00 - 15:15

オリバー・ユスト (Postdoctoral Researcher, GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung, Germany)

The electromagnetic transients accompanying neutron-star mergers (NSMs), called kilonovae, are powered by the radioactive decay of freshly synthesized heavy elements. As such they should contain rich information about the ejected matter and the properties of the extremely dense meta-stable neutron-star remnant formed right after the collision. However, extracting such information from observed kilonova light curves and spectra remains a challenging endeavor, which requires sophisticated models of various hydrodynamic processes and neutrino transport effects, detailed knowledge of nuclear and atomic physics, as well as complex radiative transfer calculations. In this talk I will report recent efforts from our "HeavyMetal" collaboration aimed at deciphering kilonovae.

会場: セミナー室 (359号室) 3階 359号室とZoomのハイブリッド開催

イベント公式言語: 英語

Testing the quantum nature of gravity with optomechanical systems

2026年2月26日(木) 10:00 - 12:00

道村 唯太 (東京大学 大学院理学系研究科 物理学専攻 助教)

Quantum gravity remains one of the major challenges in modern physics. Even at the most fundamental level, there is no experimental confirmation of whether a mass placed in a spatial superposition generates a corresponding superposition of gravitational fields. In recent years, experiments aiming to create gravity-induced quantum entanglement have attracted significant attention as a way to probe the quantum nature of non-relativistic gravity. In particular, optomechanical systems, which exploit the interaction between light and mechanical oscillators, provide a promising platform for such studies. We are pursuing experiments at the milligram scale, which lies between the smallest mass scale at which classical gravity has been tested and the largest mass scale at which quantum states of mechanical oscillators have been realized [1]. In this seminar, I will discuss experimental approaches to testing the quantum nature of gravity using suspended and levitated mirrors. I will also discuss our recent proposal to use inverted oscillators to enhance gravity-induced entanglement exponentially [2].

会場: セミナー室 (359号室) 3階 359号室とZoomのハイブリッド開催

イベント公式言語: 英語

RIKEN iTHEMS-Kyoto University joint workshop on Asymptotics in Astrophysics and Cosmology

2026年3月2日(月) - 4日(水)

This joint workshop will bring together physicists and mathematicians who work with asymptotics and perturbation theory techniques. This includes theorists in cosmology, high energy physics, quantum gravity, solar physics, astrophysics. Workshop overview Over three days, there will be approximately 15 invited (1 hour slot) or contributed (20-30 min slot) talks about: Fundamental asymptotics and perturbation theory techniques used in theoretical physics. Various applications of asymptotics and perturbation theory techniques in (wave transport or oscillation related) astrophysics and cosmology eigenvalue problems. The workshop will also feature hands-on Mathematica and Python tutorials introducing: Practical use of WKB methods in applied mathematics for any “Schrodinger-like” wave equations, Resummation methods in high energy theory, Deriving normal modes in stars, and their application to tidal evolution in binary star or planet systems, Eigenvalue problems in core collapse supernova theory.

会場: 融合連携イノベーション推進棟（IIB） 8階

イベント公式言語: 英語

KEK-iTHEMS Workshop “Concepts of Quantum and Spacetime”

2026年3月9日(月) - 12日(木)

The two fundamental questions—“What is quantum?” and “What is spacetime?”—are deeply intertwined. On one hand, the formulation and interpretation of quantum theory depend both implicitly and explicitly on our conceptions of time and space. On the other hand, we believe that fully taking into account the quantum character of nature will force us to revise our understanding of spacetime. These two conceptual problems lie at the heart of the unsolved challenge of how to quantize classical spacetime, and conversely, how (semi-) classical descriptions of spacetime emerge from quantum theory. Furthermore, if the entire matter-spacetime system is a kind of quantum many-body system, thermodynamics—which governs its statistical behaviors—should play a key role in elucidating these problems. This workshop will discuss the question “How can quantum theory and spacetime be understood in a consistent manner?” from a fundamental and broad perspective. To tackle this challenge, we gather researchers in foundations of quantum theory, quantum gravity, and related fields from around the world, providing a "space and time" to share various ideas with open minds and engage in lively discussions. By exploring new concepts and principles, we hope to uncover directions to guide quantum theory over the next 100 years. This workshop covers… Foundations of quantum theory Quantum gravity and emergence of spacetime Formulation of semi-classical gravity Experimental aspects of fundamental properties in nature and quantum gravity Foundations of quantum many-body systems and thermodynamics Other related topics are welcome. We welcome short talk presentations and poster presentations. This event is a workshop jointly organized by KEK Theory Center and RIKEN iTHEMS.

会場: Seminar Hall, Building 3, KEK

イベント公式言語: 英語

Perspectives and applications of Koopman Operator Theory

2026年3月19日(木) 9:00 - 18:00

薄 良彦 (京都大学 大学院工学研究科 教授)
中尾 裕也 (東京科学大学 工学院 システム制御系 教授)
Alexandre Mauroy (Associate Professor, Mathematics, University of Namur, Belgium)
加藤 譲 (公立はこだて未来大学 システム情報科学部 複雑系知能学科 准教授)

会場: 研究本館 5階 535-537号室

イベント公式言語: 英語

Clumpy Outflows from Super-Eddington Accreting Black Holes

2026年4月10日(金) 14:00 - 15:15

Haojie Hu (筑波大学 JSPS海外特別研究員)

Recent advances in X-ray spectroscopic observation have enabled researchers to reveal distinct clumpy structures in the super-Eddington outflows from the supermassive black hole in PDS 456 (XRISM Collaboration 2025), initiating detailed investigation of fine-scale structures in accretion-driven outflows. In this talk, I will introduce our high-resolution, two-dimensional radiation-hydrodynamics simulations with time-varying and anisotropic initial and boundary conditions that reproduce clumpy outflows from super-Eddington accretion flows. The resulting clumpy outflows extend across a wide range of radial distances and polar angles, exhibiting typical properties such as a size of ~10 rg (where rg is the gravitational radius), a velocity of ~0.05–0.2 c (where c is the speed of light), and about five clumps along the line of sight. Although the velocities are slightly smaller, these characteristics reasonably resemble those obtained from the XRISM observation. The gas density of the clumps is on the order of 10^-13–10^-12 g cm^-3, and their optical depth for electron scattering is approximately 1–10. The clumpy winds accelerated by radiation force are considered to originate from the region within <300 rg.

会場: 研究本館 2階　220号室 (メイン会場) / via Zoom

イベント公式言語: 英語