Quantum modular form and quantum invariants

2026年3月13日(金) 14:00 - 16:00

村上 友哉 (理化学研究所 数理創造研究センター (iTHEMS) 数理基礎部門 研究員)

Quantum invariants are invariants of knots and 3-manifolds which relate deeply to mathematical physics and representation theory. In recent years, it has become increasingly clear that it is also deeply related to number theory, that is, quantum modularity for quantum invariants. This topic is interesting from a topological viewpoint since this is a refinement of establishing asymptotic expansions of quantum invariants, which is an important problem in quantum topology, and is interesting from a number-theores[tic viewpoint since this gives examples of quantum modular forms, which are mysterious objects in number theory. I obtained two linked results on topology and number theory: Establishing explicit asymptotic expansions of quantum invariants for negative definite plumbed 3-manifolds and establishing quantum modularity of false theta functions in full generality. In this talk, I will outline previous progress on quantum modularity for quantum invariants and my results.

会場: via Zoom / セミナー室 (359号室)

イベント公式言語: 英語

Chronotaxicity and Dynamic Stability: From Theory to Quantitative Measures

2026年3月12日(木) 13:00 - 14:00

Aneta Stefanovska (Professor, Lancaster University, UK)

Living systems operate far from equilibrium under continuous time-varying forcing across multiple temporal and spatial scales. From neural and cardiovascular rhythms to microcirculatory dynamics and circadian cycles, physiological processes are inherently nonautonomous. Classical stability concepts based on autonomous attractors and stationary limit cycles are therefore insufficient to explain how such systems remain robust yet adaptable. In this talk, I will introduce chronotaxicity as a framework for nonautonomous oscillatory systems possessing time-dependent point attractors and contraction regions. Chronotaxic systems maintain stability under continuous forcing, providing a rigorous theoretical description of dynamic robustness. To illustrate the generality of this concept, I will show how chronotaxicity can be observed in a controlled physical experiment. I will then present a new order parameter based on angular velocity for quantifying phase dynamics in numerical simulations of coupled nonautonomous oscillators, along with the methods collected in the Multiscale Oscillatory Dynamics Analysis (MODA) toolbox for analysing time-dependent oscillatory behaviour. This approach provides a unified perspective on dynamic stability in complex systems, highlighting how living systems remain robust yet adaptable and suggesting quantitative signatures of dysfunction in health and disease. While the focus is on physiological and numerical models, it is broadly applicable to complex nonautonomous systems, underscoring its generality as a dynamical principle.

会場: via Zoom / 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

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

Causality Constraints on Black Hole Thermodynamics in Nonlinear Electrodynamics

2026年3月6日(金) 15:30 - 17:00

吉村 果保 (東京大学 大学院総合文化研究科 博士課程)

Black holes exhibit thermodynamic properties and provide an important window into the quantum aspects of gravity. In this context, nonlinear electrodynamics (NLED) offers a useful framework for constructing and analyzing charged black-hole solutions beyond Maxwell theory. Requiring causality - namely, excluding superluminal signal propagation - imposes nontrivial constraints on the allowed form of the NLED Lagrangian. In this talk, we focus on two quantities: the charge-to-mass ratio and the entropy density (entropy-to-mass squared ratio). The charge-to-mass ratio is expected to obey a monotonic behavior consistent with the Weak Gravity Conjecture, while the entropy density is also anticipated to be monotonic, reflecting the expectation that higher-energy effective theories contain more degrees of freedom. We show that these monotonic behaviors follow directly from the causality constraints on the NLED sector.

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

Mathematical Application Research Team Meeting #13

2026年3月6日(金) 14:00 - 15:00

地引 知栄 (東京科学大学 理学院 数学科 博士課程)

The Mathematical Application Research Team is pleased to welcome Chiyaha Jibiki, who will join the team as an SPDR in April. He will give a talk at this meeting prior to his official start date. Everyone is welcome to join the meeting. Title: Left-Orders and Dynamics: Applications to Hyperbolic Geometry and Low-Dimensional Topology Abstract: A left-order on a group is a total order that is invariant under left-multiplication. The concept dates back to the early 20th century, when Dedekind and Hölder characterized the natural order on the real line purely in terms of group actions. In the 21st century, this theory has evolved significantly through connections with discrete dynamical systems. Currently, there is active research linking geometric structures to left-orders on geometrically significant groups, such as fundamental groups and mapping class groups. In this talk, I will introduce the framework of left-order theory, starting from the simple perspective of binary operations on infinite sets. I will then provide an overview of the field by presenting, as much as possible, the diverse applications arising from its high versatility. In particular, I will discuss the speaker's recent results concerning the structure of the space of left-orders (comparisons between left-orders) and methods for constructing specific left-orders. This talk includes joint work with Shuhei Maruyama (Kanazawa University).

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

How does the brain compute the value of odors and trigger adaptive behavior?

2026年3月5日(木) 13:00 - 14:00

風間 北斗 (理化学研究所 脳神経科学研究センター (CBS) 知覚神経回路機構研究チーム チームディレクター)

The world is filled with numerous odors that are impossible to experience all in our lifetime. Perhaps to cope with this situation, the brain is equipped with an ability to recognize whether an odor is attractive or aversive even from the first encounter and guide adaptive behavior. However, how information about the innate value of odors (attractiveness/aversiveness) is computed and transformed into appropriate behavioral outputs in the brain remains poorly understood. We are addressing this question in the olfactory circuit of fruit flies by combining behavioral analysis in virtual reality, comprehensive neuronal activity imaging, neuronal connectivity analysis, and computational modeling. In this talk, I will present our latest efforts to decipher how odor value is computed and how this information is transformed into motor-related signals in a tiny brain.

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

The minimal absolute value of sums of fifth-roots of unity

2026年3月5日(木) 11:00 - 12:00

Guillermo Núñez Ponasso (東北大学 大学院 情報科学研究科 JSPS特別研究員)

The minimal absolute value \sigma_{\ell}(n) of a weight-n sum of \ell-th roots of unity, for all n and a fixed \ell, is an interesting value in the study of maximal determinant matrices. In the cases where \ell=2,3,4, or 6, this minimal absolute value is either 0 or 1. Thus \ell=5 constitutes the smallest non-trivial case. In this talk I will discuss recent results in collaboration with Akihiro Munemasa, where we determined \sigma_5(n) for all n\geq 1. This problem turns out to be related to the Diophantine approximation of the golden ratio, and can be tackled using the theory of continued fractions.

会場: via Zoom / SUURI-COOL (Kyushu) 伊都キャンパス West 1号館 C-513

イベント公式言語: 英語

Non-perturbative geodesic length in JT gravity and universal time evolution of holographic complexity

2026年3月2日(月) 16:00 - 17:00

渋谷 翔之 (名古屋大学 博士課程)

The interplay between black hole interior dynamics and quantum chaos provides a crucial framework for probing quantum effects in quantum gravity. According to the holographic "Complexity=Volume" proposal, we investigated non-perturbative generating function of geodesic length in Jackiw-Teitelboim (JT) gravity to uncover universal signatures of quantum chaos and quantum complexity. We observed that the generating function interpolates between two major probes of quantum chaos - spectral form factor and complexity - highlighting its utility as a probe of chaotic spectrum in quantum gravity. Generalizing the result to general chaotic systems, we demonstrated that time evolution of the complexity is universally governed by a certain pole structure of observables, suggesting a validity of wide class of observables as a probe of quantum chaos in quantum gravity.

会場: via Zoom / 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

理化学研究所-奈良女子大学理学部合同 ダイバーシティ推進ワークショップ 2026

2026年3月2日(月) - 3日(火)

理化学研究所数理創造研究センター(iTHEMS)と奈良女子大学理学部は、理化学研究所ダイバーシティ推進室の後援を得て女性研究者育成事業を進めている。その一環として、奈良女子大学の学部生・大学院生21名が、理化学研究所和光キャンパスの複数の研究室を訪問し、研究内容について質疑を行うとともに、iTHEMSの研究者とワークショップを開催する。 主催：理化学研究所数理創造研究センター、奈良女子大学理学部 3月2日（月） 13:15-14:15 脳神経科学研究センター（CBS）（C56 池之端棟） 多階層精神疾患研究チーム（林朗子チームディレクター） 14:30-15:45 数理創造研究センター(iTHEMS) (C01 研究本館、4階435-437号室) iTHEMSの紹介：初田哲男（iTHEMS数理展開部門長） 講演と質疑 大矢めぐみ (iTHEMS医科学データ駆動数理チーム 特別研究員) 16:00-17:30 数理創造研究センター(iTHEMS) (C01 研究本館、4階435-437号室) 講演と質疑：レオ・シュパイデル（iTHEMS ECL研究ユニットリーダー） 　 18:00-20:30 情報交換会（C01, 研究本館3F東側（大河内ホール側）） 3月3日（火） 9:00-10:30 仁科センターRIBF施設 (RNC) 11:15-12:00 量子コンピュータセンター(RQC) 光量子制御研究チーム（米澤 英宏チームディレクター）

会場: 理化学研究所 和光キャンパス

イベント公式言語: 日本語

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

The career talk: From Quarks to Cinematic Sparks

2026年2月27日(金) 15:00 - 16:30

Agnes Mocsy (Professor, Department of Mathematics and Science, Pratt Institute, USA)

While my career began in a linear way, it gradually opened into a non-traditional path through unexpected mergings, where theoretical nuclear physics, filmmaking, and creative public and academic engagement intertwined. I will share how scientific inquiry, artistic practice, and storytelling began shaping one another, opening new ways to explore complexity, emotion, and connection. Drawing on work from my physics research to cinema projects like Rare Connections, I will reflect on how curiosity and creative thinking move freely across science and art, deepening each and expanding how we understand the human experience. My aim is to offer a perspective on the possibilities that emerge when we allow our multitudes to meet and transform one another.

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

Scattering in de Sitter space

2026年2月26日(木) 14:00 - 15:30

Jason Kristiano (京都大学 基礎物理学研究所 特定研究員)

The analytic structure of scattering amplitudes provides a framework for mapping the fundamental properties of a high-energy (UV) theory onto non-perturbative constraints for low-energy (IR) effective field theories. While this structure is well understood in flat space, its extension to de Sitter space is hindered by the expanding background, which complicates the definition of asymptotic states and breaks time-translation symmetry. In this talk, I will outline a foundational approach to bridging this gap. I will demonstrate how the analytic properties of flat-space amplitudes are imprinted on their de Sitter counterparts. The ultimate goal of this program is to derive Swampland-type constraints for cosmological EFTs, ensuring they admit a consistent UV completion.

会場: 理化学研究所 和光キャンパス 研究本館3階 345-347 (メイン会場) / via Zoom

イベント公式言語: 英語

Sex ratio theory for facultative parthenogens: from fortuitously optimal stick insects to the origin of haplodiploidy in Hymenoptera

2026年2月26日(木) 13:00 - 14:00

コーラ・クライン (理化学研究所 数理創造研究センター (iTHEMS) 数理基礎部門 訪問研究員)

First, I will present one of my PhD papers which focuses on sex ratios when females can reproduce both sexually and asexually. This paper features two models: an optimality model and an evolutionary invasion analysis. More generally, it shows my style of approaching evolutionary theory. After this, I will briefly discuss the work I plan to do in the next 6 months during my JSPS fellowship where I will focus on the evolution of more conventional X-chromosomes. Short Bio: I studied biology at the Free University in Berlin. My biology studies were mostly empirical but I attended several Bachelor courses for mathematicians (calculus and stochastics) and did my Master thesis in Zurich with Hanna Kokko, a theoretical evolutionary ecologist who studies a broad range of topics. In 2020, I then continued working in Hanna Kokko’s group for my PhD and moved with her from Zurich to Mainz in 2023. During my time with Hanna Kokko, worked on various topics centered around intraspecific diversity, including projects on sexual dimorphism, sex ratio theory, intralocus sexual conflict, and a female-limited color polymorphism in a butterfly. Since then, I started my first PostDoc in 2024 with Laura Ross in Edinburgh (UK) where I modelled how the unusual genetic systems of Scarid flies could have evolved, and have now started a 6 month JSPS fellowship with Ryosuke Iritani.

会場: 研究本館 435-437号室

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

Noninvertible symmetry protected topological phases on lattice

2026年2月25日(水) 10:30 - 11:30

Weiguang Cao (PD, Centre for Quantum Mathematics, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark)

The recent discovery of noninvertible symmetries—a radical extension of conventional symmetry—has challenged long-standing paradigms in condensed matter physics and quantum information and opened new territory in both theory and technology. Unlike ordinary symmetries, which can be inverted, these symmetries behave like projections (one-way operations) yet still strongly constrain quantum dynamics and enable new classes of phases and phase transitions. However, their role in organizing and stabilizing novel quantum phases remains poorly understood. One important example is a symmetry protected topological (SPT) phase, characterized by nontrivial edge modes and potential applications in quantum information. In this talk, I will discuss the classification of noninvertible symmetry-protected topological (NISPT) phases in both closed and open quantum systems using a duality-based method, and present concrete lattice realizations. These lattice models provide controlled playgrounds in which the physics of noninvertible symmetry can be explored numerically and, potentially, experimentally.

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

Quantitative phylogenomics

2026年2月24日(火) 13:00 - 14:00

ヘクター・バニョス (Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematics, California State University, USA)
ベンジャミン・テオ (Postdoc, Mathematical Analysis of Cellular Systems, University of Melbourne, Australia)

This session features two speakers: Hector Banos, Assistant Professor of Mathematics at California State University, whose research focuses on phylogenetic inference and network models, and Benjamin Teo, a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Melbourne, working on probabilistic and computational methods for continuous trait evolution on phylogenetic networks. See below for details. 【Talk 1】 Speaker: Hector Banos Title: Bringing a Knife to a Gunfight: Pitfalls of Phylogenetic Inference under Model Misspecification Abstract: Phylogenetic networks provide a flexible framework for representing evolutionary histories that include hybridization, introgression, and other reticulate processes. However, inferring such networks remains computationally and statistically difficult. Many current methods often scale only to restricted classes of networks. Consequently, researchers frequently analyze their data using simpler models (most commonly phylogenetic trees) even when there is strong evidence that the underlying evolutionary history is more complex. In this talk, we examine the impact of model misspecification on phylogenetic inference, focusing on situations in which data are generated by a complex network but are analyzed using simpler tree or network models. I then show how this mismatch can influence the topology of inferred trees, as well as the structure of inferred networks. These results highlight the limitations and the practical consequences of using simplified models for phylogenetic inference. 【Talk2】 Speaker: Benjamin Teo Title: Adapting cluster graphs for inference of continuous trait evolution on phylogenetic networks Abstract: I consider a new approach ("loopy belief propagation") for fitting Gaussian models on a phylogenetic network to explain the data observed across present-day species for a continuous univariate or multivariate trait. We previously showed [1] that a trait evolution model coupled to a network can be readily cast as a probabilistic graphical model, so that the likelihood can be efficiently computed using a dynamic programming framework ("belief propagation") defined on an auxiliary graph ("cluster graph") that is tree-structured. Even so, maximum likelihood estimation can grow computationally prohibitive for large complex networks. Belief propagation can be applied more generally to non-tree ("loopy") cluster graphs to compute a factored energy approximation to the log-likelihood. "Loopy" belief propagation may provide a more practical trade-off between estimation accuracy and runtime. However, the influence of cluster graph structure on this trade-off is not precisely understood. We conduct a simulation study using our Julia package PhyloGaussianBeliefProp [2] to investigate how varying the maximum cluster size of a cluster graph affects this trade-off. We discuss recommended choices for maximum cluster size, and prove the equivalence of likelihood-based and factored-energy based estimates for the homogeneous Brownian motion trait model. The talk is based on our preprint [3]. I will introduce the key concepts from the ground up.

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

Basic Conceptual and Mathematical Problems of QFT

2026年2月20日(金) 14:00 - 15:30

クリスティ・コウジ・ケリー

In this talk we discuss some of the most basic conceptual and mathematical difficulties that arise in the standard physics analysis of QFT. In particular we shall discuss the origin of UV divergences in QFT—pointing out that there is both a kinematic and a dynamic aspect to this problem, and that the standard physics explanation (’new physics’) only considers the latter—and suggest that despite the notoriety of the problem, UV divergences are essentially under control. Secondly we discuss Haag’s theorem—which ensures the nonexistence of the interaction picture and the triviality of the perturbative S-Matrix—and indicate how this is the most elementary manifestation of a series of infrared problems in QFT. Finally we will outline why the rigorous construction of path-integral measures is difficult. If we have time, we may discuss some difficulties associated with gauge theories such as the infraparticle problem of QED and the mass-gap problem of Yang-Mills theory.

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

Tunneling with physics-informed renormalisation group flows in the anharmonic oscillator

2026年2月20日(金) 10:00 - 11:00

Friederike Ihssen (Postdoctoral Fellow, Physics, Ruhr University Bochum, Germany)

The resolution of strongly correlated physical systems is computationally hard, but can be simplified enormously by a formulation in terms of suitable dynamical degrees of freedom. Within the functional renormalisation group framework, physics-informed renormalisation group flows (PIRG flows) [1] implement scale-dependent coordinate transformations that can be used to devise optimal expansion schemes around such degrees of freedom. Recently, we have applied PIRG flows to the anharmonic oscillator, with an emphasis on the weak coupling regime with its instanton-dominated tunnelling processes [2]. We show that the instanton physics behind the exponential decay of the energy gap is already covered in the first order of the derivative expansion of the PIRG. The crucial new ingredients in the present analysis are the use of the ground state expansion within PIRG flows, as well as precision numerics based on Galerkin methods. Our result a_inst = 1.910(2) for the decay constant is in quantitative agreement with the analytic one, a_inst = 1.886 with a deviation of 1%. This illustrates very impressively the capacity of the PIRG for fully capturing non-perturbative physics already in relatively simple approximations.

会場: via Zoom / 研究本館

イベント公式言語: 英語

Spectral Codes : A Geometric Formalism for QEC

2026年2月19日(木) 15:00 - 16:30

菅野 聡 (ソフトバンク株式会社 先端技術研究所 研究員)

In this talk, I will introduce a novel geometric framework for quantum error correction based on spectral triples in noncommutative geometry. In this formulation, quantum error-correcting codes are described as spectral projections onto the low-energy eigenspaces of Dirac-type operators, where the separation between logical information and local errors is captured geometrically. This approach provides a unified spectral and geometric understanding of key properties such as code distance and error thresholds. Moreover, it accommodates various existing codes, including classical linear codes, stabilizer codes, GKP codes, and topological codes. This geometric perspective also suggests intriguing connections to deformation quantization and holographic quantum error correction, offering promising directions for future research.

会場: セミナー室 (359号室) 3階 359号室

イベント公式言語: 英語

Binary neutron Star Merger as a Probe of Hadron-Quark Transition

2026年2月19日(木) 14:00 - 15:00

黄 永嘉 (Research Associate, Purple Mountain Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China)

This seminar is a joint seminar between GWX-EOS and the iTHEMS-ABBL Joint Astro SG. The recent rise of multi-messenger astronomy—including radius measurements from NICER, tidal deformability constraints from gravitational-wave events GW170817, and first-principles calculations from chiral effective field theory (χEFT) and perturbative QCD—has significantly tightened constraints on the neutron star equation of state. These advances consistently point to a non-monotonic sound speed in dense matter, suggesting that the cores of massive neutron stars may host exotic phases such as quark matter. However, the masquerade effect in static neutron stars makes it difficult to directly probe the nature of the transition (e.g., a smooth crossover or a sharp phase transition) near the core through observation alone.

会場: 理化学研究所 和光キャンパス (メイン会場) / via Zoom

イベント公式言語: 英語