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X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Ashoka University
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DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20250129T123000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20250129T140000
DTSTAMP:20250127T015336Z
CREATED:20250124T012729Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250127T015336Z
UID:72175-1738153800-1738159200@www.ashoka.edu.in
SUMMARY:Computer Science Colloquium
DESCRIPTION:Abstract: How can one test the correctness of a program that is supposed to output an element from a large universe according to a certain distribution? These kinds of programs are heavily used in real life but are rarely tested for correctness. \nThis problem can be framed as a problem in property testing. Property testing is a subject that deals with these challenges. It tries to design sub-linear algorithms for testing various properties of inputs. The key lies in the way the data is accessed by the algorithm. \nOne of the central problems in property testing and many other related subjects is testing if a distribution has a certain property – say whether a distribution on a finite set is uniform. The conventional way of accessing the distributions is by drawing samples according to the distributions. Unfortunately\, in this setting the number of samples that are necessary for testing properties of distribution (for most natural properties) is polynomial in the size of support of the distribution. Thus when the support is relatively big the algorithms become impractical in real life applications. \nWe introduced a new way of accessing the distribution using “conditional-sampling oracle". This oracle can be used to design much faster algorithms for testing properties of distribution and thus makes the algorithm useful in practical scenarios. \nWe show that the conditional oracle can be implemented in many real life problems and we have been able to show the usefulness of this model and our algorithms in practical purposes and in other areas of research – like testing of probabilistic verification. This model also throws a number of interesting theoretical questions. \nThe talk will be based on the following works:\nOn the Power of Conditional Samples in Distribution Testing with Eldar Fischer\, Arie MAtsliah and Yonatan Goldhrish (SICOMP 2016)\nProperty Testing of Joint Distributions using Conditional Samples with Rishiraj Bhattacharyya (ToCT 2018)\nOn Testing of Uniform Samplers with Kuldeep Meel (AAAI2019)\nOn Testing of Samplers with Kuldeep Meel and Yash Pote (NeuRIPS 2020)\nDesigning Samplers is Easy: The Boon of Testers with Kuldeep Meel\, Priyanka Golia and Mate Soos (FMCAD22)\nOn Quantitative Testing of Samplers with Kuldeep Meel\, Priyanka Golia and Mate Soos (CP22)\nTesting of Horn Samplers with Ansuman Banerjee\, Shayak Chakraborty\, Sayantan Sen\, Uddalok Sarkar and Kuldeep Meel (AISTAT 2023)\nTight Lower Bound on Equivalence Testing in Conditional Sampling Model with Diptarka Chakraborty and Gunjan Kumar (SODA 2024)\nTesting Self-Reducible Samplers with Rishiraj Bhattacharyya\, Yash Pote\, Uddalok Sarkar and Sayantan Sen (AAAI 2024) \nAbout the Speaker: Sourav Chakraborty is a Professor in the Advanced Computing and Microelectronics Unit (ACMU) of the Computer and Communication Sciences Division (CCSD) at the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI)\, Kolkata\, India. Before joining ISI on July 2018 he was a faculty member at Chennai Mathematical Institute \, India\, from September 2010. Before that he was a postdoc at the Algorithms and Complexity department of Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica (CWI)\, Amsterdam\, Netherlands from September 2009 to August 2010. From October 2008 to August 2009 he was a postdoc at the Computer Science Department of Technion\, Israel. In June 2008 he finished his PhD in Computer Science from University of Chicago under the supervision of Prof. László Babai. \nHis field of research is Theoretical Computer Science. His focus has been in the classical and quantum complexity of Boolean functions (including property testing\, sensitivity and block sensitivity of Boolean functions and quantum database search)\, in electronic commerce\, in graph algorithms and in coding theory.
URL:https://www.ashoka.edu.in/event/computer-science-colloquium/
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DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20250129T132000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20250129T150000
DTSTAMP:20250122T072107Z
CREATED:20250122T072107Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250122T072107Z
UID:72118-1738156800-1738162800@www.ashoka.edu.in
SUMMARY:Physics Colloquium
DESCRIPTION:Abstract: Gravity is the geometry of space and time. This profound insight of Einstein underlies his classical theory of General Relativity.  While General Relativity provides an exquisitely accurate description of  a vast range of gravitational phenomena\, it predicts the breakdown of spacetime (and hence  its own demise) in extreme physical situations such as those encountered at the first instants of the birth of our Universe and at the centre of Black Holes. In these situations\, it is expected that quantum aspects of gravity become important. A satisfactory quantum mechanical description of gravity does not yet exist. This\, yet unknown\, description is called Quantum Gravity. I will discuss the motivations for engaging in the search for Quantum Gravity and  the unique conceptual challenges involved which derive from the fact that our very notions of space and time become uncertain. Along the way we shall encounter tantalising connections\, clues and puzzles thrown up by the strange behavior of Black Holes  and the possibility of looking through the mists of Space and Time\, back to the very beginning of our Universe. I will end with some remarks about an approach to the problem of quantum gravity which goes by the name of Loop Quantum Gravity and\, time permitting\, touch on the application of Loop Quantum Gravity ideas to the physics of the Early Universe. \nAbout the Speaker: Prof. Madhavan Varadarajan is interested in issues at the interface of quantum mechanics and gravity. His research over the last decade has resolved several longstanding foundational  problems which lie at the heart of the Loop Quantum Gravity(LQG)  approach. Currently a senior professor  at the Raman Research Institute\, he did his  PhD with  the Relativity Group at  Syracuse University followed by Post-Doctoral Research at the University of Utah. He was elected Fellow of the International Society on General Relativity and Gravitation in 2010 for his "contributions to conceptually difficult and deep problems in classical and quantum gravity''. He is a founding member of the  Bronstein Board which administers a prestigious international  postdoctoral prize in LQG  and  an avid field hockey player. \nLooking forward to your active participation
URL:https://www.ashoka.edu.in/event/physics-colloquium/
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DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20250129T134000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20250129T150000
DTSTAMP:20250128T031126Z
CREATED:20250127T235603Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250128T031126Z
UID:72588-1738158000-1738162800@www.ashoka.edu.in
SUMMARY:Economics Department | Weekly Seminars
DESCRIPTION:Dear All\, \nThe Department of Economics invites you to their weekly seminar on Wednesday\, January 29th\, 2025. \nTime: 1:40 PM to 2:50 PM \nVenue: AC04-301 \nSpeaker: Prof. Balaz Szentes \nTitle: " Third-party Information Provision at Market Transactions"
URL:https://www.ashoka.edu.in/event/economics-department-weekly-seminars/
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