Speaker: Alex Lubotzky (Weizmann Institute & the Hebrew University, Simons Distinguished Visiting Professor, MIT)Title: High Dimensional Expanders (HDX) and their applications in pure math and computer scienceAbstract:Expander graphs have been an intensive topic of research in math and CS during the last six decades. In the last two decades a high dimensional theory has emerged with (very different) applications in math & CS.In this series of 8 independent (but related) lectures we present some aspects of the theory of HDX and its applications, a number of open problems and suggestions for further research.A more detailed plan:1. Thursday 2/20/25, 4:30pm, 2-190 (Math Colloquium); refreshments served at 4pm in 2-290  Introduction: three main problems(a) Gromov overlapping property(b) Locally testable codes(c) Are all groups sofic?2. Tuesday 2/25/25, 4:15-5:15pm, 32-G449 (Theory of Computing Colloquium), refreshments served at 4pmGood Locally testable codes3. Wednesday 2/26/25, 9:30-11am, 2-449Expander graphs: combinatorics, spectral gap, representation theory(Kazhdan property (T), property (\tau) and more) and property testing4. Wednesday 3/5/25, 9:30-11am, 2-449Geometric & topological expanders, Coboundary expanders, Random simplicial complexes and Property testing5. Wednesday 3/12/25, 9:30-11am, 2-449From Ramanujan graphs to Ramanujan complexes6. Wednesday 3/19/25, 9:30-11am, 2-449Stability and group approximation, Garland Theorem and the p-adic Deligne central extensionsWednesday 3/26/25 - Spring vacation7. Wednesday 4/2/26, 9:30-11am, 2-449Some more CS: Agreement tests, direct product test; PCP8. Wednesday 4/9/25, 9:30-11am, 2-449Are there non-sofic groups? The Aldous-Lyons conjecture and more

Hidden within MIT’s Distinctive Collections, many architectural elements from the earliest days of the Institute’s architecture program still survive as part of the Rotch Art Collection. Among the artworks that conservators salvaged was a set of striking windows of gypsum and stained-glass, dating to the late 18th- to 19th c. Ottoman Empire. This exhibition illuminates the life of these historic windows, tracing their refracted histories from Egypt to MIT, their ongoing conservation, and the cutting-edge research they still prompt.The Maihaugen Gallery (14N-130) is open Monday through Thursday, 10am - 4pm, excluding Institute holidays.

Join a member of our Visitor Experience Team for this 45-minute introductory tour of the MIT Museum. Learn about the collection, our history, and get your questions answered by our gallery experts. Space is limited, please speak to a visitor experience representative at the admission desk when purchasing museum tickets if you would like to participate in the tour.Every Wednesday at 11am Free with museum admission

Looking for an interesting read?The Book Discussion group will host virtual meetings via Zoom. Please write to Maxine Jonas (jonas_m@mit.edu) to be added to their mailing list. They (almost always) meet on the fourth Wednesday of the month, at 11:30am – 1pm.Upcoming titles: September 25: The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese (736 pages, 2023, fiction) October 23: Silenced Whispers by Afarin, Bellisario (348 pages, 2024, fiction) with the author! December 11: The Exceptions: Nancy Hopkins and the Fight for Women in Science by Kate Zernike (363 pages, 2023, non-fiction) January 22: Chasing Beauty, the Life of Isabella Stewart Gardner by Natalie Dykstra (508 pages, 2024, non-fiction) February 26: Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt (368 pages, 2022, fiction) March 26: Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston (205 pages, 1937, classic) April 23: A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle (224 pages, 1991, non-fiction) May 28: Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus (400 pages, 2022, fiction)

Join us on Wednesday, February 26 to learn about SDM’s graduate certificate in systems and product development! Our one-year program for mid-career professionals features an integrated core class built on the fundamentals of systems engineering, system architecture, and project management. You’ll study and work alongside students in the master’s program, earning credits for MIT coursework and completing the journey with a capstone project tailored to your real-world experience. The program is designed to let you keep working while you study.In this session, program staff will answer your questions about the curriculum and application process. Our engineering and management certificate gives you the tools to incorporate systems principles in your approach to problems in any organization.