From: Peter Shor <shor(a)math.mit.edu> Date: August 23, 2012 11:11:24 AM EDT To: Edward Farhi <farhi(a)mit.edu> Subject: Special Seminar - Speaker: Alex Lubotsky - Date/Time: Thurs. 8/30/2012 - 10am - 11:30am - Place: Microsoft Research, One Memorial Drive -- (exact room TBD) (fwd) Who's doing the website this year. We might want to announce this talk. Peter ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Tue, 21 Aug 2012 10:42:45 -0400 (EDT) From: Shirley Entzminger <daisymae(a)math.mit.edu> To: allmath(a)math.mit.edu Subject: Special Seminar - Speaker: Alex Lubotsky - Date/Time: Thurs. 8/30/2012 - 10am - 11:30am - Place: Microsoft Research, One Memorial Drive -- (exact room TBD) Special Seminar - Alex Lubotsky Time: Thursday 8/30/2012 10am-11:30am Place: Microsoft Research, One memorial drive (exact room TBD) Speaker: Alex Lubotzky (Hebrew Univ. & MSR) Title: The uncertainty principle and good cyclic error correcting codes Abstract: The uncertainty principle asserts that for non zero function either the function or its Fourier transform has large support. We will present some versions of this principle for finite abelian groups and especially for cyclic groups of prime order. We will show that the study of such a principle for functions into positive characteristic fields is relevant for codes. In particular it may suggest (contrary to the common belief ) that good cyclic codes do exist. The lecture does not require any background and all notions will be explained. ------------------------------- Alex will be visiting MSR for 2 months starting Aug 27. He will run a seminar series on Expanders and Codes during his visit, meeting Thursdays 10am at MSR.