News & EventsDepartment Events
Events
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Jan29
EVENT DETAILS
lessTitle: Solution discovery in fluids with high precision using neural networks
Speaker: Ching-Yao Lai, Stanford University
Abstract: I will discuss examples utilizing neural networks (NNs) to find solutions to partial differential equations (PDEs) that facilitate new discoveries. Despite being deemed universal function approximators, neural networks, in practice, struggle to fit functions with sufficient accuracy for rigorous analysis. Here, we developed multi-stage neural networks that can reduce the prediction error to nearly the machine precision of double-precision floating points within a finite number of iterations. We use accurate NNs to tackle the challenge of searching for singularities in fluid equations (Wang-Lai-Gómez-Serrano-Buckmaster, Phys. Rev. Lett. 2023). Unstable singularities, especially in dimensions greater than one, are exceptionally elusive. With NNs we demonstrate the first discovery of smooth unstable self-similar singularities to unforced incompressible fluid equations (Wang et al., arXiv:2509.14185). The example illustrates how deep learning can be used to discover new and highly accurate numerical solutions to PDEs.
Joint work with Yongji Wang, Tristan Buckmaster, Javi Gómez-Serrano, and Google Deepmind
Zoom: https://northwestern.zoom.us/j/96136539606
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TIME Thursday, January 29, 2026 at 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM
LOCATION M416, Technological Institute map it
CONTACT Anne Umbanhowar anne.umbanhowar@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR McCormick-Engineering Sciences and Applied Mathematics (ESAM)
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Jan30
EVENT DETAILS
lessTitle: Federated Low-rank Learning
Speaker: Diego Klabjan, Northwestern University
Abstract: Federated Learning (FL) faces significant challenges related to communication efficiency and performance reduction when scaling to many clients. To address these issues, we explore the potential of using low-rank updates and provide the first theoretical study of rank properties in FL. Our theoretical analysis shows that a client’s loss exhibits a higher-rank structure (i.e., gradients span higher-rank subspaces of the Hessian) compared to the server’s loss, and that low-rank approximations of the clients’ gradients have greater similarity. Consequently, we propose FedLoRU, a general low-rank update framework for FL. Our framework enforces low-rank client-side updates and accumulates these updates to form a higher rank model. Experimental results demonstrate that FedLoRU performs comparably to full-rank algorithms and exhibits robustness.
Joint work with Haemin Park, PhD candidate in IEMS
Zoom: https://northwestern.zoom.us/j/98732771280
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TIME Friday, January 30, 2026 at 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
CONTACT Anne Umbanhowar anne.umbanhowar@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR McCormick-Engineering Sciences and Applied Mathematics (ESAM)
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Feb5
EVENT DETAILS
lessTitle: TBA
Speaker: Rich Townsend, University of Wisconsin
Abstract: TBA
Zoom: TBA
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To subscribe to the Applied Mathematics Colloquia List send a message to LISTSERV@LISTSERV.IT.NORTHWESTERN.EDU with the command:
SUBSCRIBE esam-seminar FirstName LastName
TIME Thursday, February 5, 2026 at 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM
LOCATION M416, Technological Institute map it
CONTACT Anne Umbanhowar anne.umbanhowar@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR McCormick-Engineering Sciences and Applied Mathematics (ESAM)
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Feb19
EVENT DETAILS
lessTitle: TBA
Speaker: Chaoming Song, University of Miami (sabbatical at Northwestern University)
Abstract: TBA
Zoom: TBA
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To subscribe to the Applied Mathematics Colloquia List send a message to LISTSERV@LISTSERV.IT.NORTHWESTERN.EDU with the command:
SUBSCRIBE esam-seminar FirstName LastName
TIME Thursday, February 19, 2026 at 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM
LOCATION M416, Technological Institute map it
CONTACT Anne Umbanhowar anne.umbanhowar@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR McCormick-Engineering Sciences and Applied Mathematics (ESAM)
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Feb26
EVENT DETAILS
lessTitle: TBA
Speaker: Stefano Allisina, The University of Chicago
Abstract: TBA
Zoom: TBA
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To subscribe to the Applied Mathematics Colloquia List send a message to LISTSERV@LISTSERV.IT.NORTHWESTERN.EDU with the command:
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TIME Thursday, February 26, 2026 at 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM
LOCATION M416, Technological Institute map it
CONTACT Anne Umbanhowar anne.umbanhowar@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR McCormick-Engineering Sciences and Applied Mathematics (ESAM)
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Mar12
EVENT DETAILS
lessTitle: TBA
Speaker: Xiao Yu Wang, CRI Foundation
Abstract: TBA
Zoom: TBA
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To subscribe to the Applied Mathematics Colloquia List send a message to LISTSERV@LISTSERV.IT.NORTHWESTERN.EDU with the command:
SUBSCRIBE esam-seminar FirstName LastName
TIME Thursday, March 12, 2026 at 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM
LOCATION M416, Technological Institute map it
CONTACT Anne Umbanhowar anne.umbanhowar@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR McCormick-Engineering Sciences and Applied Mathematics (ESAM)
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Apr2
EVENT DETAILS
lessTitle: TBA
Speaker: Oleg Kirillov
Abstract: TBA
Zoom: TBA
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To subscribe to the Applied Mathematics Colloquia List send a message to LISTSERV@LISTSERV.IT.NORTHWESTERN.EDU with the command:
SUBSCRIBE esam-seminar FirstName LastName
TIME Thursday, April 2, 2026 at 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM
LOCATION M416, Technological Institute map it
CONTACT Anne Umbanhowar anne.umbanhowar@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR McCormick-Engineering Sciences and Applied Mathematics (ESAM)
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May13
EVENT DETAILS
lessTitle: Title TBA - Reiss Lecture
Speaker: Melanie Mitchell, Santa Fe Institute
Abstract: TBA
Zoom: TBA
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TIME Wednesday, May 13, 2026 at 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM
CONTACT Anne Umbanhowar anne.umbanhowar@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR McCormick-Engineering Sciences and Applied Mathematics (ESAM)
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May14
EVENT DETAILS
lessTitle: Title TBA - Reiss Lecture
Speaker: Melanie Mitchell, Santa Fe Institute
Abstract: TBA
Zoom: TBA
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To subscribe to the Applied Mathematics Colloquia List send a message to LISTSERV@LISTSERV.IT.NORTHWESTERN.EDU with the command:
SUBSCRIBE esam-seminar FirstName LastName
TIME Thursday, May 14, 2026 at 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM
CONTACT Anne Umbanhowar anne.umbanhowar@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR McCormick-Engineering Sciences and Applied Mathematics (ESAM)