Date: April 09, 2026 Time: 05:00 PM Location: SSE 91C1, Ist Floor
Speaker: Arhum Khawaja
The study of asymptotic extremal combinatorics is often driven by clever counting arguments and case-specific inductive techniques. However, underlying these methods is a rich algebraic structure. In this talk, we present a ground-up introduction to flag algebras, the formal calculus developed by Alexander Razborov to unify and systematize extremal combinatorial proofs.
We will begin by introducing the framework from a model-theoretic perspective, defining types and flags as the fundamental building blocks. We will then construct the associated commutative and associative algebra, highlighting the new operations and tools it provides for approaching extremal problems, including their role in facilitating both theoretical arguments and computer-assisted proofs.
09
Apr
Date: April 09, 2026
Time: 05:00 PM
Location: SSE 91C1, Ist Floor
Speaker: Arhum Khawaja