The 2018 AustMS/AMSI Mahler Lecturer is Ivan Corwin (Columbia University): https://www.math.columbia.edu/~corwin/ He lists his research interests as "Probability, mathematical physics, quantum integrable systems, stochastic partial differential equations, random matrix theory". He will begin his Australian tour with a talk at the University of Sydney on Monday 29 October. I encourage all School academic staff and research students to attend this colloquium-style talk. ---- Date: Monday 29 October, 2018 (Week 13) Time: 4.30-5.30pm Venue: Carslaw Lecture Theatre 273 Title: Random permutations, partitions and PDEs Abstract: We start with a seemingly innocuous question -- what do large random permutations look like? Focusing on the structure of their "increasing subsequences" we encounter some remarkable mathematics related to symmetric functions (e.g. Schur and Macdonald), random matrices, and stochastic PDEs. No prior knowledge of any of this will be assumed. ---- I will be taking Ivan out to dinner on 29 October after his talk; if you would like to join us, please email me (anthony.henderson@sydney.edu.au) before 22 October. Ivan will also be giving a public lecture at Macquarie University at 2pm on Wednesday 31 October entitled `Beyond the Gaussian universality class’: http://www.austms.org.au/tiki-calendar.php?editmode=details&calitemId=867 He will then be leaving Sydney for the next stage of his 2-week national tour. Anthony (acting HoS in the week of the talk)