Seminar

Nonlocal problems with the fractional Laplacian and their applications

Recently, the fractional Laplacian has received great attention in modeling complex phenomena that involve long-range interactions. However, the nonlocality of the fractional Laplacian introduces considerable challenges in both analysis and simulations. In this talk, I will present numerical methods to discretize the fractional Laplacian as well as error estimates. Compared to other existing methods, our methods are more accurate and simpler to implement, and moreover they closely resembles the central difference scheme for the classical Laplace operator.

Oscillations via Excitable Cells

Abstract:

Oscillatory and excitable cells are just two of many types of cells in your body. They interact with each other by sending pulses or voltage spikes. An excitable cell amplifies any input it receives, as long as the input is large enough while an oscillatory cell needs no input and generates a spontaneous rhythm. One can connect these cells and model how they interact using differential equations; in this talk, I will discuss what we have found.