Final-paper phase: research menu, presentations, and December 4 deadline
Announcement · October 23, 2026
Final-paper phase
Choose an original research paper, prepare a 25-minute individual presentation, and write an approximately ten-page individual exposition due Friday, December 4.
Round I concluded on October 21. Rounds II and III are cancelled. The only remaining presentation round is final research-paper presentations (Round IV). The October 23 syllabus addendum supersedes the earlier three-round structure, 10–15-page target, writing milestones, and remainder-of-semester calendar; unaffected course policies remain in force.
Explore and select a paper
Browse the final 27-paper menu or download the supplied PDF. These are suggestions, not an exhaustive list; another paper may be proposed in consultation with the instructor. Individual suggestions based on Round I topics will be sent by the instructor privately.
The first-come, first-served paper-selection form opens Tuesday, October 27, 2026. Form link: to be supplied by the instructor.
Try to read and understand the whole original paper. Your talk and exposition should explain the problem, main theorem, significance, proof structure, and at least one substantial argument you can reconstruct. You need not reproduce every proof or resolve every missing prerequisite; distinguish honestly what you prove, what you quote, and what remains beyond your background.
Guided classroom reading
On October 23 we begin Roland Bauerschmidt and Thierry Bodineau, A very simple proof of the LSI for high temperature spin systems (2019), as a model of research-paper reading. From October 26 onward, this instructor-led reading continues as needed, alongside paper exploration and individual guidance. We will unpack compressed proofs, identify standard inputs, reconstruct calculations, and connect functional inequalities with Gibbs measures and equilibration. This is shared classroom reading, not an individual project choice.
Presentations and writing time
Update, November 2, 2026: the current allocation is one 25-minute slot on November 18 and two each on November 20, 23, and 30. See the presentation sign-up announcement and current schedule. The table below records the original October 23 plan and is superseded only as to these slot counts.
| Date | Plan |
|---|---|
| Wednesday, November 18 | Round IV final research-paper presentations: two 25-minute individual slots |
| Friday, November 20 | Final research-paper presentations: two 25-minute individual slots |
| Monday, November 23 | Final research-paper presentations: two 25-minute individual slots |
| Wednesday, November 25 | No class: Thanksgiving Break |
| Friday, November 27 | No class: Thanksgiving Break |
| Monday, November 30 | Final research-paper presentations: one remaining 25-minute individual slot |
| Wednesday, December 2 | No class: reserved for work on final expository papers |
| Friday, December 4 | No class: reserved for writing; final expository paper due |
There are seven students; speaker order and paper assignments are not yet confirmed. See the complete schedule.
The approximately ten-page individual expository paper is due Friday, December 4, 2026. Expand and explain calculations in a short, compressed article; distill the mathematical essentials of a longer one. Include correct statements, a real proof component, context, and proper attribution. Existing reference, academic-integrity, and AI-disclosure rules apply, as do the attendance and holistic-evaluation policies.