The second NYU Shanghai – Peking – Westlake Probability Conference was held at NYU Shanghai April 10 - 12. A partnership between hosting universities NYU Shanghai, Peking University, and Westlake University, the annual conference focuses on probability and statistical physics.
This year the conference featured 12 top-tier guest speakers from institutions around the world including École Normale Supérieure, Université Paris-Saclay, University of Vienna, and University of Warwick, sharing cutting-edge trends and research developments. Over 170 attendees from more than 50 universities attended the three-day conference.
The conference’s program focused on some of the most pressing challenges in probability and statistical physics, including critical phenomena, the probabilistic foundations of quantum and conformal field theory, random walks, interacting systems, and stochastic partial differential equations.
“Probability and statistical physics have become major focus areas of research in recent years, with four Fields Medals awarded to researchers in this interdisciplinary field over the past two decades,” said NYU Shanghai Associate Professor of Mathematics Wu Wei, one of the organizers of the conference.
“The study of probability and statistical physics not only has high theoretical value but can also drive practical advancements—for example, contributing to the development of ferromagnetic superconductors, and playing a role in emerging areas such as machine learning.”
Associate Provost for Strategic Initiatives & Co-Director of the NYU-ECNU Institute of Mathematical Sciences Pierre Tarrès, one of the initiators of the conference, said that the conference strengthens connections among local academic institutions, especially the three host universities. “We hope that through the interactions formed at the conference, future applications, collaborations, and joint research projects will be sparked,” he said.
Area Head & Professor of Mathematics Alejandro Ramírez, another initiator of the conference, added that the potential for the conference is exciting. “I think the three hosting universities make a great match,” Ramírez said. “We hope to provide more international connections through the conference for students and scholars of all levels, especially young people.”
Next year, the conference will be held in Beijing at Peking University.