Departmental Colloquium: On propagation and diffraction, by Jared Wunsch
Departmental Colloquium
September 11, 2026
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Location
636 SEO
Calendar
Download iCal FileJared Wunsch, Northwestern University: On propagation and diffraction
The principle of geometric optics in the theory of light waves and the correspondence principle of quantum mechanics are two (related) heuristics saying that in an appropriate limit, the propagation of waves should occur along particle trajectories of classical mechanics. There are many beautiful theorems substantiating these heuristics. It is also the case, though, that when singularities arise in the medium of propagation, the heuristics need to be enriched to account for the phenomenon of diffraction, in which waves propagate where particles cannot. I will describe some propagation and diffraction theorems in various contexts, as well as some recently obtained corollaries involving trace formulae, spectral asymptotics, and scattering resonances.
Date posted
Sep 10, 2026
Date updated
Sep 10, 2026