Theoretical Physics workshops

This workshop connects mathematical and theoretical neuroscience approaches to the dynamics of densely connected recurrent spiking networks. Mean-field methods link individual-neuron dynamics with population behaviour, while low-dimensional collective dynamics and low-rank connectivity provide complementary descriptions informed by experiments and simulations. Researchers with mathematical and physics backgrounds alternate presentations to compare these perspectives. Public research lectures run from Monday afternoon through Wednesday, followed by doctoral tutorials on Thursday and Friday at the Bernoulli Center, EPFL, Lausanne. Registration begins at 13:30 on 2 November, with the introduction at 13:45 and talks from 14:00. Tuesday and Wednesday lectures and Thursday and Friday tutorials start at 09:00. Times are Europe/Zurich, CET (UTC+01:00). Seats are limited; researchers from outside EPFL pay CHF90 and commit to attending the lecture sessions. Tutorials are restricted to PhD students. Separate registration forms for doctoral students and other researchers are linked on the official workshop page. Preparation assumes mathematics or physics at master’s level and familiarity with computational neuroscience.

Connect numerical approaches to classical and quantum initial-boundary-value problems. The workshop examines deterministic wave propagation, fluid dynamics and general relativity alongside fluctuating quantum fields and hydrodynamics. Invited perspectives and contributed talks explore shared modelling challenges, including symmetry-preserving and mimetic discretisation, summation-by-parts methods, action-based formulations, lattice field theory, stochastic partial differential equations and quantum computing. Researchers in theoretical physics and applied mathematics will compare methods and identify opportunities for collaboration across these neighbouring fields. 19 November 2026 at 09:00 through 21 November at 17:00, Asia/Seoul (KST, UTC+9). Participant registration closes on 8 November 2026 and requires an Indico account. Capacity is 70. Contributed abstracts are due 25 October.

Bring together amplitude-bootstrap approaches to string theory in flat and curved backgrounds. Researchers will discuss how bootstrap constraints reveal the structure of string amplitudes and how these methods extend to cosmological observables and anti-de Sitter or de Sitter settings. The workshop connects communities studying the S-matrix, cosmological correlators and quantum gravity through presentations and scientific discussion. 30 November 2026 at 09:00 through 4 December at 17:00, Asia/Taipei (UTC+8). Public participant registration closes on 20 November 2026.

Explore whether the physics of glass and jamming transitions can provide shared principles for complex matter, from amorphous solids and granular flows to living systems. The programme combines theoretical, experimental and computational approaches to nonequilibrium dynamics, structural disorder and collective behaviour. Discussions connect soft and active matter with biological processes and medical challenges, seeking research directions that cross the boundaries between physics, chemistry, materials and medicine. 14 December at 10:15 to 18 December at 12:40; Asia/Tokyo (JST, UTC+09:00). Attendance-only registration is due 30 November. Poster proposals are due 31 October, subject to capacity; oral submission and banquet booking have closed. An Indico account is required, with new accounts approved during Japanese weekday office hours.

Mathematicians and physicists will investigate how topological structures constrain quantum fields and quantum gravity. Properties unchanged by local deformation can impose strong restrictions on microscopic physical theories. The programme brings together expertise in topology and quantum theory to study broader classes of these structures and their implications for physics at very short distance scales.

Explore path-integration techniques linking quantum mechanics, quantum field theory and gravity. Five themes connect worldline methods, strong external backgrounds, heat-kernel expansions and resurgence, on-shell quantities, and geometry in first quantisation. Discussion includes curved spaces, superspace and nontrivial topology, as well as representations of wavefunctions, scattering amplitudes and gravitational waveforms. Review lectures introduce challenges in each area, followed by invited and contributed talks, two poster sessions and extended collaborative discussions across research communities. 22 March 2027 at 17:00 through 2 April at 13:30, Europe/Paris. The local timezone changes from CET to CEST on 28 March. Expressions of interest close on 15 December 2026 and participation is confirmed by the end of the year. An Indico account is required. Capacity is 70. Estimated fees, including accommodation and meals, are EUR 1,330 for established or senior scientists and EUR 940 for early-career researchers, payable on arrival; limited travel support is being sought.

Study modern connections between gravitational theory and quantum information in an intensive doctoral school for young researchers. Lectures develop covariant phase space, boundary symmetries and edge modes in general relativity, then connect these tools to observable algebras, celestial holography and quantum reference frames. Leading researchers introduce the foundations and discuss current research directions at the interface of classical and quantum gravity. 11 April 2027 at 15:00 through 16 April at 17:00, Europe/Zurich (CEST, UTC+2). Participants must attend the full week. Preregistration closes on 15 December 2026; the advertised early fee is EUR 250 through that date. Accommodation and meals from Sunday to Friday are included, with no extra nights. Registration is validated only after payment through a subsequently supplied payment link. Travel assistance depends on available funding.