Date & Time: Tuesday, March 24, 2015, 14:00-15:30.
Venue: Ramanujan Hall

Title: L-functions

Speaker: Ritabrata Munshi, TIFR Mumbai

Abstract: We will start by briefly recalling some of the tools from analytic number theory which go into the study of L-functions. This will include the summation formula, the trace formula (Petersson/Kuznetsov) and the circle method. The main focus will be the subconvexity problem (and its applications). We will briefly recall the ideas of Weyl and Burgess, and then in some detail cover the amplification technique as developed by Duke, Friedlander and Iwaniec. We will also discuss the works of Michel and his collaborators. After discussing the scopes and shortfalls of the amplification technique, we will move towards more current techniques. The ultimate goal will be to discuss the status of GL(3) subconvexity.