Lucy Liuxuan Zhang

SAAI String Quartet (high school years)

Department of Mathematics
University of Toronto
40 St. George Street
Toronto, Ontario
Canada M5S 2E4
Email: lzhang at math

Who am I

• Ph.D. candidate in Mathematics
• CV (PDF, updated June 2009)
• Publications and Term papers

Research

• Learning/Thinking in progress (blog style, frequently updated):
  • 2009 Fall: Algebraic geometry, MTCs, QFT and Categorification and maybe other things
• Current interests:
  • Main - quantum groups, modular tensor categories (MTCs), topological quantum field theories (TQFTs), categorification, and some aspects of knot theory and representation theory; topological quantum computation (TQC)
  • Secondary - quantum gravity, topological quantum error correction
  • Vague - quantum error correction, fault-tolerant QC, quantum algorithms, measurement-based QC
• Current courses (2009 Fall):
  • MAT1155HF - Introduction to Commutative Algebra and Algebraic Geometry
  • MAT1350HF - Algebraic Knot Theory
• Current seminars which I attend regularly:
  • Joel and Sergey's Geometric Representation Theory Seminar (T2-4)
  • Fotini's PI Quantum Gravity group meeting (R2:45-4)
  • Daniel's PI (Perimeter Insitute) Quantum Information group meeting (M/R 4-6)
  
  
• Seminars which I co-organize:
  • 2009 Early Summer: Quantum Groups and Representations Learning Seminar (T2-4)
• Recent talks:
  • A Series of 9 Lectures on Quantum Groups at Perimeter Institute, Waterloo (Grad Talks, 2009 Winter, M11-12)
  • Introduction to Quantum Groups (MGSA seminar, January 21, 2009)
  • Hopf Algebras and Quantum Computation (PAMGSC, October 26, 2008)
• Past research projects (blog style, boring to read):
  • Mathematics
    • 2009 Summer: [Learning] Topology, TQFTs, Quivers and Representation theory
    • 2008-2009: [Learning] Quantum Groups based on the book by Kassel
  • Quantum information
    • [Learning] Measurement-based quantum computation, topological quantum error correction, general quantum error correction, fault tolerance
    • [Turned out to be some reproduction of existing results, but I haven't checked mine against theirs] Surface code simulation
    • [Learning] Topological quantum computation (I loved it because it was cool math and highly-interdisciplinary.)
  • Quantum cryptography
    • [Publication] Insecurity of differential-phase-shift QKD (Honestly, I didn't enjoy this project too much, perhaps because it was too practically-minded.)
  • Magnetohydrodynamical turbulence at various scales
    • Turbulence in molecular clouds
    • Non-resistive dynamo
    • MHD turbulence theory
    • Turbulence in the solar corona, as dynamo mechanism?
    • Related literature: MHD references
  • Cosmology
    • [Learning and reproducing some old results] FORTRAN 90, gravitational weak lensing, convolutions and other standard algorithms; and I found it fun to be able to tell computers to do things for me
    • Some fun with writing a fast transpose library for someone else's M-body simulation using Intel assembly language. I also tried writing an FFT library, but found it a bit hard because more sophisticated loop structures, which the low-level language didn't seem to like very much, were needed.
    • [Publication] Fast correlation function algorithm with weak lensing applications in mind
• Useful or interesting links
  • Secret Blogging Seminar
  • The n-Category Cafe and nLab
  • AMS Listing of Conferences and Summer Schools
  • Other mathematicians with similar interests:
    • Roland van der Veen
    • Louis Kauffman
    • Samuel Lomonaco
    • Station Q
  • Ben-Zvi's Resourceful Homepage
  • Perimeter Institute PIRSA Archive
  • Math ArXiv with UC Davis Front
  • AMS Graduate Student Blog

Teaching

• 2006-2007: TA for PHY138Y (Physics for the Life Sciences I)
• 2008 Winter: TA for MAT185S (Linear Algebra for Engineering Science I)
• 2008-2009: TA for MAT135Y (Calculus for Life Science I)
• 2008 Fall: TA for MAT301S (Groups and Symmetries)
• 2009 Winter: A Series of 9 Lectures on Quantum Groups at Perimeter Institute, Waterloo (M11-12)

People I've worked with

• PhD:
  • Joel Kamnitzer (2008-)
  • Joe Repka (2007-2008)
  • Daniel Gottesman (2007)
• Master:
  • Daniel F. V. James (2006-2007)
  • Robert Raussendorf (2006-2007)
• Undergraduate:
  • Joe Repka (2006)
  • Daniel F. V. James (2006)
  • Hoi-Kwong Lo (2005)
  • Chris Matzner (2003-2005)
  • Ue-Li Pen (2001-2002)

Hobbies

• Opera (see my Music webpage for my upcoming performances and more)
• Violin and chamber music
• Languages
• Bridge
• Ballet, ballroom/tango/salsa, swimming, yoga
• Biking, watching gardens