KTH/SU Mathematics Colloquium

February 8 2006

Anders Martin-Löf, SU

Bose-Einstein condensation, a phenomenon in both quantum gases and queuing networks.

ABSTRACTIn this talk the curious discovery that the same probabilistic limit theorem gives the explanation of the occurrence of the B-E condensation in an ideal quantum gas discovered in 1925 and the occurrence of a bottleneck phenomenon in a network of queues discovered much later. This is an example of the fascinating unity of the laws of nature which is only seen at a sufficiently deep mathematical level. The necessary knowledge of quantum mechanics and queuing theory needed will be explained in the talk.