Probability

Group members work in a wide range of topics in probability theory, stochastic processes and their many applications, including but not limited to: mathematical physics, biology, computer science, information theory and machine learning.

The weekly Probability Seminar, jointly organized by Temple University and the University of Pennsylvania, serves as the primary meeting point for faculty, postdocs, and graduate students working in probability and related fields across the Philadelphia region. Members of the Probability Group also participate in a number of regional conferences, in particular the annual Northeast Probability Seminar.

 

Current members:

Nizar Bou Ezz, Graduate Student

Advisor: Atilla Yilmaz. Research interests: large deviations, optimal control.

Lancelot Leung, Graduate Student

Advisor: Atilla Yilmaz. Research interests: homogenization, Hamilton-Jacobi equations, differential games.

Luke Peilen, Postdoctoral Researcher

Webpage. Research interests: statistical physics, random matrices and log/Riesz gases.

Silvana Ramaj, Graduate Student

Advisor: Wei-Shih Yang. Research interests: random fields.

Brian Rider, Professor, Department Chair

Research interests: random matrix theory, mathematical physics.

Abraham Silbert, Graduate Student

Advisor: Atilla Yilmaz. Research interests: mean-field games.

Wei-Shih Yang, Professor

Webpage. Research interests: quantum computing, quantum random walks, statistical mechanics.

Atilla Yilmaz, Associate Professor

Webpage. Research interests: large deviations, processes in random environments, homogenization, Hamilton-Jacobi equations, optimal control, differential and mean-field games.

Selected Courses:

Math 5032: Stochastic Calculus

In this course, we introduce the theory of Ito calculus and stochastic differential equations based on Brownian motion and Gaussian processes (avoiding the subtleties of measure and integration whenever possible), illustrate the concepts and results with concrete examples and numerical projects, and present some of the fundamental applications of the theory to option pricing in finance.

Math 5034: High-dimensional Probability

This course provides a self-contained introduction to the area of high-dimensional probability and statistics from a non-asymptotic perspective, aimed at students across the mathematical sciences. It includes a focus on core methodology and theory (tail bounds, concentration of measure, random matrices, random graphs and networks) as well as in-depth exploration of various applications (to statistical learning theory, sparse linear and graphical models, community detection, as examples).

Math 8031: Probability Theory

In this course, we introduce the axioms and fundamental notions of probability based on measure and integration, develop the theory with the accompanying probabilistic intuition which is equally important, formulate and prove the strong law of large numbers for independent random variables, define and characterize weak convergence of probability measures, and give a rigorous treatment of the central limit theorem.

Math 8032: Stochastic Processes

This course provides a rigorous introduction to stochastic processes in discrete and continuous time, focusing on the following: Markov processes with finite and general state spaces, random walks in one and higher dimensions, the Poisson process, conditional expectations and martingales, stationary processes and ergodicity, and Brownian motion.