Consequences of Conformality

In the phase diagrams of many substances (such as water, helium and magnets), there are ‘critical’ points with remarkable physical properties. Mathematically these points exhibit a high degree of symmetry known as ‘conformal invariance.’ In this lecture, Balt van Rees will discuss how conformal invariance can emerge, why they can be used to make precise and quantitative predictions, and what remains to be done to understand their consequences fully.