Numerical Quantum Simulations of Realistic Materials
Presidential Lectures are free public colloquia centered on four main themes: Biology, Physics, Mathematics and Computer Science, and Neuroscience and Autism Science. These curated, high-level scientific talks feature leading scientists and mathematicians and are intended to foster discourse and drive discovery among the broader NYC-area research community. We invite those interested in the topic to join us for this weekly lecture series.
Simulating quantum mechanics on classical computers appears at first to require exponential computational resources, yet at the same time rapid progress is being made in accurate simulations of the quantum properties of realistic materials. How is this discrepancy resolved? Professor Chan will explain why, for many purposes, the exponential complexity of quantum mechanics is an illusion, and how the simple structure of quantum states can be captured through different mathematical formalisms, including that of tensor networks. Chan will then briefly discuss how this translates into new tools of numerical simulation, and highlight applications to the first-principles study of biological systems, molecular crystals and high temperature superconductivity.