Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/93238273614?pwd=MGeKRYi4biglbaABvqjWiCeJDIrxTY.1

Abstract: The 2024 Physics Nobel Prize has drawn the attention of a large cross section of people, across disciplines because neural networks, its central theme, is a popular term and has widespread applications. However, most people, including physicists, have wondered – ‘where is the physics in it (?)’!

This will be revealed in this lecture.

Another mystifying fact is that there is an inevitable element of neuropsychology underlying the Prize, which ought to be brought out for an informed audience. 

If time permits extensions of Hopfield-Network to make it cognitively more viable, as attempted by our group, will be summarised. These include some novel proposals for physiology of cognitive learning and memory which should interest students of psychology, physics, computer science, and cognitive neuroscience.

About the Speaker: Prof. Vipin Srivastava has receievd his education from Universities of Allahabad and Roorkee. He worked at the Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, and the University of Hyderabad since 1980, with intermittent sojourns to the University of Cambridge on visiting positions since 1987. He retired in 2017 after serving the University of Hyderabad as Professor of Physics, Dean and Pro Vice Chancellor. His areas of research are electron states in disordered condensed matter systems; quantum percolation; quantum Hall effect; self-avoiding and continuous time random walks; neural-networks and modelling of brain functions and cognitive phenomena. He also dabbles in to geophysics and musicology.

Looking forward to your active participation.