[Theory-seminars] Theory Seminar Monday (remote) - Nicholas Hunt-Smith

[Zheng-Yang Li]

Dear all,

On Monday, May 5th, 2025 at 3:00PM EDT, we will have a virtual seminar given by Nicholas Hunt-Smith of Adelaide University on the following Zoom link:

https://jlab-org.zoomgov.com/j/1612838574?pwd=dEsHFF7NaYAMXbzNt96mK2fbKWvAml.1

This seminar is a fully online seminar, and we will not provide a room for the remote streaming of this seminar.

Please see below for the title and abstract.

Theory Seminar: May 5th, 3pm EDT (virtual)

Speaker: Nicholas Hunt-Smith (Adelaide U.)

Title: A Comparison of Bayesian Sampling Algorithms for High-Dimensional Particle Physics and Cosmology Applications


Abstract: In this seminar, we will review and compare a wide range of Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) and nested sampling techniques to determine their relative efficacy on functions that resemble those encountered most frequently in the particle astrophysics literature. Our first series of tests explores a series of high-dimensional analytic test functions that exemplify particular challenges, for example, highly multimodal posteriors or posteriors with curving degeneracies. We will then investigate two real physics examples: the first being a global fit of the lambda cold dark matter (ΛCDM) model using cosmic microwave background data from the Planck experiment, and the second being a global fit of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model using a wide variety of collider and astrophysics data. We will show that several examples widely thought to be most easily solved using nested sampling approaches can be more efficiently solved using modern MCMC algorithms, but the details of the implementation matter.

See you on Monday.

Best regards,

Joe, Zheng-Yang, Gloria and Adam
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