Probability

Program Description

Probability theory is the branch of mathematics concerned with the analysis of random phenomena. The members of the ISM Probability Group are involved in research in a broad range of areas spanning theoretical and applied, continuous and discrete probability. A particular focus is on the development and analysis of probabilistic models for real-world phenomena from physics, biology, statistics and computer science. Some specific topics of interest are: statistical physics in a random environment, branching systems in biology, distances and random energy landscapes, data structure analysis using random trees, genetics and population biology.

Many members of the group are also members of the CRM Probability Lab.

Program Members

Academic Program

Students interested in graduate study in any of the areas cited above are invited to apply for admission to the program. There are no formal prerequisites other than those required by the departments. The following guidelines should be followed, however, and courses selected in consultation with an advisor from the group.

Students in the program are expected to have mastered the subject matter of the undergraduate curriculum in probability theory. All students are required to take the basic courses: Real Analysis Measure Theory and Probability Theory. Students are then expected to take a number of more specialized courses.

2023-24 Course Listings

Fall

Probability Theory

This course covers most of the materials in the first seven chapters of Probability and Random Processes by Grimmett and Stirzaker.  In particular, it covers topics such as generating and characteristic functions and their applications in random walk and branching process, different modes of convergence and an introduction of martingales.

Prof. Xiaowen Zhou

MAST 671 / MAST 881

Institution: Concordia University

Advanced Probability Theory 1

Probability spaces. Random variables and their expectations. Convergence of random variables in Lp. Independence and conditional expectation. Introduction to Martingales. Limit theorems including Kolmogorov's Strong Law of Large Numbers.

Prof. Louigi Addario-Berry

MATH 587

Institution: McGill University

Topics in Probability and Statistics: High-dimensional probability

This course develops the theory of high-dimensional probability: random vectors and matrices and the mathematics of how these transform when one applies transformations (especially convex transformations) to them, such as norms and seminorms, eigenvalue maps, and others.  This reveals fundamental geometric properties of normed spaces and convex sets in high dimensions, and it is also deeply connected to modern application in statistics, computer science and data science.  Topics covered will be: concentration of measure, net arguments and norm bounds, Gaussian processes and Gaussian concentration, chaining, and many applications of the above.  Based on Vershynin’s textbook "An introduction to High-dimensional probability".

Prof. Elliot Paquette

MATH 598/784

Institution: McGill University

Probabilités - Université de Montréal

Espace de probabilité, variables aléatoires, indépendance, espérance mathématique, modes de convergence, lois des grands nombres, théorème central limite, espérance conditionnelle et martingales. Introduction au mouvement brownien.

Prof. Alexander Fribergh

MAT 6701

Institution: Université de Montréal

Mesure et probabilités

Tribus et variables aléatoires. Théorie de l'intégration: théorème de Lebesgue, espace Lp, théorème de Fubini. Construction de mesures, mesure de Radon. Indépendance. Conditionnement.

 

Prof. Hélène Guérin

MAT 7070

Institution: Université du Québec à Montréal

Probabilités - Université de Sherbrooke

Révision de la théorie des probabilités. Espérances conditionnelles. Martingales à temps discret et théorème de convergence de Doob.  Convergence étroite, tension et théorème de la limite centrale.

Prof. Klaus Herrmann

STT 701

Institution: Université de Sherbrooke

Winter

Advanced Probability Theory 2

Characteristic functions: elementary properties, inversion formula, uniqueness, convolution and continuity theorems. Weak convergence. Central limit theorem. Additional topic(s) chosen (at discretion of instructor) from: Martingale Theory; Brownian motion, stochastic calculus.

Prof. Elliot Paquette

MATH 589

Institution: McGill University

Calcul stochastique

Mouvement brownien, intégrale stochastique, formule d’Itô, équations différentielles stochastiques, théorèmes de représentation, théorème de Girsanov. Formule de Black et Scholes.

Prof. Lucas Benigni

MAT 6703

Institution: Université de Montréal