Uncertainty principles on finite groups

Gorjan Alagic
Department of Mathematics
University of Connecticut
alagic@math.uconn.edu


Abstract

Uncertainty principles assert that a function and its Fourier transform cannot be simultaneously highly concentrated. The first such principle for functions on finite abelian groups was proved by Donoho and Stark in 1989, and states that the product of the supports of a function and its transform is at least the size of the group. More recently, Tao showed in 2003 that in cyclic groups of prime order, the sum of these supports is at least the order of the group plus one. In this talk, we will discuss natural extensions of multiplicative uncertainty principles to the nonabelian setting. This is joint work with Alexander Russell.


Given at the New York Number Theory Seminar, City University of New York, Oct. 5th, 2006.