March 30, 2016 - 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm L. Mahadevan, SEAS, Physics and OEB, Harvard University
Abstract: Geometry is typically associated with simultaneous processing of the relationship between objects, while probability is typically associated with the sequential processing of events. I will discuss some of our preliminary work on combining these subjects in two contexts: (i) characterizing geometry probabilistically using a relatively simple invariant measure with the ability to explain some seemingly surprising behavioral results that show that we can distinguish between large and small objects, or animate and inanimate objects; (ii) characterizing probability geometrically, couched in terms of a perceptual test of randomness.