The Hidden Landscape of Localization - Kirk Lecture

Explore the intricacies of localization in complex systems through this illuminating lecture. Delve into the concept of the landscape function, a powerful tool that predicts the behavior of localized eigenfunctions in disordered systems. Discover how this hidden structure provides insights into the location, shape, and exponential decay patterns of eigenfunctions, while offering accurate eigenvalue bounds where traditional methods fall short. Examine the universal relevance of this approach for elliptic operators and its specific applications to the Schrödinger operator with random potential and the Poisson-Schrödinger drift-diffusion system in semiconductor alloys. Gain a deeper understanding of wave confinement phenomena caused by geometric complexity and potential randomness in various irregular systems.