We gather to celebrate the 85th birthday of our colleague and friend, Uzy Smilansky. Throughout his long and distinguished career, Uzy has covered a wide range of physical and mathematical topics, mostly at the interface between classical and quantum mechanics. His style is best demonstrated by quoting a few titles of his works: «Can one hear (or count) the shape of a quantum graph?» (with the answers being yes and no, respectively), «The interior-exterior duality», and «Nodal domain counting». Uzy’s work exploring the relationship between spectral and periodic orbit correlations revealed a deep connection to Random Matrix Theory — now an indispensable framework for understanding both single- and many-body quantum chaos. It is precisely these profound ties that we aim to explore and strengthen throughout the workshop.
Workshop Venue
The workshop will be held in the unique biblical village Yad Hashmona nestled in the picturesque Judean Hills, 12 miles west of Jerusalem. Nearest attractions include the biblical city of Kiriath Ye’arim, The Latrun Trappist Monastery, and the Israeli Arab village of Abu Gosh known for its Vocal Music Festivals.
- Yad Hashmona: Logos Guest House
- Yad Hashmona by Todd Bolen from BiblePlaces.com
- Kiriath Ye’arim by Todd Bolen from BiblePlaces.com
- Abu Gosh: Profile from TouristIsrael.com
- Abu Gosh Vocal Music Festival
For travel directions to Yad Hashmona and a road access map please visit the Travel Information section.
See also Israel: Useful Tips
Workshop Schedule
Preliminary program
General Framework
- First session will start on the afternoon of Sunday, March 22, 2026.
- Last session will conclude in the early afternoon on Friday, March 27, 2026.
Social Program
- Get-together on Sunday evening, March 22.
- Half-day excursion on Tuesday afternoon, March 24.
- Conference dinner celebrating Uzy’s birthday on Wednesday evening, March 25.
Important Dates
The Workshop participants are kindly requested to obey the deadlines detailed below.
Deadline for applications | (closed) December 01, 2025
Notification of acceptance | January 21, 2026
Participation fee |
February 1, 2026 (early bird payment)
March 15, 2026 (late bird payment)
Deadline for registration |
February 7, 2026 (overnight stay)
March 10, 2026 (local participants)
Deadline for booking accommodation | February 16, 2026
Arrivals | March 22, 2026
Departures | March 27, 2026
A workshop participation fee applies to all participants.
Workshop Sponsors
The Workshop is being generously supported by The Israel Science Foundation, HIT − Holon Institute of Technology, The Weizmann Institute of Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, The University of Haifa, IAMP − International Association of Mathematical Physics, Annales Henri Poincaré (Institut Henri Poincaré and Swiss Physical Society), Journal of Mathematical Physics (AIP), and Entropy (MDPI). A cash prize 300 CHF, sponsored by MDPI’s Entropy, will be awarded to two PhD students and/or postdocs for best presentations (talks or posters).
Workshop Organizers
Jonathan Breuer, Einstein Institute of Mathematics, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, ISRAEL [email]
Anatoly Golberg, School of Mathematical Sciences, H.I.T. − Holon Institute of Technology, ISRAEL [email]
Maciej Nowak, Institute of Physics, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, POLAND [email]
Joshua Feinberg, Department of Physics, University of Haifa, ISRAEL [email]
Eugene Kanzieper, School of Mathematical Sciences, H.I.T. − Holon Institute of Technology, ISRAEL [email]
Jac Verbaarschot, Department of Physics, State University of New York, Stony Brook, USA [email]
Yan Fyodorov, Department of Mathematics, King’s College London, UNITED KINGDOM [email]
Jon Keating, Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford, UNITED KINGDOM [email]
Workshop Secretariat
Snail mail
Eugene Kanzieper
School of Mathematical Sciences
Faculty of Sciences
H.I.T. − Holon Institute of Technology
52 Golomb Street, PO Box 305
Holon 5810201, Israel
Email
random.matrices@gmail.com
Phone and Fax
+ 972 3 5026714