| Résume | High-dimensional problems with a geometric flavor appear in a number of branches of mathematics and mathematical physics. A priori, it seems that the immense diversity observed in high dimensions would make it impossible to formulate general, interesting theorems that apply to large classes of high-dimensional geometric objects. In this talk we will discuss situations in which high dimensionality, when viewed correctly, induces remarkable order and simplicity rather than complication. For example, Dvoretzky's theorem demonstrates that any high-dimensional convex body possesses nearly Euclidean sections of large dimension. Another example is the central limit theorem for convex bodies, according to which any high-dimensional convex body has approximately-Gaussian marginals. There are strong motifs in high-dimensional geometry, such as the concentration of measure, which appear to compensate for the large number of different configurations. Convexity allows us to harness these motifs in order to formulate elegant and non-trivial theorems. |
