February 16, 2007

Joel Kamnitzer (UC Berkeley)

Title: Knot homology via derived categories of coherent sheaves

Abstract: I will present a construction of a knot homology theory using the derived categories of coherent sheaves of certain varieties arising in geometric representation theory. Our knot homology agrees with Khovanov homology and it is related to that of Seidel-Smith by homological mirror symmetry. This is joint work with Sabin Cautis.