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Spring 2021
| Date | Time (Eastern) | Speaker | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| February 12 | 2 pm | Alex Sisto | Cubulations of hulls and bicombings |
| February 19 | |||
| February 26 | 11 am | Piotr Nowak | On property (T) for Aut(F_n) |
| March 5 | 2 pm | Elia Fioravante |
Coarse-median preserving automorphisms |
| March 12 | 2 pm | Luke Jeffreys | Ratio-optimising pseudo-Anosovs and single-cylinder pillowcase-covers |
| March 19 | 2 pm | Ben Knudsen | Stable and unstable homology of graph braid groups |
| March 26 | 2 pm | Lorenzo Ruffoni | Projective structures, representations, and ODEs on surfaces |
| April 2 | 2 pm | Genevieve Walsh | Virtual algebraic fibrations, conjectures, and excessive homology |
| April 9 | 2 pm | Ian Biringer | Determining the finite subgraphs of the curve graph |
| April 16 | 2 pm | Sander Kupers | The Disc-structure space of a manifold |
| April 23 | 2 pm | Corey Bregman | |
| April 30 | Alice Kerr |
Abstracts
Sander Kupers, University of Toronto
April 16, 2021
Title:The Disc-structure space of a manifold
Abstract:Surgery theory attempts to understand the category of manifolds by mapping it to the category of topological spaces, with the goal of understanding the target and fiber of this map using homotopy-theoretic methods. In this talk I'll propose an alternative inspired by embedding calculus, mapping the category of manifolds to the category of simplicial presheaves on the category of discs, and explore its surprising features. This is joint work with Manuel Krannich.
Ian Biringer, Boston College
April 9, 2021
Title:Determining the finite subgraphs of the curve graph
Abstract: The curve graph of an orientable surface S has vertices corresponding to isotopy classes of simple closed curves on S, and edges connect isotopy classes with disjoint representatives. We prove that there is an algorithm to determine if a given finite graph is an induced subgraph of a given curve graph. This is the main result of a 2018 paper with Tarik Aougab and Jonah Gaster.
Genevieve Walsh, Tufts
April 2, 2021
Title:Virtual algebraic fibrations, conjectures, and excessive homology
Abstract: A group G "algebraically fibers" if G surjects the integers with finitely generated kernel. Groups which algebraically fiber are natural generalizations of fibered 3-manifolds, and it is an interesting question to determine which groups virtually algebraically fiber. It is conjectured for example that hyperbolic 4-manifold groups always virtually algebraically fiber. We discuss this question for free-by-free, surface-by-free and surface-by-surface groups. We show that free-by-free groups do not always virtually algebraically fiber and we relate the question for surface-by-free and surface-by-surface groups to a conjecture of Putnam and Wieland. This is joint work with Robert Kropholler and Stefano Vidussi.
Lorenzo Ruffoni
March 26, 2021
Title:Projective structures, representations, and ODEs on surfaces.
Abstract:In one of its easiest formulations, Hilbert's XXI problem deals with the relationship between linear ODEs on a surface and representations of its fundamental group. When a complex structure on the surface is fixed, a classical theory is available. However, not much is understood in the complementary case, i.e. when the type of the ODE is fixed, while the complex structure is allowed to vary. Projective structures have been known since Poincare's times to be a geometric bridge between the analytic and the algebraic side of this picture. In this talk we will present how their geometric deformation theory can be used to explore the space of ODEs associated with a fixed representation, including some recent results about branched projective structures.
Ben Knudsen, Northeastern
March 19, 2021
Title:Stable and unstable homology of graph braid groups
Abstract:The homology of the configuration spaces of a graph forms a finitely generated module over the polynomial ring generated by its edges; in particular, each Betti number is eventually equal to a polynomial in the number of particles, an analogue of classical homological stability. The degree of this polynomial is captured by a connectivity invariant of the graph, and its leading coefficient may be computed explicitly in terms of cut counts and vertex valences. This "stable" (asymptotic) homology is generated entirely by the fundamental classes of certain tori of geometric origin, but exotic non-toric classes abound unstably. These mysterious classes are intimately tied to questions about generation and torsion whose answers remain elusive except in a few special cases. This talk represents joint work with Byung Hee An and Gabriel Drummond-Cole.
Luke Jeffreys, Bristol
March 12, 2021
Title:Ratio-optimising pseudo-Anosovs and single-cylinder pillowcase-covers
Abstract:The systole map between Teichmüller space and the curve graph of a surface played a key role in Masur and Minsky’s proof that the curve graph is Gromov-hyperbolic. In particular, they showed that the systole map is coarsely-Lipschitz; that is, it is Lipschitz up to an additive error. Gadre-Hironaka-Kent-Leininger proved that the optimal Lipschitz constant is comparable to 1/log(g), for g the genus of the surface. In their proof of this fact, they considered a class of pseudo-Anosov diffeomorphism now called ‘ratio-optimising’. Aougab-Taylor gave a more general construction of these ratio-optimising pseudo-Anosovs in such a way that they stabilise the Teichmüller disk of a flat structure on the surface. A natural question to ask is which flat structures can be achieved in this construction. In this talk, I will discuss the answer to this question and how it relates to a specific class of flat structure called a single-cylinder pillowcase-cover.
Elia Fioravante
March 5, 2021
Title: Coarse-median preserving automorphisms
Abstract: We study fixed subgroups of automorphisms of right-angled Artin and Coxeter groups. If \phi is an untwisted automorphism of a RAAG, or an arbitrary automorphism of a RACG, we prove that Fix(\phi) is finitely generated and undistorted. Up to replacing \phi with a power, we show that Fix(\phi) is even quasi-convex with respect to the standard word metric. This implies that Fix(\phi) is separable and a special group in the Haglund-Wise sense. Some of our techniques may be applicable in the more general context of Bowditch's coarse median groups. Based on arXiv:2101.04415.
Piotr Nowak, IMPAN
February 26, 2021, 11 am
Title: On property (T) for Aut(F_n)
Abstract: The goal of this talk is to present the recent proof that Aut(F_n), the automorphism group of the free group on n generators, has Kazhdan’s property (T) for n\ge 5. This is joint work with Marek Kaluba and Taka Ozawa (n=5) and with Kaluba and Dawid Kielak (n\ge 6). Our proof uses a characterization of property (T) via an algebraic notion of positivity in the group ring, due to Ozawa and computer assistance in the form of semidefinite programming (i.e. convex optimization over positive definite matrices). As applications we confirm the explanation of the effectiveness of the Product Replacement Algorithm predicted by Lubotzky and Pak, as well as obtain new asymptotically optimal estimates of Kazhdan constant for Aut(F_n) and SL_n(Z).
Alex Sisto, Heriot-Watt University
February 12, 2021
Title: Cubulations of hulls and bicombings
Abstract: It is well-known that the quasi-convex hull of finitely many points in a hyperbolic space is quasi-isometric to a tree. I will discuss an analogous fact in the context of hierarchically hyperbolic spaces, a large class of spaces and groups including mapping class groups,Teichmueller space, right-angled Artin and Coxeter groups, and many others. In this context, the approximating tree is replaced by a CAT(0) cube complex. I will also briefly discuss applications, including how this can be used to construct bicombings. Based on joint works with Behrstock-Hagen and Durham-Minsky.
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Previous semesters:
Spring 2020, Fall 2019, Spring 2019, Fall 2018, Spring 2018, Fall 2017, Spring 2017, Fall 2016, Spring 2016, Fall 2015, Spring 2015, Fall 2014, Spring 2014, Fall 2013, Spring 2013, Fall 2012, Spring 2012, Fall 2011, 2010/11, Spring 2010, Fall 2009, Spring 2009, Fall 2008, Spring 2008, Fall 2007, Spring 2007, Fall 2006.Other area seminars.
- Columbia Symplectic Geometry/Gauge Theory Seminar
- All Columbia Math Dept Seminars
- CUNY Geometry and Topology Seminar
- CUNY Complex Analysis & Dynamics Seminar
- CUNY Magnus Seminar
- Princeton Topology Seminar.