Department of Mathematics and Statistics

Friday, November 2nd, 2018

Time: 2:30 p.m.  Place: Jeffery Hall 234

Speaker: Thomas Koberda (University of Virginia)

Title: Algebra versus regularity for group actions on one-manifolds.

Abstract: I will survey some results concerning the algebraic structure of finitely generated groups which admit faithful actions on compact one-manifolds. I will concentrate on continuous, $C^1$, and $C^2$ actions, and on the various algebraic restrictions imposed by regularity requirements. Of particular interest will be nilpotent groups, right-angled Artin groups, mapping class groups of surface, and Thompson's groups F and T. Time permitting, I will indicate some recent progress.

After obtaining his undergraduate at the University of Chicago, Thomas Koberda got his Ph.D.~from Harvard in 2012, then went to Yale as an NSF and Gibbs assistant professor before joining the University of Virginia in 2015. Thomas achievements have been recognized by a Sloan Research Fellowship and the Kamil Duszenko Prize of 2017.

Tuesday, October 30th, 2018

Time: 2:00-3:30 p.m Place: Jeffery Hall 116

Speaker: Mike Roth (Queen's University)

Title: Local description of the Hilbert scheme when n=2

Abstract: Given a smooth surface $X$, we have the Hilbert scheme of points $X^{[n]}$, the associated Hilbert-Chow morphism to $\operatorname{Sym}^n(X)$, and the universal family over $X^{[n]}$. We will study what these look like when $n=2$.

Monday, October 29th, 2018

Time: 4:30-5:30 p.m.  Place: Jeffery Hall 319

Speaker: Yin Chen (Northeast Normal University, China)

Title: On vector invariant fields for finite classical groups

Abstract:  In the recent work (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpaa.2018.07.015) with David Wehlau, we found a minimal polynomial generating set for the vector and covector invariant field of the general linear group over finite fields. Our method relied on some relations between the generators for the invariant ring of one vector and one covector. The remaining case (without covectors) is more complicated. In this talk, I will present an approach to find polynomial generating sets for the vector invariant fields of the most of finite classical groups. This is a joint work with Zhongming Tang.

Friday, October 19th, 2018

Time: 2:30 p.m.  Place: Jeffery Hall 234

Speaker: Camille Horbez (CNRS – Universite Paris Sud)

Title: Mostow-type rigidity and normal subgroups of automorphisms of free groups.

Abstract: The talk is based on a recent joint work with Richard D. Wade. Let Out(Fn) be the outer automorphism group of a finitely generated free group. In 2007, Farb and Handel proved that when n is at least 4, every isomorphism between two finite-index subgroups of Out(Fn) extends to an inner automorphism of Out(Fn). This rigidity statement, asserting that Out(Fn) has no more symmetries than the obvious ones, can be viewed as an analogue of the Mostow rigidity theorem for lattices in Lie groups, or of a result of Ivanov for mapping class groups of surfaces. We recently gave a new proof of Farb and Handel's theorem, which enabled us to also understand the symmetries of some natural normal subgroups of Out(Fn). In my talk, I will emphasize the analogies between Out(Fn), arithmetic groups and mapping class groups, and will present some general ideas behind these rigidity phenomena.

Camille Horbez obtained his Ph.D in at the Universite de Rennes in 2014, and after a year at the University of Utah, he became a Charge de Recherches for the CNRS at the Universite de Paris Sud (Orsay). In 2017, Camille was selected to give a Cours Peccot, a semester long course given at the College de France by a mathematician less than 30 year old.

Thursday, October 18th, 2018

Time: 11:30 a.m - 12:20 p.m Place: Jeffery Hall 422

Speaker: Noriko Yui (Queen's University)

Title: Four-dimensional Galois representations arising from certain Calabi--Yau threefolds Part II

Abstract: We consider the (irreducible) four-dimensional Galois representations arising from certain Calabi--Yau threefolds over ${\bf{Q}}$ with all the Hodge numbers of the third cohomology groups equal to $1$. There are many examples of (families) of such Calabi--Yau threefolds. The modularity/automorphy of such Calabi--Yau threefolds will be the main topic of discussion. There are two venues to be considered. In one venue, we ought to count the number of rational points over finite fields of these Calabi--Yau threefolds to concoct their L-series. In the other venue, we ought to construct some modular varieties, in this case, conjecturally, Siegel modular forms of weight $3$ and genus $2$ on some paramodular subgroups of $Sp(4,{\bf{Z}})$, and then compute their L-series. Such modular forms may be constructed using Borcherds forms. The ultimate aim is to establish a Langlands correspondence between the two L-series, thereby establishing the modularity/automorphy of such Calabi--Yau threefolds.

This is a joint work with Yifan Yang (National Taiwan University).