Department of Mathematics

Title: Skein theory and the geometric Langlands program.Abstract:  Skein modules are certain families of vector spaces spanned by embedded links or graphs in a 3-manifold M, modulo certain local relations. They can be thought of both as an obstruction to defining a polynomial invariant of knots in M and as an invariant of the 3-manifold […]

Title: Kapustin-Witten (KW) and Kapustin-Rozanksy-Witten (KRS) theory path to knot homologyAbstract: My talk is based on the joint project with Lev Rozansky. As a motivation, I will interpret KRS theory as KW theory with defects. Then I will explain how we rigorously construct 3D TQFT, which is a KRS theory with targets Hilbert scheme of […]

Title: Bulk-edge correspondence and an alternative proof of Bott periodicity theorem via Quot schemesAbstract: The study of topological matter is one example of the application of algebraic topology in physics. The bulk-edge correspondence, which asserts that the bulk index of a topological matter coincides with its edge index, has been formulated mathematically in various forms […]

Title: Decategorified Heegaard Floer theory and actions of both E and FAbstract: I will outline a relative of decategorified bordered sutured Heegaard Floer homology in which the vector spaces assigned to surfaces S with corners have actions of the full psl(1|1) (with both E and F) for smooth circles in the boundary of S, and […]

Title: Highly Connected 7-manifolds, Non-negative Curvature and the Linking FormAbstract: Closed manifolds admitting non-negative sectional curvature are not very well understood and it is, at present, quite difficult to obtain examples with interesting topology.  All known examples depend in some way on two basic facts: First, compact Lie groups admit a bi-invariant metric (hence, non-negative […]