# Past Kinderseminar

6 November 2013
10:30
Antonio de Capua
Abstract
A large class of links in $S^3$ has the property that the complement admits a complete hyperbolic metric of finite volume. But is this volume understandable from the link itself, or maybe from some nice diagram of it? Marc Lackenby in the early 2000s gave a positive answer for a class of diagrams, the alternating ones. The proof of this result involves an analysis of the JSJ decomposition of the link complement: in particular of how does it appear on the link diagram. I will tell you an outline of this proof, forgetting its most technical aspects and explaining the underlying ideas in an accessible way.
• Kinderseminar
30 October 2013
11:30
Robert Kropholler
Abstract
I will look at the classical constructions that can be made using a straight edge and compass, I will then look at the limits of these constructions. I will then show how much further we can get with Origami, explaining how it is possible to trisect an angle or double a cube. Compasses not supplied.
• Kinderseminar
23 October 2013
11:30
Tara Brough
Abstract
<div>The <i>word problem</i> of a group $G$ with respect to a generating set $X$ is the set of all words in elements of $X$ and their inverses which represent the identity in $G$. &nbsp;A <i>formal language </i>is a set of words over a finite alphabet, and so word problems of groups can be viewed as formal languages.</div> <div>In this talk I will give an introduction to formal languages, concentrating on context-free languages and several related classes. &nbsp;I will define these languages by means of automata. &nbsp;I will then give a survey of research on groups whose word problem belongs to the language classes I have introduced, beginning with the classification of groups with context-free word problem (Muller and Schupp, 1983). &nbsp;I will also discuss some of the open problems in this area.</div>
• Kinderseminar
16 October 2013
11:30
Abstract
<p>I shall outline a procedure for efficiently approximating arbitrary elements of certain topological groups by words in a finite set. The method is suprisingly general and is based upon the assumption that close to the identity, group elements may be easily expressible as commutators. Time permitting, I shall discuss some applications to uniform diameter bounds for finite groups and to quantum computation.</p>
• Kinderseminar
12 June 2013
11:30
Emanuele Ghedin
Abstract
Symplectic reflection algebras are an important class of algebras related to an incredibly high number of different topics such as combinatorics, noncommutative geometry and resolutions of singularities and have themselves a rich representation theory. We will recall their definition and classification coming from symplectic reflection groups and outline some of the results that have characterised their representation theory over the last decade, focusing on the link with representations of quivers.
• Kinderseminar
5 June 2013
11:30
Jason Semeraro
Abstract
Saturated fusion systems are both a convenient language in which to formulate p-local finite simple group theory and interesting structures in their own right. In this talk, we will start by explaining what is meant by a 'tree of fusion systems' and give conditions on such an object for there to exist a saturated completion. We then describe how this theory can be used to understand a class of fusion systems first considered by Bob Oliver, which are determined by modular representations of finite groups. If time permits, we will discuss joint work with David Craven towards a complete classification of such fusion systems. The talk is aimed at a general mathematical audience with some background in algebra.
• Kinderseminar
29 May 2013
11:30
Levon Haykazyan
Abstract
Concepts such as infinitesimal numbers and fluxions have been used by Leibnitz and Newton for the initial development of calculus. However, their non-rigorous nature has caused a lot of controversy and they have eventually been phased out by epsilon-delta definitions. In early 60s Abraham Robinson realised that methods of mathematical logic can be used to provide rigorous meaning to such concepts. This talk is a gentle introduction to some of Robinson's ideas.
• Kinderseminar
22 May 2013
11:30
Lukasz Grabowski
Abstract
I will give a gentle introduction to uniformly finite homology. The highlight application will be showing existence of aperiodic tilings of the hyperbolic plane.
• Kinderseminar
15 May 2013
11:30
Jo French
Abstract
In this talk, I will discuss homotopy limits: The basics, and why you should care about them if you are a topologist, an algebraic geometer, or an algebraist (have I missed anyone?).
• Kinderseminar
8 May 2013
11:30
Thomas Wasserman
Abstract
Categorification is a fancy word for a process that is pretty ubiquitous in mathematics, though it is usually not referred to as "a thing". With the advent of higher category theory it has, however, become "a thing". I will explain what people mean by this "thing" (sneak preview: it involves replacing sets by categories) and hopefully convince you it is not quite as alien as it may seem and maybe even tempt you to let it infect some of your maths. I'll then explain how this fits into the context of higher categories.
• Kinderseminar