Space, time and Shakespeare - Paul Glendinning
Wednesday 06 May 2026, 5.00-6.00 pm, L1
Shakespeare’s work provides a snapshot of how people made sense of the world around them: how they solved problems (how large is an opposing army?) and how they navigated a complex environment (does the sun rise in the east?).
You may have noticed we are running a series of sort films on the maths behind popular games (card, board, digital, nothing is off limits). So we want contributors for the following games plus any ideas you have of your own.
Poker, Blackjack, Roulette, Chess, Go, Bridge, Monopoly, Tsuro, Carcasonne, Cathedral, Minecraft, Catan, Ticket to Ride, Saboteur, Projective Noughts and Crosses, Projective Set, Splendour, Minesweeper, Backgammon, etc.
Deformation theory studies how varieties and other algebro-geometric objects vary in families. A central part of the subject is formal deformation theory, where one deforms over an Artinian base; such deformation problems are governed by Lie algebraic models.
We pose the question of deforming varieties over nilpotent but not necessarily Artinian bases. These turn out to be classified by the same Lie algebraic models plus some topological structure. More precisely, we will consider partition Lie algebras in the category of ultrasolid modules, a variation of the solid modules of Clausen and Scholze that give a well-behaved category akin to topological modules.
To approach this result, we decompose deformation problems into n-nilpotent layers. Each of these layers is individually easier to understand, and is classified by simpler variants of partition Lie algebras.
Are you a UK-registered student with an interest in the future of pensions and long-term saving? If so, our Student Essay Competition for a prize of up to £3,000 is open for entries!
Find out more below, and apply here: https://aca.org.uk/aca-75th-anniversary-future-of-pensions-student-essay-competition-entry-form/
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