We are making a series of films about maths in different langugaes and need an Arabic speaker. All it requires is translating a few mathematical terms and saying a few things about learning maths in a language other than English.

However, whatever your first language (ex English) we'd like to hear from you. If you want to take part, please email @email

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.

Mon, 27 Apr 2026
15:30
L5

Nilpotent Deformation Theory

Sofia Marlasca Aparicio
((Mathematical Institute University of Oxford))
Abstract

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.


 
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