Please note that the list below only shows forthcoming events, which may not include regular events that have not yet been entered for the forthcoming term. Please see the past events page for a list of all seminar series that the department has on offer.

 

Past events in this series


Wed, 04 Feb 2026

16:00 - 17:00
L6

Some Computational 4-Manifold Topology

Rhuaidi Burke
(University of Oxford )
Abstract

Dimension 4 is the first dimension in which exotic smooth manifold pairs appear — manifolds which are topologically the same but for which there is no smooth deformation of one into the other. On the other hand, smooth and PL manifolds (manifolds which can be described discretely) do coincide in dimension 4. Despite this, there has been comparatively little work done towards gaining an understanding of smooth 4-manifolds from the discrete and algorithmic perspective. The aim of this talk will be to give a gentle introduction to some of the tools, techniques, and ideas, which inform a computational approach to 4-manifold topology.