Forthcoming events in this series


Tue, 18 Jan 2022
14:00
Virtual

Dimensions of Iwasawa algebras and their representations

James Timmins
(Oxford)
Abstract

The Iwasawa algebra of a compact $p$-adic Lie group is fundamental to the study of the representations of the group. Understanding this representation theory is crucial in progress towards a (mod p) local Langlands correspondence. However, much remains unknown about Iwasawa algebras and their modules.

In this talk we'll aim to measure the size of the Iwasawa algebra and its representations. I'll explain the algebraic tools we use to do this - Krull dimension and canonical dimension - and survey previously known examples. Our main result is a new bound on these dimensions for the group $SL_2(O_F)$, where $F$ is a finite extension of the p-adic numbers. When $F$ is a quadratic extension, we find the Krull dimension is exactly 5, as predicted by a conjecture of Ardakov and Brown.

Tue, 30 Nov 2021
14:00
Virtual

Braids, Unipotent Representations, and Nonabelian Hodge Theory

Minh-Tâm Trinh
(MIT)
Abstract

A complex plane curve singularity gives rise to two objects: (1) a moduli space that representation theorists call an affine Springer fiber, and (2) a topological link up to isotopy. Roughly a decade ago, Oblomkov–Rasmussen–Shende conjectured a striking identity relating the homology of the affine Springer fiber to the so-called HOMFLYPT homology of the link. In unpublished writing, Shende speculated that it would follow from advances in nonabelian Hodge theory: the study of transcendental diffeomorphisms relating “Hitchin” and “Betti” moduli spaces. We make this dream precise by expressing HOMFLYPT homology in terms of the homology of a “Betti”-type space, which, we conjecture, deformation-retracts onto the affine Springer fiber. In doing so, we recast the whole story in terms of an arbitrary semisimple group. We give evidence for the nonabelian Hodge conjecture at the numerical level, using a mysterious formula that involves rational Cherednik algebras and the degrees of unipotent principal-series representations.

Tue, 16 Nov 2021
14:00
L3

Homology torsion growth in finitely presented pro-p groups

Nikolay Nikolov
(Oxford University)
Abstract

Let $G$ be a finitely presented residually finite group. We are interested in the growth of size of the torsion of $H^{ab}$ as a function of $|G:H|$ where $H$ ranges over normal subgroups of finite index in $G$. It is easy to see that this grows at most exponentially in terms of $|G:H|$. Of particular interest is the case when $G$ is an arithmetic hyperbolic 3-manifold group and $H$ ranges over its congruence subgroups. Proving exponential lower bounds on the torsion appears to be difficult and in this talk I will focus on the situation of finitely presented pro-$p$ groups.

In contrast with abstract groups I will show that in finitely presented pro-$p$ groups torsion in the abelianizations can grow arbitrarily fast. The examples are rather 'large' pro-$p$ groups, in particular they are virtually Golod-Shafarevich. When we restrict to $p$-adic analytic groups the torsion growth is at most polynomial.

Tue, 09 Nov 2021
14:00
L5

TBA

Marek Kaluba
(Karlsruher Institute für Technologie)
Abstract

In this leisure talk I will show how a sum of squares decomposition problem can be transformed to a problem of semi-definite optimization. Then the practicality of such reformulations will be discussed, illustrated by an explicit example of Artin's solutions to Hilberts 17th problem. Finally I will show how a numerical solution could be turned into a mathematically certified one, using the order structure on the cone of sums of squares.
The talk requires no pre-requisite knowledge of neither optimization or programming and only undergraduate mathematics.

Tue, 02 Nov 2021
14:15
L5

Solving semidecidable problems in group theory

Giles Gardam
(Münster)
Abstract

Group theory is littered with undecidable problems. A classic example is the word problem: there are groups for which there exists no algorithm that can decide if a product of generators represents the trivial element or not. Many problems (the word problem included) are at least semidecidable, meaning that there is a correct algorithm guaranteed to terminate if the answer is "yes", but with no guarantee on how long one has to wait. I will discuss strategies to try and tackle various semidecidable problems computationally using modern solvers for Boolean satisfiability, with the key example being the discovery of a counterexample to the Kaplansky unit conjecture.

Tue, 15 Jun 2021
14:15
Virtual

Harish-Chandra Lefschetz principle for branching laws of general linear groups

Kei Yuen Chan
(Fudan University)
Abstract

The Harish-Chandra Lefschetz principle asserts representation theory for real groups, p-adic groups and automorphic forms should be placed on an equal footing. A particular example in this aspect is that Ciubotaru and Trapa constructed Arakawa-Suzuki type functors between category of Harish-Chandra modules and category of graded Hecke algebra modules, giving an explicit connection on the representation categories between p-adic and real sides. 

This talk plans to begin with comparing the representation theory between real and p-adic general linear groups, such as unitary and unipotent representations. Then I shall explain results in more details on the p-adic branching law from GL(n+1) to GL(n), including branching laws for Arthur type representations (one of the non-tempered Gan-Gross-Prasad conjectures). The analogous results and predictions on the real group side will also be discussed. Time permitting, I will explain a notion of left-right Bernstein-Zelevinsky derivatives and its applications on branching laws.
 

Tue, 08 Jun 2021
14:15
Virtual

Kaplansky's conjectures

Giles Gardam
(University Muenster)
Abstract

Three conjectures on group rings of torsion-free groups are commonly attributed to Kaplansky, namely the unit, zero divisor and idempotent conjectures. For example, the zero divisor conjecture predicts that if $K$ is a field and $G$ is a torsion-free group, then the group ring $K[G]$ has no zero divisors. I will survey what is known about the conjectures, including their relationships to each other and to other conjectures and group properties, and present my recent counterexample to the unit conjecture.

Tue, 01 Jun 2021
14:15
Virtual

p-Kazhdan—Lusztig theory for Hecke algebras of complex reflection groups

Chris Bowman
(University of York)
Abstract

Riche—Williamson recently proved that the characters of tilting modules for GL_h are given by non-singular p-Kazhdan—Lusztig polynomials providing p>h.  This is equivalent to calculating the decomposition numbers for symmetric groups labelled by partitions with at most h columns.  We discuss how this result can be generalised to all cyclotomic quiver Hecke algebras via a new and explicit isomorphism between (truncations of) quiver Hecke algebras and Elias–Williamson’s diagrammatic endomorphism algebras of Bott–Samelson bimodules. 

This allows us to give an elementary and explicit proof of the main theorem of Riche–Williamson’s recent monograph and extend their categorical equivalence to all cyclotomic quiver Hecke algebras, thus solving Libedinsky–Plaza’s categorical blob conjecture.  Furthermore, it allows us to classify and construct the homogeneous simple modules of quiver Hecke algebras via BGG resolutions.   
 
This is joint work with A. Cox, A. Hazi, D.Michailidis, E. Norton, and J. Simental.  
 

Tue, 18 May 2021
14:15
Virtual

Categorification of the elliptic Hall algebra

Alistair Savage
(Ottawa)
Abstract

The elliptic Hall algebra has appeared in many different contexts in representation theory and geometry under different names.  We will explain how this algebra is categorified by the quantum Heisenberg category.  This diagrammatic category is modelled on affine Hecke algebras and can be viewed as a deformation of the framed HOMFLYPT skein category underpinning the HOMFLYPT link invariant.  Using the categorification of the elliptic Hall algebra, one can construct large families of representations for this algebra.

Tue, 11 May 2021
14:15
Virtual

C*-blocks and crossed products for real and p-adic reductive groups

Anne-Marie Aubert
(Sorbonne Université - Université de Paris)
Abstract

Let G be a real or a p-adic connected reductive group. We will recall the description of the connected components of the tempered dual of G in terms of certain subalgebras of its reduced C*-algebra.

Each connected component comes with a torus equipped with a finite group action. We will see that, under a certain geometric assumption on the structure of stabilizers for that action (that is always satisfied for real groups), the component has a simple geometric structure which encodes the reducibility of the associate parabolically induced representations.

We will provide a characterization of the connected components for which the geometric assumption is satisfied, in the case when G is a symplectic group.

This is a joint work with Alexandre Afgoustidis.

Tue, 27 Apr 2021

14:15 - 15:15
Virtual

An upper bound for the nonsolvable length of a finite group in terms of its shortest law

Orazio Puglisi
(Università degli Studi di Firenze)
Abstract

Every finite group $G$ has a normal series each of whose factors is either a solvable group or a direct product of non-abelian simple groups. The minimum number of nonsolvable factors, attained on all possible such series in G, is called the nonsolvable length $\lambda(G)$ of $G$. In recent years several authors have investigated this invariant and its relation to other relevant parameters. E.g. it has been conjectured by Khukhro and Shumyatsky (as a particular case of a more general conjecture about non-$p$-solvable length) and Larsen that, if $\nu(G)$ is the length of the shortest law holding in the finite group G, the nonsolvable length of G can be bounded above by some function of $\nu(G)$. In a joint work with Francesco Fumagalli and Felix Leinen we have confirmed this conjecture proving that the inequality $\lambda(G) < \nu(G)$ holds in every finite group $G$. This result is obtained as a consequence of a result about permutation representations of finite groups of fixed nonsolvable length. In this talk I will outline the main ideas behind the proof of our result.

Tue, 09 Mar 2021
14:15
Virtual

Coadmissible modules, bornologies, and derived categories II

Andreas Bode
(ENS Lyon)
Abstract

Coadmissible modules over Frechet-Stein algebras arise naturally in p-adic representation theory, e.g. in the study of locally analytic representations of p-adic Lie groups or the function spaces of rigid analytic Stein spaces. We show that in many cases, the category of coadmissible modules admits an exact and fully faithful embedding into the category of complete bornological modules, also preserving tensor products. This allows us to introduce derived methods to the study of coadmissible modules without forsaking the analytic flavour of the theory. As an application, we introduce six functors for Ardakov-Wadsley's D-cap-modules and discuss some instances where coadmissibility (in a derived sense) is preserved.

Tue, 02 Mar 2021
14:15
Virtual

Graded Clifford-Drinfeld algebras

Kieran Calvert
(Manchester University)
Abstract

We combine the notions of graded Clifford algebras and Drinfeld algebras. This gives us a framework to study algebras with a PBW property and underlying vector space $\mathbb{C}[G] \# Cl(V) \otimes S(U) $ for $G$-modules $U$ and $V$. The class of graded Clifford-Drinfeld algebras contains the Hecke-Clifford algebras defined by Nazarov, Khongsap-Wang. We give a new example of a GCD algebra which plays a role in an Arakawa-Suzuki duality involving the Clifford algebra.

Tue, 23 Feb 2021

14:15 - 15:15
Virtual

From braids to transverse slices in reductive groups

Dr Wicher Malten
(University of Oxford)
Abstract

We explain how group analogues of Slodowy slices arise by interpreting certain Weyl group elements as braids. Such slices originate from classical work by Steinberg on regular conjugacy classes, and different generalisations recently appeared in work by Sevostyanov on quantum group analogues of W-algebras and in work by He-Lusztig on Deligne-Lusztig varieties.

Our perspective furnishes a common generalisation, essentially solving the problem. We also give a geometric criterion for Weyl group elements to yield strictly transverse slices.

Tue, 26 Jan 2021

14:15 - 15:15
Virtual

Representation theory of wreath products

Reuben Green
(Pembroke College)
Abstract

The wreath product of a finite group, or more generally an algebra, with a symmetric group is a familiar and important construction in representation theory and other areas of Mathematics. I shall present some highlights from my work on the representation theory of wreath products. These will include both structural properties (for example, that the wreath product of a cellular algebra with a symmetric group is again a cellular algebra) and cohomological ones (one 
particular point of interest being a generalisation of the result of Hemmer and Nakano on filtration multiplicities to the wreath product of two symmetric groups). I will also give an outline of some potential applications of this and related theory to important open  problems in algebraic combinatorics.

Tue, 01 Dec 2020

14:15 - 15:15
Virtual

The deformed Dixmier-Moeglin equivalence for completed enveloping algebras

Adam Jones
(Manchester University)
Abstract

An algebra $R$ is said to satisfy the Dixmier-Moeglin equivalence if a prime ideal $P$ of $R$ is primitive if and only if it is rational, if and only if it is locally closed, and a commonly studied problem in non-commutative algebra is to classify rings satisfying this equivalence, e.g. $U(\mathfrak g)$ for a finite dimensional Lie algebra $\mathfrak g$. We explore methods of generalising this to a $p$-adic setting, where we need to weaken the statement. Specifically, if $\hat R$ is the $p$-adic completion of a $\mathbb Q_p$-algebra $R$, rather than approaching the Dixmier-Moeglin equivalence for $\hat R$ directly, we instead compare the classes of primitive, rational and locally closed prime ideals of $\hat R$ within suitable "deformations". The case we focus on is where $R=U(L)$ for a $\mathbb Z_p$-Lie algebra $L$, and the deformations have the form $\hat U(p^n L)$, and we aim to prove a version of the equivalence in the instance where $L$ is nilpotent.

Tue, 24 Nov 2020

14:15 - 15:15
Virtual

Minkowski's theorem, and a question of Serre

Michael Collins
(Oxford University)
Abstract

Let $p$ be a prime. Minkowski (1887) gave a bound for the order of a finite $p$-subgroup of the linear group $\mathsf{GL}(n,\mathbf Z)$ as a function of $n$, and this necessarily holds for $p$-subgroups of $\mathsf{GL}(n,\mathbf Q)$ also. A few years ago, Serre asked me whether some analogous result might be obtained for subgroups of $\mathsf{GL}(n,\mathbf C)$ using the methods I employed to obtain optimal bounds for Jordan's theorem.

Bounds can be so obtained and I will explain how but, while Minkowski's bound is achieved, no linear bound (as Serre initially suggested) can be achieved. I will discuss progress on this problem and the issues that arise in seeking an ideal form for the solution.

Tue, 17 Nov 2020

14:15 - 15:15
Virtual

The Poisson spectrum of the symmetric algebra of the Virasoro algebra

Susan Sierra
(Edinburgh University)
Abstract

Let W be the Witt algebra of vector fields on the punctured complex plane, and let Vir be the Virasoro algebra, the unique nontrivial central extension of W.  We discuss work in progress with Alexey Petukhov to analyse Poisson ideals of the symmetric algebra of Vir.

We focus on understanding maximal Poisson ideals, which can be given as the Poisson cores of maximal ideals of Sym(Vir) and of Sym(W).  We give a complete classification of maximal ideals of Sym(W) which have nontrivial Poisson cores.  We then lift this classification to Sym(Vir), and use it to show that if $\lambda \neq 0$, then $(z-\lambda)$ is a maximal Poisson ideal of Sym(Vir).

Tue, 10 Nov 2020

14:15 - 15:15
Virtual

What is a unipotent representation?

Lucas Mason-Brown
(Oxford University)
Abstract

Let $G$ be a connected reductive algebraic group, and let $G(\mathbb{F}_q)$ be its group of $\mathbb{F}_q$-rational points. Denote by $\mathrm{Irr}(G(\mathbb{F}_q))$ the set of (equivalence classes) of irreducible finite-dimensional representations. Deligne and Lusztig defined a finite subset $$\mathrm{Unip}(G(\mathbb{F}_q)) \subset \mathrm{Irr}_{\mathrm{fd}}(G(\mathbb{F}_q))$$ 
of unipotent representations. These representations play a distinguished role in the representation theory of $G(\mathbb{F}_q)$. In particular, the classification of $\mathrm{Irr}_{\mathrm{fd}}(G(\mathbb{F}_q))$ reduces to the classification of $\mathrm{Unip}(G(\mathbb{F}_q))$. 

Now replace $\mathbb{F}_q$ with a local field $k$ and replace $\mathrm{Irr}_{\mathrm{fd}}(G(\mathbb{F}_q))$ with $\mathrm{Irr}_{\mathrm{u}}(G(k))$ (irreducible unitary representations). Vogan has predicted the existence of a finite subset 
$$\mathrm{Unip}(G(k)) \subset \mathrm{Irr}_{\mathrm{u}}(G(k))$$ 
which completes the following analogy
$$\mathrm{Unip}(G(k)) \text{ is to } \mathrm{Irr}_{\mathrm{u}}(G(k)) \text{ as } \mathrm{Unip}(G(\mathbb{F}_q)) \text{ is to } \mathrm{Irr}_{\mathrm{fd}}(G(\mathbb{F}_q)).$$
In this talk I will propose a definition of $\mathrm{Unip}(G(k))$ when $k = \mathbb{C}$. The definition is geometric and case-free. The representations considered include all of Arthur's, but also many others. After sketching the definition and cataloging its properties, I will explain a classification of $\mathrm{Unip}(G(\mathbb{C}))$, generalizing the well-known result of Barbasch-Vogan for Arthur's representations. Time permitting, I will discuss some speculations about the case of $k=\mathbb{R}$.

This talk is based on forthcoming joint work with Ivan Loseu and Dmitryo Matvieievskyi.

Tue, 03 Nov 2020

14:15 - 15:15
Virtual

Diving into the Shallow End

Stella Gastineau
(Boston College)
Abstract

In 2013, Reeder–Yu gave a construction of supercuspidal representations by starting with stable characters coming from the shallowest depth of the Moy–Prasad filtration. In this talk, we will be diving deeper—but not too deep. In doing so, we will construct examples of supercuspidal representations coming from a larger class of “shallow” characters. Using methods similar to Reeder–Yu, we can begin to make predictions about the Langlands parameters for these representations.

Tue, 27 Oct 2020

14:15 - 15:15
Virtual

Parameterising unramified nilpotent orbits using dual Springer parameters

Emile Okada
(Oxford University)
Abstract

The nilpotent orbits of a Lie algebra play a central role in modern representation theory notably cropping up in the Springer correspondence and the fundamental lemma. Their behaviour when the base field is algebraically closed is well understood, however the p-adic case which arises in the study of admissible representations of p-adic groups is considerably more subtle. Their classification was only settled in the late 90s when Barbasch and Moy ('97) and Debacker (’02) developed an ‘affine Bala-Carter’ theory using the Bruhat-Tits building. In this talk we combine this work with work by Sommers and McNinch to provide a parameterisation of nilpotent orbits over a maximal unramified extension of a p-adic field in terms of so called dual Springer parameters and outline an application of this result to wavefront sets.

Tue, 20 Oct 2020

14:15 - 15:15
Virtual

Subspace arrangements and the representation theory of rational Cherednik algebras

Stephen Griffeth
(Universidad de Talca)
Abstract

I will explain how the representation theory of rational Cherednik algebras interacts with the commutative algebra of certain subspace arrangements arising from the reflection arrangement of a complex reflection group. Potentially, the representation theory allows one to study both qualitative questions (e.g., is the arrangement Cohen-Macaulay or not?) and quantitative questions (e.g., what is the Hilbert series of the ideal of the arrangement, or even, what are its graded Betti numbers?), by applying the tools (such as orthogonal polynomials, Kazhdan-Lusztig characters, and Dirac cohomology) that representation theory provides. This talk is partly based on joint work with Susanna Fishel and Elizabeth Manosalva.

Tue, 13 Oct 2020

14:15 - 15:15
Virtual

The Dirac inequality, Weyl groups, and isolated unitary representations

Dan Ciubotaru
(Oxford University)
Abstract

In the classical setting of real semisimple Lie groups, the Dirac inequality (due to Parthasarathy) gives a necessary condition that the infinitesimal character of an irreducible unitary representation needs to satisfy in terms of the restriction of the representation to the maximal compact subgroup. A similar tool was introduced in the setting of representations of p-adic groups in joint work with Barbasch and Trapa, where the necessary unitarity condition is phrased in terms of the semisimple parameter in the Kazhdan-Lusztig parameterization and the hyperspecial parahoric restriction. I will present several consequences of this inequality to the problem of understanding the unitary dual of the p-adic group, in particular, how it can be used in order to exhibit several isolated "extremal" unitary representations and to compute precise "spectral gaps" for them.

Tue, 09 Jun 2020
14:15
L4

TBA

Alexander Kleshchev
(University of Oregon)
Tue, 17 Mar 2020
14:15
L4

TBA (cancelled)

Peter Schneider
(Universitat Munster)
Tue, 10 Mar 2020
14:15
L4

An uncountable Mittag-Leffler condition with applications to p-adic locally convex vector spaces

Andrea Pulita
(Universite Grenoble-Alpes)
Abstract

Mittag-Leffler condition ensures the exactness of the inverse limit of short exact sequences indexed on a partially ordered set admitting a countable cofinal subset. We extend Mittag-Leffler condition by relatively relaxing the countability assumption. As an application we prove an exactness result about the completion functor in the category of ultrametric locally convex vector spaces, and in particular we prove that a strict morphism between these spaces has closed image if its kernel is Fréchet.

Tue, 03 Mar 2020
14:15
L4

2-representation theory of Soergel bimodules

Vanessa Miemietz
(University of East Anglia)
Abstract

I will explain the basics of 2-representation theory and will explain an approach to classifying 'simple' 2-representations of the Hecke 2-category (aka Soergel bimodules) for finite Coxeter types.

Tue, 25 Feb 2020
14:15
L4

A gallery model for affine flag varieties

Yusra Naqvi
(University of Sidney)
Abstract

Positively folded galleries arise as images of retractions of buildings onto a fixed apartment and play a role in many areas of maths (such as in the study of affine Hecke algebras, Macdonald polynomials, MV-polytopes, and affine Deligne-Lusztig varieties). In this talk, we will define positively folded galleries, and then look at how these can be used to study affine flag varieties. We will also look at a new recursive description of the set of end alcoves of folded galleries with respect to alcove-induced orientations, which gives us a combinatorial description of certain double coset intersections in these affine flag varieties. This talk is based on joint work with Elizabeth Milićević, Petra Schwer and Anne Thomas.

Tue, 04 Feb 2020
14:15
L4

Tensor-triangular fields

Paul Balmer
(UCLA)
Abstract

I'll give a general introduction to tensor-triangular geometry, the algebraic study of tensor-triangulated categories as they appear in topology, geometry and representation theory. Then I'll discuss an elementary idea, that of a "field" in this theory, and explain what we currently know about them.

Tue, 28 Jan 2020

14:15 - 15:15
L4

Soficity and variations on Higman's group.

Prof. Tim Riley
(Cornell)
Further Information


A group is sofic when every finite subset can be well approximated in a finite symmetric group. The outstanding question, due to Gromov, is whether every group is sofic.
Helfgott and Juschenko argued that a celebrated group constructed by Higman is unlikely to be sofic because its soficity would imply the existence of some seemingly pathological functions.  I will describe joint work with Martin Kassabov and Vivian Kuperberg in which we construct variations on Higman's group and explore their soficity.  
 

Tue, 03 Dec 2019
14:15
L4

Deformation of a Howe duality

Marcelo De Martino
(Oxford University)
Abstract

In this talk, I will report about a joint work with D. Ciubotaru, in which we investigate the Dunkl version of the classical Howe-duality (O(k),spo(2|2)). Similar Fischer-type decompositions were studied before in the works of Ben-Said, Brackx, De Bie, De Schepper, Eelbode, Orsted, Soucek and Somberg for other Howe-dual pairs. Our work builds on the notion of a Dirac operator for Drinfeld algebras introduced by Ciubotaru, which was inspired by the analogous theory for Lie algebras, as well as the work of Cheng and Wang on classical Howe dualities.

Tue, 26 Nov 2019
14:15
L4

Heisenberg groups and graded Lie algebras

Beth Romano
(Oxford University)
Abstract

I will talk about a way of building graded Lie algebras from certain Heisenberg groups. The input for this construction arises naturally when studying families of algebraic curves, and we'll look at some examples in which Lie theory interacts with number theory in an illuminating way. 

Tue, 05 Nov 2019

14:15 - 15:15
L4

Axiomatizability and profinite groups

Dan Segal
(Oxford University)
Abstract

A mathematical structure is `axiomatizable' if it is completely determined by some family of sentences in a suitable first-order language. This idea has been explored for various kinds of structure, but I will concentrate on groups. There are some general results (not many) about which groups are or are not axiomatizable; recently there has been some interest in the sharper concept of 'finitely axiomatizable' or FA - that is, when only a finite set of sentences (equivalently, a single sentence) is allowed.

While an infinite group cannot be FA, every finite group is so, obviously. A profinite group is kind of in between: it is infinite (indeed, uncountable), but compact as a topological group; and these groups share many properties of finite groups, though sometimes for rather subtle reasons. I will discuss some recent work with Andre Nies and Katrin Tent where we prove that certain kinds of profinite group are FA among profinite groups. The methods involve a little model theory, and quite a lot of group theory.

 

Tue, 22 Oct 2019
14:15
L4

Representations associated to gradations of colour Lie algebras

Philippe Meyer
(Oxford University)
Abstract

The notion of colour Lie algebra, introduced by Ree (1960), generalises notions of Lie algebra and Lie superalgebra. From an orthogonal representation V of a quadratic colour Lie algebra g, we give various ways of constructing a colour Lie algebra g’ whose bracket extends the bracket of g and the action of g on V. A first possibility is to consider g’=g⊕V and requires the cancellation of an invariant studied by Kostant (1999). Another construction is possible when the representation is ``special’’ and in this case the extension is of the form g’=g⊕sl(2,k)⊕V⊗k^2. Covariants are associated to special representations and satisfy to particular identities generalising properties studied by Mathews (1911) on binary cubics. The 7-dimensional fundamental representation of a Lie algebra of type G_2 and the 8-dimensional spinor representation of a Lie algebra of type so(7) are examples of special representations.

Tue, 15 Oct 2019

14:15 - 15:15
L4

Combinatorial anabelian geometry and its applications

Shota Tsujimura
(RIMS, Kyoto)
Abstract

Combinatorial anabelian geometry is a modern branch of anabelian geometry which deals with those aspects of anabelian geometry which manifest themselves over algebraically closed fields of characteristic zero. The origin of combinatorial anabelian geometry is in S. Mochizuki’s pioneering papers from 2007, in which he reinterpreted and generalised some key components of his earlier famous proof of the Grothendieck conjecture. S. Mochizuki  discovered that one can separate arguments which work over algebraically closed fields from arithmetic arguments, and study the former by using combinatorial methods. This led to a very nontrivial development of the theory of combinatorial anabelian geometry by S. Mochizuki and Y. Hoshi and other mathematicians. In this talk, after introducing the theory of combinatorial anabelian geometry I will discuss  applications of combinatorial anabelian geometry to the study of the absolute Galois group of number fields and of p-adic local fields and to the study of the Grothendieck-Teichmueller group. In particular, I will talk about the recent construction of a splitting of the natural inclusion of the absolute Galois group of p-adic numbers to the (largest) p-adic Grothendieck–Teichmueller group and a splitting of the natural embedding of the absolute Galois group of rationals into the commensurator of the absolute Galois group of the maximal abelian extension of rationals in the Grothendieck–Teichmueller group.
 

Tue, 24 Sep 2019
14:15
L4

Contravariant forms on Whittaker modules

Adam Brown
(IST Austria)
Abstract

In 1985, McDowell introduced a family of parabolically induced Whittaker modules over a complex semisimple Lie algebra, which includes both Verma modules and the nondegenerate Whittaker modules studied by Kostant. Many classical results for Verma modules and the Bernstein--Gelfand--Gelfand category O have been generalized to the category of Whittaker modules introduced by Milicic--Soergel, including the classification of irreducible objects and the Kazhdan--Lusztig conjectures. Contravariant forms on Verma modules are unique up to scaling and play a key role in the definition of the Jantzen filtration. In this talk I will discuss a classification of contravariant forms on parabolically induced Whittaker modules. In a recent result, joint with Anna Romanov, we show that the dimension of the space of contravariant forms on a parabolically induced Whittaker module is given by the cardinality of a Weyl group. This result illustrates a divergence from classical results for Verma modules, and gives insight to two significant open problems in the theory of Whittaker modules: the Jantzen conjecture and the absence of an algebraic definition of duality.

Tue, 18 Jun 2019

14:15 - 15:15
L4

The congruence subgroup problem for a family of branch groups

Rachel Skipper
(Lyon)
Abstract

A group acting on a regular rooted tree has the congruence subgroup property if every subgroup of finite index contains a level stabilizer. The congruence subgroup problem then asks to quantitatively describe the kernel of the surjection from the profinite completion to the topological closure as a subgroup of the automorphism group of the tree. We will study the congruence subgroup property for a family of branch groups whose construction generalizes that of the Hanoi Towers group, which models the game “The Towers of Hanoi".

 

Tue, 04 Jun 2019
14:15
L4

Fourier-Mukai transforms for deformation quantization modules (joint work with David Gepner)

Francois Petit
(University of Luxembourg)
Abstract

Deformation quantization modules or DQ-modules where introduced by M. Kontsevich to study the deformation quantization of complex Poisson varieties. It has been advocated that categories of DQ-modules should provide invariants of complex symplectic varieties and in particular a sort of complex analog of the Fukaya category. Hence, it is natural to aim at describing the functors between such categories and relate them with categories appearing naturally in algebraic geometry. Relying, on methods of homotopical algebra, we obtain an analog of Orlov representation theorem for functors between categories of DQ-modules and relate these categories to deformations of the category of quasi-coherent sheaves.
 

Tue, 28 May 2019

14:15 - 15:30
L4

Linear characters of Sylow subgroups of the symmetric group

Stacey Law
(Oxford University)
Abstract

Let $p$ be an odd prime and $n$ a natural number. We determine the irreducible constituents of the permutation module induced by the action of the symmetric group $S_n$ on the cosets of a Sylow $p$-subgroup $P_n$. In the course of this work, we also prove a symmetric group analogue of a well-known result of Navarro for $p$-solvable groups on a conjugacy action of $N_G(P)$. Before describing some consequences of these results, we will give an overview of the background and recent related results in the area.

Tue, 21 May 2019
14:15
L4

A simple proof of the classification of unitary highest weight modules

Pavle Pandzic
(University of Zagreb)
Abstract

Unitary highest weight modules were classified in the 1980s by Enright-Howe-Wallach and independently by Jakobsen. The classification is based on a version of the Dirac inequality, but the proofs also require a number of other techniques and are quite involved. We present a much simpler proof based on a different version of the Dirac inequality. This is joint work with Vladimir Soucek and Vit Tucek.
 

Tue, 14 May 2019
14:15
L4

Exotic Springer Fibres and Type C combinatorics

Neil Saunders
(University of Greenwich)
Abstract

For $G$ connected, reductive algebraic group defined over $\mathbb{C}$ the Springer Correspondence gives a bijection between the irreducible representations of the Weyl group $W$ of $G$ and certain pairs comprising a $G$-orbit on the nilpotent cone of the Lie algebra of $G$ and an irreducible local system attached to that $G$-orbit. These irreducible representations can be concretely realised as a W-action on the top degree homology of the fibres of the Springer resolution. These Springer fibres are geometrically very rich and provide interesting Weyl group combinatorics: for instance, the irreducible components of these Springer fibres form a basis for the corresponding irreducible representation of $W$. In this talk, I'll give a general survey of the Springer Correspondence and then discuss recent joint projects with Daniele Rosso, Vinoth Nandakumar and Arik Wilbert on Kato's Exotic Springer correspondence.

Tue, 26 Feb 2019
14:15
L4

Kac-Moody correction factors and Eisenstein series

Thomas Oliver
(Oxford)
Abstract

Formally, the Fourier coefficients of Eisenstein series on Kac-Moody groups contain as yet mysterious automorphic L-functions relevant to open conjectures such as that of Ramanujan and Langlands functoriality. In this talk, we will consider the constant Fourier coefficient, if it even makes sense rigorously, and its relationship to the geometry and combinatorics of a Kac-Moody group. Joint work with Kyu-Hwan Lee.

 

Tue, 19 Feb 2019
14:15
L4

Arithmetic D-modules over Laurent series fields

Daniel Caro
(Caen)
Abstract

Let k be a characteristic $p>0$ perfect field, V be a complete DVR whose residue field is $k$ and fraction field $K$ is of characteristic $0$. We denote by $\mathcal{E}  _K$ the Amice ring with coefficients in $K$, and by $\mathcal{E} ^\dagger _K$ the bounded Robba ring with coefficients in $K$. Berthelot's classical theory of Rigid Cohomology over varieties $X/k((t))$ gives $\mathcal{E}  _K$-valued objects.  Recently, Lazda and Pal developed a refinement of rigid cohomology,
i.e. a theory of $\mathcal{E} ^\dagger _K$-valued Rigid Cohomology over varieties $X/k((t))$. Using this refinement, they proved a semistable version of the variational Tate conjecture. 

The purpose of this talk is to introduce to a theory of arithmetic D-modules with $\mathcal{E} ^\dagger _K$-valued cohomology which satisfies a formalism of Grothendieck’s six operations. 
 

Tue, 12 Feb 2019
14:15
L4

Representations of p-adic groups

Jessica Fintzen
(Cambridge)
Abstract

In the 1990s Moy and Prasad revolutionized the representation theory of p-adic groups by showing how to use Bruhat-Tits theory to assign invariants to representations of p-adic groups. The tools they introduced resulted in rapid advancements in both representation theory and harmonic analysis -- areas of central importance in the Langlands program. A crucial ingredient for many results is an explicit construction of (types for) representations of p-adic groups. In this talk I will indicate why, survey what constructions are known (no knowledge about p-adic groups assumed) and present recent developments based on a refinement of Moy and Prasad's invariants.​

Fri, 08 Feb 2019

16:45 - 17:45
L6

Commutative-by-finite Hopf algebras

Ken Brown
Abstract

Roughly speaking, a commutative-by-finite Hopf algebra is a Hopf
algebra which is an extension of a commutative Hopf algebra by a
finite dimensional Hopf algebra.
There are many big and significant classes of such algebras
(beyond of course the commutative ones and the finite dimensional ones!).
I'll make the definition precise, discuss examples
and review results, some old and some new.
No previous knowledge of Hopf algebras is necessary.
 

Fri, 08 Feb 2019

15:00 - 16:00
L3

HOCHSCHILD COHOMOLOGY AND GERSTENHABER BRACKET OF A FAMILY OF SUBALGEBRAS OF THE WEYL ALGEBRA

Andrea Solotar
Abstract

For a polynomial $h(x)$ in $F[x]$, where $F$ is any field, let $A$ be the
$F$-algebra given by generators $x$ and $y$ and relation $[y, x]=h$.
This family of algebras include the Weyl algebra, enveloping algebras of
$2$-dimensional Lie algebras, the Jordan plane and several other
interesting subalgebras of the Weyl algebra.

In a joint work in progress with Samuel Lopes, we computed the Hochschild
cohomology $HH^*(A)$ of $A$ and determined explicitly the Gerstenhaber
structure of $HH^*(A)$, as a Lie module over the Lie algebra $HH^1(A)$.
In case $F$ has characteristic $0$, this study has revealed that $HH^*(A)$
has finite length as a Lie module over $HH^1(A)$ with pairwise
non-isomorphic composition factors and the latter can be naturally
extended into irreducible representations of the Virasoro algebra.
Moreover, the whole action can be understood in terms of the partition
formed by the multiplicities of the irreducible factors of the polynomial
$h$.
 

Fri, 08 Feb 2019

12:00 - 13:00
L5

An algebraic approach to Harder-Narasimhan filtrations

Hippolito Treffinger
Abstract

Given a stability condition defined over a category, every object in this category
is filtered by some distinguished objects called semistables. This
filtration, that is unique up-to-isomorphism, is know as the
 Harder-Narasimhan filtration.
One less studied property of stability conditions, when defined over an
 abelian category, is the fact that each of them induce a chain of torsion
classes that is naturally indexed.
 In this talk we will study arbitrary indexed chain of torsion classes. Our
first result states that every indexed chain of torsion classes induce a
 Harder-Narasimhan filtration. Following ideas from Bridgeland we
 show that the set of all indexed chains of torsion classes satisfying a mild 
 technical condition forms a topological space. If time we
 will characterise the neighbourhood or some distinguished points.