Past

I'll describe an approach to perturbative quantum field theory
which is philosophically similar to the deformation quantization approach
to quantum mechanics. The algebraic objects which appear in our approach --
factorization algebras -- also play an important role in some recent work
in topology (by Francis, Lurie and others).  This is joint work with Owen
Gwilliam.

We review the relation between the geometry of Kleinian singularities and Dynkin diagrams of types ADE, recalling in particular the construction of a braid group action of type A, D, or E on the derived category of coherent sheaves on the minimal resolution of a Kleinian singularity. By work of Seidel-Thomas, this action was known to be faithful in type A. We extend this faithfulness result to types ADE, which provides the missing ingredient for completing Bridgeland's description of spaces of stability conditions for certain triangulated categories associated to Kleinian singularities. Our main tool is the Garside normal form for braid group elements. This project is joint work with Hugh Thomas from the University of New Brunswick.

I will consider the physical background, and general thinking behind, the recent programme aimed at applying topos theory to the foundations of physics.

• Thomas Maerz - ‘Some scalar conservation laws on some surfaces - Closest Point Method’
• Chong Luo - ‘Numerical simulation of bistable switching in liquid crystals’
• Radek Erban - ‘Half-way through my time at OCCAM: looking backwards, looking forwards’
• Hugh McNamara - ‘Challenges in locally adaptive timestepping for reservoir simulation’

Zilber constructed an exponential field B, which is conjecturally isomorphic to the complex exponential field. He did so by giving axioms in an infinitary logic, and showing there is exactly one model of those axioms. Following a suggestion of Zilber, I will give a different list of axioms satisfied by B which, under a number-theoretic conjecture known as CIT, describe its complete first-order theory