Anyone who has worked in $\beta $N will not be surprised to learn that some of the algebraically defined subsets of $\beta N$ are not topologically simple, even though their algebraic definition may be very simple.  I shall show that the following subsets of $\beta N$ are not Borel: $N^*+N^*$; the smallest ideal of $\beta N$; the set of idempotents in $\beta N$; any semiprincipal right ideal in $\beta N$; the set of idempotents in any left ideal in $\beta N$.

Given a Shimura variety, I will show how to define a corresponding two-sorted structure. Based on work of Chris Daw and Adam Harris, we will study what is needed for the class of this structures to be categorical. Of course, an introduction to Shimura varieties will be given.
 

Given a Shimura variety, I will show how to define a corresponding two-sorted structure. Based on work of Chris Daw and Adam Harris, we will study what is needed for the class of this structures to be categorical. Of course, an introduction to Shimura varieties will be given.

We give a construction of a boundary (the Morse boundary) which can be assigned to any proper geodesic metric space and which is rigid, in the sense that a quasi-isometry of spaces induces a homeomorphism of boundaries. To obtain a more workable invariant than the homeomorphism type, I will introduce the metric Morse boundary and discuss notions of capacity and conformal dimensions of the metric Morse boundary. I will then demonstrate that these dimensions give useful invariants of relatively hyperbolic and mapping class groups. This is joint work with Matthew Cordes (Technion).

Inspired by the theory of JSJ decomposition for 3-manifolds, one can define the JSJ decomposition of a group as a maximal canonical way of cutting it up into simpler pieces using amalgamated products and HNN extensions. If the group in question has some sort of non-positive curvature property then one can define a boundary at infinity for the group, which captures its large scale geometry. The JSJ decomposition of the group is then reflected in the treelike structure of the boundary. In this talk I will discuss this connection in the case of hyperbolic groups and explain some of the ideas used in its proof by Brian Bowditch.

Asymptotic dimension is a large-scale analogue of Lebesgue covering dimension. I will give a gentle introduction to asymptotic dimension, prove some basic propeties and give some applications to group theory. I will then define coarse homology and explain how when defined, virtual cohomological dimension gives a lower bound on asymptotic dimension.

For a smooth projective scheme Y over W(k) we consider an element in the motivic Chow group of the reduction Y_m over the truncated Witt ring W_m(k) and give a "Hodge" criterion - using the crystalline cycle class in relative crystalline cohomology - for the element to the lift to the continuous Chow group of Y. The result extends previous work of Bloch-Esnault-Kerz on the p-adic variational Hodge conjecture to a relative setting. In the course of the proof we derive two new results on the relative de Rham-Witt complex and its Nygaard filtration, and work with relative syntomic complexes to define relative motivic complexes for a smooth, formal lifting of Y_m over W(W_m(k)).

to come