Mon, 15 Feb 2016
16:30
C1

Partition regularity of $x+y=z^2$ over $\mathbb{Z}/p\mathbb{Z}$

Sofia Lindqvist
(Oxford University)
Abstract

Consider the following question. Given a $k$-colouring of the positive integers, must there exist a solution to $x+y=z^2$ with $x,y,z$ all the same colour (and not all equal to 2)? Using $10$ colours a counterexample can be given to show that the answer is "no". If one instead asks the same question over $\mathbb{Z}/p\mathbb{Z}$ for some prime $p$, the answer turns out to be "yes", provided $p$ is large enough in terms of the number of colours used.  I will talk about how to prove this using techniques developed by Ben Green and Tom Sanders. The main ingredients are a regularity lemma, a counting lemma and a Ramsey lemma.

Mon, 01 Feb 2016
16:30
C1

Linear (in)equalities in primes

Aled Walker
(Oxford University)
Abstract

Many theorems and conjectures in prime number theory are equivalent to finding solutions to certain linear equations in primes -- witness Goldbach's conjecture, the twin prime conjecture, Vinogradov's theorem, finding k-term arithmetic progressions, etcetera. Classically these problems were attacked using Fourier analysis -- the 'circle' method -- which yielded some success, provided that the number of variables was sufficiently large. More recently, a long research programme of Ben Green and Terence Tao introduced two deep and wide-ranging techniques -- so-called 'higher order Fourier analysis' and the 'transference principle' -- which reduces the number of required variables dramatically. In particular, these methods give an asymptotic formula for the number of k-term arithmetic progressions of primes up to X. In this talk we will give a brief survey of these techniques, and describe new work of the speaker, partially ongoing, which applies the Green-Tao machinery to count prime solutions to certain linear inequalities in primes -- a 'higher order Davenport-Heilbronn method'. 

Mon, 25 Jan 2016
16:30
C1

Iterating the algebraic étale-Brauer obstruction

Francesca Balestrieri
(Oxford University)
Abstract

A question by Poonen asks whether iterating the étale-Brauer set can give a finer obstruction set. We tackle the algebraic version of Poonen's question and give, in many cases, a negative answer.

Wed, 02 Dec 2015
16:00
C1

Quasihomomorphisms with non-commutative target

Nicolaus Heuer
(Oxford)
Abstract

Quasihomomorphisms (QHMs) are maps $f$ between groups such that the
homomorphic condition is boundedly satisfied. The case of QHMs with
abelian target is well studied and is useful for computing the second
bounded cohomology of groups. The case of target non-abelian has,
however, not been studied a lot.

We will see a technique for classifying QHMs $f: G \rightarrow H$ by Fujiwara and
Kapovich. We will give examples (sometimes with proofs!) for QHM in
various cases such as

  • the image $H$  hyperbolic groups,
  • the image $H$ discrete rank one isometries,
  • the preimage $G$ cyclic / free group, etc.

Furthermore, we point out a relation between QHM and extensions by short
exact sequences.

Wed, 25 Nov 2015
16:00
C1

Expanders and actions on measure spaces

Federico Vigolo
(Oxford)
Abstract

A family of expanders is a sequence of finite graphs which are both sparse and highly connected. Firstly defined in the 80s, they had huge applications in applied maths and computer science. Moreover, it soon turned out that they also had deep implications in pure maths. In this talk I will introduce the expander graphs and I will illustrate a way to construct them by approximating actions of groups on probability spaces.

Wed, 11 Nov 2015
16:00
C1

The Flat Closing Conjecture

Robert Kropholler
(Oxford)
Abstract

I will discuss a notoriously hard problem in group theory known as the flat closing conjecture. This states that a group with a finite classifying space is either hyperbolic or contains a Baumslag-Solitar Subgroup. I will give some strategies to try and create a counterexample to this conjecture. 

Wed, 18 Nov 2015
16:00
C1

Counter example using the Golod-Shafarevich inequality

Kieran Calvert
(Oxford)
Abstract

In 1964 Golod and Shafarevich discovered a powerful tool that gives a criteria for when a certain presentation defines an infinite dimensional algebra. In my talk I will assume the main machinery of the Golod-Shafarevich inequality for graded algebras and use it to provide counter examples to certain analogues of the Burnside problem in infinite dimensional algebras and infinite groups. Then, time dependent, I will define the Tarski number for groups relating to the Banach-Tarski paradox and show that we can using the G-S inequality show that the set of Tarski numbers is unbounded. Despite the fact we can only find groups of Tarski number 4, 5 and 6.

Wed, 04 Nov 2015
16:00
C1

Isometries of CAT(0) Spaces

Giles Gardam
(Oxford)
Abstract

This talk will be an easy introduction to some CAT(0) geometry. Among other things, we'll see why centralizers in groups acting geometrically on CAT(0) spaces split (at least virtually). Time permitting, we'll see why having a geometric action on a CAT(0) space is not a quasi-isometry invariant.

 

Wed, 28 Oct 2015
16:00
C1

Word fibers in finite p-groups

Ainhoa Iniguez
(Oxford)
Abstract

 

Let $G$ be a finite group and let $w$ be a word in $k$ variables. We write $P_w(g)$ the probability that a random tuple $(g_1,\ldots,g_k)\in G^{(k)}$ satisfies $w(g_1,\ldots,g_k)=g$. For non-solvable groups, it is shown by Abért that $P_w(1)$ can take arbitrarily small values as $n\rightarrow\infty$. Nikolov and Segal prove that for any finite group, $G$ is solvable if and only if $P_w(1)$ is positively bounded from below as $w$ ranges over all words. And $G$ is nilpotent if and only if $P_w(g)$ is positively bounded from below as $w$ ranges over all words that represent $g$Alon Amit conjectured  that in the specific case of finite nilpotent groups and for any word, $P_w(1)\ge 1/|G|$.
 
We can also consider $N_w(g)=|G|^k\cdot P_w(g)$, the number of solutions of $w=g$ in $G^{(k)}$. Note that $N_w$ is a class function. We prove that if $G$ is a finite $p$-group of nilpotency class 2, then $N_w$ is a generalized character. What is more, if $p$ is odd, then $N_w$ is a character and for $2$-groups we can characterize when $N_{x^{2r}}$ is a character. What is more, we prove the conjecture of A. Amit for finite groups of nilpotency class 2. This result was indepently proved by M. Levy. Additionally, we prove that for any word $w$ and any finite $p$-group of class two and exponent $p$, $P_w(g)\ge 1/|G|$ for $g\in G_w$. As far as we know, A. Amit's conjecture is still open for higher nilpotency class groups. For $p$-groups of higher nilpotency class, we find examples of words $w$ for which $N_w$ is no longer a generalized character. What is more, we find examples of non-rational words; i.e there exist finite $p$-groups $G$ and words $w$ for which $g\in G_w$ but $g^{i}\not\in G_w$ for some $(i,p)=1$.
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