Mon, 11 Jul 2016

16:30 - 17:30
L3

(COW SEMINAR) Monodromy and derived equivalences

Andrei Okounkov
(Columbia)
Abstract

This is will be a progress report on our long-ongoing joint work with Bezrukavnikov on lifting the monodromy of the quantum differential equation for symplectic resolutions to automorphisms of their derived categories of coherent sheaves. I will attempt to define the ingredient that go both into the problem and into its solution.
 

Mon, 11 Jul 2016

14:45 - 15:45
L3

(COW SEMINAR) Higgs bundles and determinant divisors

Nigel Hitchin
(Oxford)
Abstract

Following an idea of Gaiotto, a symplectic representation of a complex Lie group G defines a complex Lagrangian subvariety inside the moduli space of G-Higgs bundles. The talk will discuss the case of G=SL(2) and its link with determinant  divisors, or equivalently Brill-Noether loci, in the moduli space of semistable SL(2)-bundles. 

Mon, 11 Jul 2016

13:30 - 14:30
L3

(COW SEMINAR) Categorification of shifted symplectic geometry using perverse sheaves

Dominic Joyce
(Oxford)
Abstract

Given a (-1)-shifted symplectic derived scheme or stack (X,w) over C equipped with an orientation, we explain how to construct a perverse sheaf P on the classical truncation of X so that its hypercohomology H*(P) can be regarded as a categorification of (or linearisation of) X. Given also a Lagrangian morphism L -> X equipped with a relative orientation, we outline a programme in progress to construct a natural morphism of constructible complexes on the truncation of L from the (shifted) constant complex on L to a suitable pullback of P to L. The morphisms and resulting hypercohomology classes are expected to satisfy various identities under products, composition of Lagrangian correspondences, etc. This programme will have interesting applications, such as proving associativity of a Kontsevich-Soibelman type COHA multiplication on H*(P) when X is the derived moduli stack of coherent sheaves on a Calabi-Yau 3-fold Y, and defining Lagrangian Floer cohomology and the Fukaya cat!
 egory of an algebraic or complex symplectic manifold S.

Mon, 23 May 2016

12:00 - 13:00
L3

Marginal deformations of N=1 SCFT's and generalised geometry

Michela Petrini
(LPTHE Jussieu)
Abstract
Generalised Geometry is a very powerful tool to study gravity duals of strongly coupled gauge theories. In this talk I will discuss how Exceptional Geometry can be used to study marginal deformations of N=1 SCFT's in 4 and 3 dimensions.
Mon, 16 May 2016

12:00 - 13:00
L3

A metric and geometry for heterotic moduli

Jock McOrist
(Surrey)
Abstract

Heterotic vacua, defined with a holomorphic bundle and connection satisfying hermitian Yang-Mills, realise four-dimensional chiral gauge theories. We exploit the rich interplay between four-dimensional physics, supersymmetry and  geometry to construct a natural Kaehler metric for the moduli space, with a shockingly simple Kaehler potential. Along the way, we discover a natural geometric structure for the heterotic moduli.
 

Mon, 09 May 2016

12:00 - 13:00
L3

Mirror symmetry, supersymmetry and generalized geometry on SU(4)-structure vacua

Daniel Prins
(CEA/Saclay)
Abstract
Recently, there has been some progress in examining mirror symmetry beyond Calabi-Yau threefolds. I will discuss how this is related to flux vacua of type II supergravity on eight-dimensional manifolds equipped with SU(4)-structure. It will be shown that the natural framework to describe such vacua is generalized complex geometry. Two classes of type IIB solutions will be given, one of which is complex, the other symplectic, and I will describe in what sense these are mirror to one another.  
 
Mon, 02 May 2016

12:00 - 13:00
L3

Another look at the information paradox: Soft black hole hair

Malcolm Perry
(Cambridge)
Abstract

The black hole information paradox comes about because of the classical no-hair theorems for black holes. I will discuss soft black hole hair in electrodynamics and in gravitation. Then some speculations on its relevance to the in formation paradox are presented.

Tue, 26 Apr 2016
14:30
L3

Applications of minimum rank of matrices described by a graph or sign pattern

Leslie Hogben
(Iowa State University)
Abstract

Low-rank compression of matrices and tensors is a huge and growing business.  Closely related is low-rank compression of multivariate functions, a technique used in Chebfun2 and Chebfun3.  Not all functions can be compressed, so the question becomes, which ones?  Here we focus on two kinds of functions for which compression is effective: those with some alignment with the coordinate axes, and those dominated by small regions of localized complexity.

Mon, 25 Apr 2016

12:00 - 13:00
L3

Yang-Mills Theory and the ABC Conjecture

Yang-Hui He
Abstract

We establish a correspondence between the ABC Conjecture and N=4 super-Yang-Mills theory. This is achieved by combining three ingredients:

(i) Elkies' method of mapping ABC-triples to elliptic curves in his demonstration that ABC implies Mordell/Faltings;

(ii) an explicit pair of elliptic curve and associated Belyi map given by Khadjavi-Scharaschkin; and

(iii) the fact that the bipartite brane-tiling/dimer model for a gauge theory with toric moduli space is a particular dessin d'enfant in the sense of Grothendieck. 
 

We explore this correspondence for the highest quality ABC-triples as well as large samples of random triples. The Conjecture itself is mapped to a statement about the fundamental domain of the toroidal compactification of the string realization of N=4 SYM.

Subscribe to L3