There And Back Again: A Localization's Tale.
Abstract
The prime spectrum of a quantum algebra has a finite stratification in terms
of a set of distinguished primes called H-primes, and we can study these
strata by passing to certain nice localizations of the algebra. H-primes
are now starting to show up in some surprising new areas, including
combinatorics (totally nonnegative matrices) and physics, and we can borrow
techniques from these areas to answer questions about quantum algebras and
their localizations. In particular, we can use Grassmann necklaces -- a
purely combinatorial construction -- to study the topological structure of
the prime spectrum of quantum matrices.
Strongly dense subgroups of semisimple algebraic groups.
Abstract
A subgroup Gamma of a semisimple algebraic group G is called strongly dense if every subgroup of Gamma is either cyclic or Zariski-dense. I will describe a method for building strongly dense free subgroups inside a given Zariski-dense subgroup Gamma of G, thus providing a refinement of the Tits alternative. The method works for a large class of G's and Gamma's. I will also discuss connections with word maps and expander graphs. This is joint work with Bob Guralnick and Michael Larsen.
A new duality for categories of B-branes
Abstract
Given an Artin stack $X$, there is growing evidence that there should be an associated `category of B-branes', which is some subcategory of the derived category of coherent sheaves on $X$. The simplest case is when $X$ is just a vector space modulo a linear action of a reductive group, or `gauged linear sigma model' in physicists' terminology. In this case we know some examples of what the category B-branes should be. Hori has conjectured a physical duality between certain families of GLSMs, which would imply that their B-brane categories are equivalent. We prove this equivalence of categories. As an application, we construct Homological Projective Duality for (non-commutative resolutions of) Pfaffian varieties.
InFoMM CDT Group Meeting - Introduction to Niall, Rachel & Ozzy's Research (includes complementary lunch)
Abstract
The InFoMM CDT Group Meetings will follow the format of the OCIAM group meetings. We hope they will facilitate good communication between the Academic and Student community so that the research activities remain closely connected, opportunities for additional interaction are easily identified, and cross-fertilisation of ideas can be catalysed.
14:15
The wall-crossing formula and spaces of quadratic differentials
Abstract
The wall-crossing behaviour of Donaldson-Thomas invariants in CY3 categories is controlled by a beautiful formula involving the group of automorphisms of a symplectic algebraic torus. This formula invites one to solve a certain Riemann-Hilbert problem. I will start by explaining how to solve this problem in the simplest possible case (this is undergraduate stuff!). I will then talk about a more general class of examples of the wall-crossing formula involving moduli spaces of quadratic differentials.
Symplectic categories in Derived Geometry
Abstract
I will describe a construction of the Weinstein symplectic category of Lagrangian correspondences in the context of shifted symplectic geometry. I will then explain how one can linearize this category starting from a "quantization" of (-1)-shifted symplectic derived stacks: we assign a perverse sheaf to each (-1)-shifted symplectic derived stack (already done by Joyce and his collaborators) and a map of perverse sheaves to each (-1)-shifted Lagrangian correspondence (still conjectural).
Log stable maps and Morse theory of toric varieties
Abstract
We will discuss a result to the effect that the moduli space of log stable maps to a toric variety X is "the same" as the Morse-theoretic moduli space of broken gradient flow lines in the "differentiable realization" Y of the fan for X. This is joint work with Sam Molcho.