Freedman Seminar: Michael Freedman, CMSA & Slava Krushkal, University of Virginia
2026-01-30 13:30 - 16:30 (America/New_York) | Hybrid
Freedman Seminar
Speakers: Michael Freedman, CMSA and Slava Krushkal, University of Virginia (2-3 pm and 3:15-4:15 pm)
Title: Formulating 4D surgery for AI agents
Abstract: The topological category surgery exact sequence is still open for free groups (and most groups of exponential growth). The lack of knowledge is about both surgery and s-cobordism; and the source of the mystery is the same in both cases. Thinking about how to present this problem to AIs has had its own value. In a pair of talks we will explain how we have thought about the problem in the past and how we are thinking about it now.
