Joint Math/CMSA Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar Speaker: Lorenzo Riva, Harvard CMSA Title: TQFTs do not detect the Milnor sphere Abstract: I will talk about the recent paper of Gripaios and Randall-Williams with that title, where they prove that a functorial TQFT (i.e. a symmetric monoidal functor from the n-dimensional bordism category into a suitably […]
https://youtu.be/3j1VW9REm7s Date: March 11, 2026 Time: 5:00–6:00 pm Location: Harvard Science Center Hall C, 1 Oxford St., Cambridge MA & via Zoom Webinar Speaker: Javier Gómez-Serrano, Brown University Title: Navier-Stokes Existence or Breakdown Abstract: The Navier-Stokes equations have been the cornerstone of fluid dynamics for over a century, accurately describing the motion of viscous fluids […]
Differential Geometry and Physics Seminar Speaker: Surena Hozoori (Brandeis) Title: Strongly adapted contact geometry of Anosov 3-flows Abstract: We will discuss some recent developments in the contact geometric theory of Anosov 3-flows, whose roots go back to the works of Mitsumatsu and Eliashberg-Thurston in the mid 1990s. In particular, we provide a contact geometric characterization […]
Quantum Field Theory and Physical Mathematics Seminar Speaker: Kasia Budzik (Harvard University) Title: Finite N indices from branes and negative branes Abstract: Finite-N effects in large-N gauge theories, such as trace relations, are expected to be holographically dual to non-perturbative phenomena in string theory, such as Giant Graviton branes. A convenient setting to study these […]
New Technologies in Mathematics Seminar Speaker: Emmanuel Abbé, EPFL, Institute of Mathematics and School of Computer and Communication Sciences & Apple Title: Dynamic reasoning Abstract: In the current AI landscape, reasoning is frequently equated with the generation of intermediate "thinking traces". However, these traces are merely a mechanism, not the ultimate objective. Relying solely on the presence of […]
Algebra Seminar Speaker: Dawei Chen, Boston College Title: Moduli of subcanonical points Abstract: Subcanonical points are special Weierstrass points on smooth algebraic curves whose semigroups are symmetric. In this talk, I will explain the rich geometry of the moduli space of subcanonical points, with a focus on its connected components, birational geometry, topology, and the deformation theory […]
Joint Math/CMSA Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar Speaker: Keyou Zeng (CMSA) Title: Line operators in holomorphic QFT Abstract: We will discuss the recent work (arxiv:2508.11749), which defines the so called dg shifted Yangian. I will discuss their origin from the study of 3d holomorphic topological field theories, a variant of 3d TQFT. A dg shifted Yangian […]
Differential Geometry and Physics Seminar Speaker. Emily Autumn Windes (New Uzbekistan University) Title: Gauge theory on Hyperkähler manifolds Abstract: In this talk, I describe various distinguished classes of connections on Hyperkähler manifolds and their dimensional reductions. Then, I describe a construction of new examples of Sp(2)-instantons, primitive HYM connections, and Spin(7)-instantons with symmetry on the manifold T*CP2. This talk […]
Algebra Seminar Speaker: Matt Broe, Boston University Title: The Beilinson-Bloch conjecture for some non-isotrivial varieties over global function fields Abstract: The Beilinson-Bloch conjecture is a generalization of the Birch and Swinnerton-Dyer conjecture, which relates the ranks of Chow groups of smooth projective varieties over global fields to the order of vanishing of L-functions. We prove […]
Freedman Seminar Speaker: Robert Gompf, UT Austin Title: Exotic R^4's are unclassifiable Abstract: We will use descriptive set theory to show that there is a precise sense in which exotic R^4's are unclassifiable. For other open manifolds, we can reach a much higher level of unclassifiability. This is work in progress with Aristotelis Panagiotopoulos.
Quantum Field Theory and Physical Mathematics Seminar Speaker: Tianqin Zhu, Columbia University Title: K-theoretic stable envelopes, quantum loop groups and wall-crossings Abstract: The stable envelope is an important tool in both geometric representation theory and the enumerative geometry. One of the most important application is that it generates the geometric quantum loop group via the FRT […]
Joint Math/CMSA Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar Speaker: Vasily Krylov, Harvard Title: 1-shifted Yangians from 1-shifted Lie bialgebras Abstract: In the previous talk, Keyou explained that the fusion of line defects in 3d holomorphic–topological field theories is expected to be governed by so-called DG-shifted Yangians. Following arXiv:2503.08770, I will present examples of such DG-shifted Yangians arising from […]