Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar Speakers: (1) Elliott Gesteau, CMSA (60 min) and (2) Sanjay Raman, Harvard (30 min) (1) Title: Holography for closed universes Abstract: Recent advances in holography and black hole physics have prompted a number of new puzzles related to the physics of closed universes, which can be argued to have a one-dimensional […]
Algebra Seminar Speaker: Roman Bezrukavnikov, MIT Title: Affine Springer fibers and representations Abstract: Relating representation categories of interest, such of modules over the quantum group, to topology of loop spaces has been an important theme in representation theory for some decades. I will describe a result of this sort involving a geometric object that has […]
Differential Geometry and Physics Seminar Speaker: Jian Song, Rutgers University Title: RCD structures on singular Kahler varieties Abstract: Let X be a 3-dimensional projective variety with klt singularities. We prove that every singular Kahler metric on X with bounded Nash entropy and Ricci curvature bounded below induces a unique compact RCD space homeomorphic to the projective […]
Member Seminar Speaker: Sunghyuk Park, CMSA Title: Skein remain the same Abstract: The count of holomorphic curves in a Calabi-Yau 3-fold ending on a Lagrangian is famously not deformation invariant, but Ekholm and Shende have shown that it can be made invariant by counting in the skein. Given a 3-manifold M and a branched cover arising from […]
Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar Speaker: Dan Freed Title: A fully local extension of Chern-Simons theory Abstract: The Reshetikhin-Turaev-Witten invariants of 3-manifolds fit into a 3-dimensional topological field theory that also attaches invariants to 2-manifolds and 1-manifolds. It has long been asked to extend to invariants of 0-manifolds as well, a question that often takes […]
CMSA Q&A Seminar Speaker: Paul Seidel, MIT Topic: Fukaya categories of Landau-Ginzburg models
New Technologies in Mathematics Seminar Speaker: Yongji Wang, NYU Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences Title: Discovery of unstable singularity with machine precision Abstract: Whether singularities can form in fluids remains a foundational unanswered question in mathematics. This phenomenon occurs when solutions to governing equations, such as the 3D Euler equations, develop infinite gradients from smooth initial […]
Differential Geometry and Physics Seminar Speaker: Dylan Galt, Harvard Title: Dimension Reduction and Adiabatic Limits of Generalized ASD Instantons Abstract: I will begin by explaining a dimension reduction result for Tian's generalized ASD instantons over product manifolds, which generalizes work of Yuanqi Wang on codimension-one reduction and includes the cases of G2 and Spin(7) instantons as well […]
Member Seminar Speaker: Bowen Yang Title: Classification of 2D Stabilizer States Abstract: I will explain how translation-invariant two-dimensional stabilizer states are completely classified by finite abelian groups with nondegenerate quadratic forms—that is, by abelian anyon theories. The proof uses the algebraic structure of stabilizer codes as modules over Laurent polynomial rings, revealing how their physical […]
Quantum Field Theory and Physical Mathematics Seminar Speaker: Ezra Getzler, Northwestern Title: The Moyal bracket and the BV cohomology of the spinning particle Abstract: The spinning particle is the one-dimensional reduction of the Neveu-Schwartz-Ramond superstring. It consists of a supersymmetric particle moving in a one-dimensional supergravity background, and its quantization is the Hilbert superspace of […]
Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar Speaker: Sunghyuk Park, CMSA Title: Khovanov homology from KLRW algebras Abstract: This is the first in a four-part series, organized together with Vasily Krylov, Sebastian Haney, and Lorenzo Riva, aimed at understanding Aganagic's categorification of quantum link invariants through Coulomb branches and homological mirror symmetry. In this first talk, I will lay […]
Geometry Meets Physics: Finiteness, Tameness, and Complexity Dates: November 12–14, 2025 Location: CMSA G10, 20 Garden Street, Cambridge MA 02138 (note: this event is in-person only) Finiteness is a fundamental property in consistent physical theories. From the earliest days of quantum field theory and string theory, the drive to eliminate unphysical infinities has been a […]