Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar Speaker: Lorenzo Riva, CMSA Title: Aganagic’s invariant is Khovanov homology Abstract: Webster computed the Khovanov homology of (the closure of) a braid in terms of the action of that braid on a certain KLRW category. Aganagic proposed that the same computation could be done in the Fukaya-Seidel category of the multiplicative Coulomb […]
CMSA Q&A Seminar Speaker: Dan Freed, CMSA Topic: Constructions of homotopy types in geometry and physics
Algebra Seminar Speaker: Padamavathi Srinivasan, Boston University Title: Covers of curves, Ceresa cycles, and unlikely intersections Abstract: The Ceresa cycle is a canonical homologically trivial algebraic cycle associated to a curve in its Jacobian. In his 1983 thesis, Ceresa showed that this cycle is algebraically nontrivial for a very general complex curve of genus at least […]
Colloquium Speaker: Julien Tailleur, MIT Title: The active Young-Dupré equation Abstract: The Young-Dupré equation is a cornerstone of the equilibrium theory of capillary and wetting phenomena. In the biological world, interfacial phenomena are ubiquitous, from the spreading of bacterial colonies to tissue growth and flocking of birds, but the description of such active systems escapes […]
Algebra Seminar Speaker: Lazar Guterman, Hebrew University of Jerusalem Title: Electrical networks, Grassmannians, and cluster algebras Abstract: An electrical network with $n$ boundary vertices induces a matrix called the response matrix which measures the electrical properties of the network. The set of response matrices of all electrical networks has a characterization in terms of positivity of […]
Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar Speaker: tba
Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar Speaker: Daniel Spiegel, Harvard Title: The Quasi-Adiabatic Theorem and All That Abstract: Yosuke Kubota has recently made progress on understanding Kitaev's conjecture by constructing a loop spectrum consisting of spaces of quantum spin systems, indexed by spatial dimension of the lattice (arXiv: 2503.12618). After a brief reminder on the C*-algebraic […]
CMSA Spring Welcome Back Event Date: Jan 28, 2026 Time: 4:00 pm Location: CMSA Common Room, 20 Garden Street, Cambridge MA All CMSA and Math affiliates are invited.
Differential Geometry and Physics Seminar Speaker: Tristan Collins, University of Toronto Title: Complete Calabi-Yau Metrics and Optimal Transport Abstract: I will discuss the connection between optimal transport and the existence of complete Calabi-Yau metrics on log Calabi-Yau varieties. I will explain how the geometric problem of constructing complete Calabi-Yau metrics gives rise to problems in the boundary […]
Algebra Seminar
Member Seminar Speaker: Stephen Landsittel Title: Some results about saturation Abstract: Given a local ring R we can ask when saturation of ideals in R commutes with other operations on ideals (such as extension to a ring containing R). We show that the condition that extension of ideals along a ring map R \to S […]
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 […]