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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260428T161500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260428T180000
DTSTAMP:20260429T030702
CREATED:20260410T145217Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260427T173936Z
UID:10003932-1777392900-1777399200@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:The classifying space of a Morse flow category
DESCRIPTION:Joint Math/CMSA Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar \nSpeaker: Lorenzo Riva\, Harvard CMSA \nTitle: The classifying space of a Morse flow category\n\nAbstract: Following a paper of Calle and Liu we show that\, under suitable tameness assumptions\, the classifying space of the Morse category associated to a manifold M with a Morse function recovers the homotopy type of M\, thereby addressing a gap in a preprint of Cohen-Jones-Segal. We also give a counterexample when those assumptions are not satisfied.\n\n  \n 
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/quantumgeo_42826/
LOCATION:Science Center 507\, 1 Oxford Street\, Cambridge\, 02138
CATEGORIES:Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/media/Geometry-and-Quantum-Theory-Seminar-04.28.26.docx.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260421T161500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260421T180000
DTSTAMP:20260429T030702
CREATED:20260408T190831Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260417T142320Z
UID:10003930-1776788100-1776794400@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Introduction to A-infty categories
DESCRIPTION:Joint Math/CMSA Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar \nSpeaker: Ahsan Khan\, Harvard CMSA \nTitle: Introduction to A-infty categories\n\nAbstract: I will give a pedagogical account of A-infty categories and the various places they show up in mathematical physics.\n 
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/quantumgeo_42126/
LOCATION:Science Center 507\, 1 Oxford Street\, Cambridge\, 02138
CATEGORIES:Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/media/Geometry-and-Quantum-Theory-Seminar-04.21.26-scaled.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260414T161500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260414T180000
DTSTAMP:20260429T030702
CREATED:20260408T190745Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260408T200311Z
UID:10003929-1776183300-1776189600@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Abelian gauge fields and duality
DESCRIPTION:Joint Math/CMSA Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar \nSpeaker: Dan Freed\, Harvard Math & CMSA \nTitle: Abelian gauge fields and duality \nAbstract: Motivated by the new paper arXiv:2603.19161\, I will give a general talk about abelian gauge fields\, including duality. I will start with classical Maxwell theory\, then discuss various “finite” examples\, the typical p-form abelian gauge field\, and some exotic examples such as Ramond–Ramond fields and the B-field in superstring theory. I will then get to the new paper and\, time permitting\, will suggest a very general framework that covers all examples. \n 
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/quantumgeo_41426/
LOCATION:Science Center 507\, 1 Oxford Street\, Cambridge\, 02138
CATEGORIES:Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/media/Geometry-and-Quantum-Theory-Seminar-04.14.26.docx.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260407T161500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260407T180000
DTSTAMP:20260429T030702
CREATED:20260402T150251Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260402T152237Z
UID:10003928-1775578500-1775584800@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:A Mumford form on infinite Grassmannians
DESCRIPTION:Joint Math/CMSA Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar \nSpeaker: Oswaldo Vázquez (Harvard) \nTitle: A Mumford form on infinite Grassmannians \nAbstract: The Polyakov measure in bosonic string theory can be expressed in terms of the Mumford form\, which is a trivializing section of a product of determinant line bundles over the moduli space of genus g curves. We will discuss the work in https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.18570\, which reviews how the moduli space can be embedded in an infinite dimensional Grassmannian as a Virasoro orbit and generalizes the Mumford form to other such orbits. In particular\, this “universal Mumford form” can be described in terms of coordinates in the Grassmannian\, which are amenable to computation and thus could have implications to the evaluation of amplitudes. \n 
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/quantumgeo_4726/
LOCATION:Science Center 507\, 1 Oxford Street\, Cambridge\, 02138
CATEGORIES:Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/media/Geometry-and-Quantum-Theory-Seminar-04.07.26.docx.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260331T161500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260331T180000
DTSTAMP:20260429T030702
CREATED:20260323T144017Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260330T153340Z
UID:10003920-1774973700-1774980000@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:1-shifted Yangians from 1-shifted Lie bialgebras
DESCRIPTION:Joint Math/CMSA Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar \nSpeaker: Vasily Krylov\, Harvard \nTitle: 1-shifted Yangians from 1-shifted Lie bialgebras \nAbstract: 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 1-shifted Lie bialgebras. We will discuss both the classical and DG-shifted settings from a purely mathematical perspective.
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/quantumgeo_33126/
LOCATION:Science Center 507\, 1 Oxford Street\, Cambridge\, 02138
CATEGORIES:Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/media/Geometry-and-Quantum-Theory-Seminar-03.31.26-scaled.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260324T161500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260324T180000
DTSTAMP:20260429T030702
CREATED:20260323T143256Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260323T143854Z
UID:10003919-1774368900-1774375200@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Line operators in holomorphic QFT
DESCRIPTION:Joint Math/CMSA Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar \nSpeaker: Keyou Zeng (CMSA) \nTitle: Line operators in holomorphic QFT \nAbstract: 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 is supposed to control the fusion of line defect in the corresponding 3d HT theories. I will illustrate these discussions in examples.
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/quantumgeo_32426/
LOCATION:Science Center 507\, 1 Oxford Street\, Cambridge\, 02138
CATEGORIES:Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/media/Geometry-and-Quantum-Theory-Seminar-03.24.26-scaled.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260310T161500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260310T180000
DTSTAMP:20260429T030702
CREATED:20260302T172556Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260309T175638Z
UID:10003914-1773159300-1773165600@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:TQFTs do not detect the Milnor sphere
DESCRIPTION:Joint Math/CMSA Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar \nSpeaker: Lorenzo Riva\, Harvard CMSA \nTitle: TQFTs do not detect the Milnor sphere \nAbstract: 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 nice target category) assigns the same value to homotopy spheres that bound a parallelizable manifold\, extending some no-go theorems of Reutter and Schommer-Pries.
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/quantumgeo_31026/
LOCATION:Science Center 507\, 1 Oxford Street\, Cambridge\, 02138
CATEGORIES:Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/media/Geometry-and-Quantum-Theory-Seminar-03.10.26-scaled.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260303T161500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260303T180000
DTSTAMP:20260429T030702
CREATED:20251223T191945Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260209T160052Z
UID:10003853-1772554500-1772560800@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Solitonic Symmetry: Cohomology with TFT Coefficients
DESCRIPTION:Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar \nSpeaker: Sanjay Raman\, Harvard \nTitle: Solitonic Symmetry: Cohomology with TFT Coefficients \nAbstract: We review the formalism of https://arxiv.org/pdf/2307.00939\, which develops the theory of solitonic symmetry in quantum field theory. The algebraic structure of solitonic symmetry is determined by the fusion of topological functionals in a given path-integral formulation of topological field theory\, and acts generically on topological defects determined by homotopy classes of maps to a “space of fields.” We will argue that the structure of solitonic symmetry in a theory with field space (Y) assembles into what looks like the cohomology of (Y) with coefficients in TFTs. We study this formalism in examples and show in particular that the maximal invertible solitonic subsymmetry reduces to the expected result.
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/quantumgeo_3326/
LOCATION:Science Center 507\, 1 Oxford Street\, Cambridge\, 02138
CATEGORIES:Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/media/CMSA-Geometry-Quantum-Theory-3.3.26-scaled.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260224T161500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260224T180000
DTSTAMP:20260429T030702
CREATED:20251223T192031Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260223T151346Z
UID:10003855-1771949700-1771956000@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Bi-HKT Manifolds\, Sigma Models\, Large N=4 and their String Constructions
DESCRIPTION:Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar \nSpeakers: Max Hübner\, CMSA \nTitle: Bi-HKT Manifolds\, Sigma Models\, Large N=4 and their String Constructions \nAbstract: We continue our review of Witten’s paper “Instantons and the Large N=4 Algebra”. We discuss the realization of large N=4 supersymmetry in the context of supersymmetric sigma-models\, and discuss and motivate string theoretic duals to these sigma models. This talk aims to supply physical insight building on Saman’s talk from last week 2/17.
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/quantumgeo_22426/
LOCATION:Science Center 507\, 1 Oxford Street\, Cambridge\, 02138
CATEGORIES:Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/media/CMSA-Geometry-Quantum-Theory-2.24.26.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260219T153000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260219T163000
DTSTAMP:20260429T030702
CREATED:20260209T003754Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260209T193802Z
UID:10003891-1771515000-1771518600@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Constructing oriented TQFTs from twisted pivotal tensor categories
DESCRIPTION:Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar \nSpeaker: William Stewart \nTitle: Constructing oriented TQFTs from twisted pivotal tensor categories \nAbstract: The cobordism hypothesis classifies n-dimensional oriented TQFTs in terms of SO(n) homotopy fixed point data. An SO(2) homotopy fixed point structure on a finite tensor category gives rise to a twisted pivotal structure (a more general notion than a pivotal structure). In this talk\, I will illustrate how the usual skein theory (also called string nets) of a pivotal tensor category can be generalized to the twisted pivotal setting\, yielding new 2d oriented TQFTs. This is joint work with Ben Haioun and Filippos Sytilidis.
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/quantumgeo_21926/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/media/CMSA-Geometry-Quantum-Theory-2.19.26-scaled.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260217T161500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260217T180000
DTSTAMP:20260429T030702
CREATED:20251223T192010Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260217T154218Z
UID:10003854-1771344900-1771351200@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Geometric structures on gauge theoretic moduli spaces
DESCRIPTION:Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar \nSpeaker: Saman Habibi Esfahani (CMSA) \nTitle: Geometric structures on gauge theoretic moduli spaces \nAbstract: Motivated by Witten’s study of instantons on S3 x S1\, we survey some classical and recent results\, programs\, and conjectures on geometric structures\, such as symplectic and hyperkahler\, on moduli spaces of instantons and monopoles on various manifolds\, from a mathematical perspective. This talk serves as background for Max’s talk on 2/24.
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/quantumgeo_21726/
LOCATION:Science Center 507\, 1 Oxford Street\, Cambridge\, 02138
CATEGORIES:Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/media/CMSA-Geometry-Quantum-Theory-2.17.26-scaled.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260203T161500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260203T180000
DTSTAMP:20260429T030702
CREATED:20251223T191910Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260202T171722Z
UID:10003852-1770135300-1770141600@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:More on Kubota's spectrum of invertible states
DESCRIPTION:Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar \nSpeakers: Dan Freed and Bowen Yang\, Harvard CMSA \nTitle: More on Kubota’s spectrum of invertible states \nAbstract: Bowen will explain a construction aptly dubbed “Kitaev’s pump” in Kubota’s paper. Time permitting\, Bowen will demonstrate its ubiquity throughout the study of topological phases\, where it appears under various guises. In the second hour\, Dan will sketch Kubota’s construction of a spectrum from families of invertible quantum lattice systems.
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/quantumgeo_2326/
LOCATION:Science Center 507\, 1 Oxford Street\, Cambridge\, 02138
CATEGORIES:Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/media/CMSA-Geometry-Quantum-Theory-2.3.26-scaled.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260127T161500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260127T183000
DTSTAMP:20260429T030702
CREATED:20250407T174204Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260126T163039Z
UID:10003739-1769530500-1769538600@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:The Quasi-Adiabatic Theorem and All That
DESCRIPTION:Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar \nSpeaker: Daniel Spiegel\, Harvard \nTitle: The Quasi-Adiabatic Theorem and All That \nAbstract: 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 formalism of quantum spin systems\, I will discuss Section 2 of this paper\, which covers some of the more analytical tools used to construct the loop spectrum. In particular\, I will focus on the quasi-adiabatic theorem which roughly speaking states that a smooth path of gapped Hamiltonians with unique ground states gives rise to a path of nice automorphisms that map the ground state at time zero to the path of ground states.
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/quantumgeo_12726/
LOCATION:Science Center 507\, 1 Oxford Street\, Cambridge\, 02138
CATEGORIES:Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/media/CMSA-Geometry-Quantum-Theory-1.27.26-scaled.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251216T161500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251216T183000
DTSTAMP:20260429T030702
CREATED:20251031T150328Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251031T150328Z
UID:10003824-1765901700-1765909800@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar
DESCRIPTION:Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar \nSpeaker: tba
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/quantumgeo_121625/
LOCATION:Science Center 507\, 1 Oxford Street\, Cambridge\, 02138
CATEGORIES:Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251209T161500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251209T183000
DTSTAMP:20260429T030702
CREATED:20251031T145823Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251208T150959Z
UID:10003830-1765296900-1765305000@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar
DESCRIPTION:Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar \nSpeaker: Lorenzo Riva\, CMSA \nTitle: Aganagic’s invariant is Khovanov homology \nAbstract: 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 branch associated to a weighted quiver. In this talk we will recap the story so far and then sketch LePage and Shende’s proof of Aganagic’s proposal. \n  \nSpeaker: Bowen Yang\, CMSA \nTitle: Some groups from Condensed matter physics \nAbstract: I would like to talk about some groups coming from the study of quantum spin systems. They inspired a construction of generalized homology theories related to Azumaya algebras. \n  \n  \n 
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/quantumgeo_12925/
LOCATION:Science Center 507\, 1 Oxford Street\, Cambridge\, 02138
CATEGORIES:Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/media/CMSA-Geometry-Quantum-Theory-12.9.25-scaled.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251202T161500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251202T183000
DTSTAMP:20260429T030702
CREATED:20251021T202125Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251201T192115Z
UID:10003822-1764692100-1764700200@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Homological mirror symmetry for Coulomb branches
DESCRIPTION:Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar \nSpeaker: Sebastian Haney\, Harvard \nTitle: Homological mirror symmetry for Coulomb branches \nAbstract: I will describe a result of Aganagic\, Danilenko\, Li\, Shende\, and Zhou which constructs a embeddings of certain cylindrical KLRW categories into Fukaya-Seidel categories of multiplicative Coulomb branches. This can be thought of as a homological mirror symmetry statement relating the Fukaya category of a multiplicative Coulomb branch to the derived category of a resolved additive Coulomb branch. I will describe the construction of the relevant Fukaya–Seidel categories\, and explain how the KRLW relations are realized by counts of holomorphic disks in symmetric products of surfaces. \n\n 
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/quantumgeo_12225/
LOCATION:Science Center 507\, 1 Oxford Street\, Cambridge\, 02138
CATEGORIES:Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/media/CMSA-Geometry-Quantum-Theory-12.2.25-scaled.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251125T161500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251125T183000
DTSTAMP:20260429T030702
CREATED:20251021T202057Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251124T145931Z
UID:10003821-1764087300-1764095400@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Coulomb branches and KLRW algebras
DESCRIPTION:Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar \nSpeaker:Vasily Krylov\, CMSA \nTitle: Coulomb branches and KLRW algebras \nAbstract: I will introduce Coulomb branches associated to a pair of a reductive group G and its complex representation N. We will discuss their main geometric properties and examine explicit examples. I will also highlight the connection to the moduli space of monopoles. Time permitting\, we will see how KLRW naturally arise in this context.
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/quantumgeo_112525/
LOCATION:Science Center 507\, 1 Oxford Street\, Cambridge\, 02138
CATEGORIES:Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/media/CMSA-Geometry-Quantum-Theory-11.25.25-scaled.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251111T161500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251111T183000
DTSTAMP:20260429T030702
CREATED:20251021T202013Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251110T161345Z
UID:10003820-1762877700-1762885800@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Khovanov homology from KLRW algebras
DESCRIPTION:Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar \nSpeaker: Sunghyuk Park\, CMSA \nTitle: Khovanov homology from KLRW algebras \nAbstract: 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 the algebraic background for this story by explaining how Khovanov homology can be understood in terms of higher representation theory via Khovanov-Lauda-Rouquier-Webster (KLRW) algebras.
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/quantumgeo_111125/
LOCATION:Science Center 507\, 1 Oxford Street\, Cambridge\, 02138
CATEGORIES:Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/media/CMSA-Geometry-Quantum-Theory-11.11.25-scaled.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251104T161500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251104T183000
DTSTAMP:20260429T030702
CREATED:20251021T201937Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251031T151517Z
UID:10003819-1762272900-1762281000@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:A fully local extension of Chern-Simons theory
DESCRIPTION:Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar \nSpeaker: Dan Freed \nTitle: A fully local extension of Chern-Simons theory \nAbstract: 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 the form: What does Chern-Simons theory attach to a point?. In joint work with Claudia Scheimbauer and Constantin Teleman we use the cobordism hypothesis to construct a fully local version of Chern-Simons theory. We also consider different versions with different tangential structures\, as I will explain.
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/quantumgeo_11425/
LOCATION:Science Center 507\, 1 Oxford Street\, Cambridge\, 02138
CATEGORIES:Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/media/CMSA-Geometry-Quantum-Theory-11.4.25-scaled.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251028T161500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251028T183000
DTSTAMP:20260429T030702
CREATED:20251021T201853Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251027T135640Z
UID:10003818-1761668100-1761676200@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar
DESCRIPTION:Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar \nSpeakers: (1) Elliott Gesteau\, CMSA (60 min) and  (2) Sanjay Raman\, Harvard (30 min) \n(1) Title: Holography for closed universes \nAbstract: 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 Hilbert space of states from various perspectives. In this talk I will review this new set of puzzles\, with an emphasis of the mathematical questions that they seem to raise. \n  \n(2) Title: Non-supersymmetric branes\, bordism\, and fractional charges \nAbstract: We dive a little deeper into the non-supersymmetric brane configurations studied in Kaidi-Tachikawa-Yonekura (2024). We study the gravitational analogues of the branes in the aforementioned paper\, relating them to relative defects predicted by the Cobordism Conjecture\, and we argue for the existence of objects carrying fractional heterotic string and M2-brane charge.
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/quantumgeo_102825/
LOCATION:Science Center 507\, 1 Oxford Street\, Cambridge\, 02138
CATEGORIES:Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/media/CMSA-Geometry-Quantum-Theory-10.28.25-scaled.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251014T161500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251014T183000
DTSTAMP:20260429T030702
CREATED:20251001T183159Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251014T154228Z
UID:10003803-1760458500-1760466600@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar
DESCRIPTION:Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar \nSpeaker: Dylan Galt\, Harvard \n(60 minute talk) \nTitle: What is a “nonlinear” near-symplectic form? \nAbstract: In this talk\, I will explain how one might understand this question and why a possible answer can be found in the geometry of coassociative 4-folds\, a special class of minimal submanifolds discovered by Harvey and Lawson. \n  \nSpeaker: Keyou Zeng\, CMSA \n(30 minute talk) \nTitle: Cohomology of configuration space of points \nAbstract: Configuration space of points is an interesting and important subject in mathematics and physics. I’ll review some classical results computing cohomology of configuration space of points. I’ll also introduce some recent progress in computing sheaf cohomology of configuration space of affine space. \n  \n 
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/quantumgeo_101425/
LOCATION:Science Center 507\, 1 Oxford Street\, Cambridge\, 02138
CATEGORIES:Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/media/CMSA-Geometry-Quantum-Theory-10.14.25-scaled.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251007T161500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251007T183000
DTSTAMP:20260429T030702
CREATED:20251001T183038Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251007T132737Z
UID:10003802-1759853700-1759861800@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:A Classifying Space for Phases of Matrix Product States
DESCRIPTION:Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar \nSpeakers: Daniel Spiegel\, Harvard Math \nTitle: A Classifying Space for Phases of Matrix Product States \nAbstract: Alexei Kitaev has conjectured that there should be a loop spectrum consisting of spaces of gapped invertible quantum spin systems\, indexed by spatial dimension d of the lattice. Motivated by Kitaev’s conjecture\, I will detail a concrete construction of a topological space B consisting of translation invariant injective matrix product states (MPS) of all physical and bond dimensions\, which plays the role Kitaev’s space in dimension d = 1. Having such a space is a useful tool in the discussion of parametrized phases of MPS; in fact it allows us to define a parametrized phase as a homotopy class of maps into B. The space B is constructed as the quotient of a contractible space E of MPS tensors modulo gauge transformations. The projection map from E to B is a quasifibration\, from which we can compute the homotopy groups of the classifying space B by a long exact sequence. In particular\, B has the weak homotopy type K(Z\, 2) x K(Z\, 3)\, shedding light on Kitaev’s conjecture in the context of MPS. \nDaniel Spiegel will speak for 60 minutes. \nSunghyuk Park  (CMSA) will also speak for 15 minutes
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/quantumgeo_10725/
LOCATION:Science Center 507\, 1 Oxford Street\, Cambridge\, 02138
CATEGORIES:Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/media/CMSA-Geometry-Quantum-Theory-10.7.25-scaled.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250930T161500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250930T183000
DTSTAMP:20260429T030702
CREATED:20250829T204925Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250929T175811Z
UID:10003775-1759248900-1759257000@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar
DESCRIPTION:Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar \nSpeaker 1: Max Hubner\, CMSA \nTitle: On Topological Structures in String Theory \nAbstract: Geometric engineering constructions in string theory often realize QFTs relative to an extra-dimensional geometry. This perspective parallels the symmetry TFT construction where a QFT is presented relative to its extra-dimensional symmetry quiche. Unsurprisingly\, as we will discuss\, these constructions are related. Topological features of the extra-dimensional geometry map onto the symmetry TFT. We discuss examples and generalization beyond purely geometric constructions in string theory. \nSpeaker 2: Bowen Yang\, CMSA \nTitle: Bounded L theory \nAbstract: Bounded L-groups arise in the intersection of algebraic L-theory and large-scale geometry\, providing a framework for quadratic forms and automorphisms subject to uniform control conditions. These groups play a role in topology and surgery theory\, especially in contexts where one needs to measure obstructions not just algebraically but also geometrically\, with bounds on propagation or support. In this talk I will give a gentle introduction to the basic definitions\, explain how bounded L-groups differ from classical L-groups\, and outline an application to quantum many body invariants.
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/quantumgeo_93025/
LOCATION:Science Center 507\, 1 Oxford Street\, Cambridge\, 02138
CATEGORIES:Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/media/CMSA-Geometry-Quantum-Theory-9.30.25.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250909T161500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250909T183000
DTSTAMP:20260429T030702
CREATED:20250829T204407Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250908T135742Z
UID:10003774-1757434500-1757442600@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Higher categories of cobordisms
DESCRIPTION:Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar \nSpeaker: Lorenzo Riva \nTitle: Higher categories of cobordisms \nAbstract: I will give a brief introduction to topological field theories from a higher categorical perspective. After saying a few things about higher categories\, I will define a family of n-categories of bordisms and talk about their universal properties. I will try to squeeze in the canonical example — representations of the 2-dimensional oriented bordism 2-category are separable symmetric Frobenius algebras — and\, time permitting\, talk about my current work. \n 
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/quantumgeo_9925/
LOCATION:Science Center 507\, 1 Oxford Street\, Cambridge\, 02138
CATEGORIES:Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/media/CMSA-Geometry-Quantum-Theory-9.9.25-scaled.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250902T161500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250902T183000
DTSTAMP:20260429T030702
CREATED:20250829T204330Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250902T170240Z
UID:10003773-1756829700-1756837800@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Fukaya category and gauge theory
DESCRIPTION:Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar \nSpeaker: Saman Habibi Esfahani\, Harvard CMSA \nTitle: Fukaya category and gauge theory \nAbstract: After setting up some background\, I will discuss the Fukaya $A_\ infty$-category and several instances where it appears in gauge theory\, such as in the study of flat connections on Riemann surfaces\, holomorphic sections of some hyperkähler bundles\, and instantons and holomorphic curves in K3 surfaces. If time permits\, I will also outline potential applications of these ideas to the study of 3-manifolds and manifolds with special holonomy. \n  \n 
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/quantumgeo_9225/
LOCATION:Science Center 507\, 1 Oxford Street\, Cambridge\, 02138
CATEGORIES:Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/media/CMSA-Geometry-Quantum-Theory-9.2.25.edit_-scaled.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250512T163000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250512T173000
DTSTAMP:20260429T030702
CREATED:20250407T140851Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250506T191033Z
UID:10003734-1747067400-1747071000@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Factorizations for data analysis
DESCRIPTION:Colloquium \nSpeaker: Anna Seigal\, Harvard University \nTitle: Factorizations for data analysis \nAbstract: We can find structure in data by factoring it into building blocks\, which should be interpretable for the context at hand. A classical example is principal component analysis (PCA)\, which uses the eigendecomposition of the covariance matrix to find axes of variation in a dataset. Starting from PCA\, I will discuss matrix and tensor factorizations for data analysis\, and the linear and multilinear algebra that underpins their theoretical properties. We will see examples from causal inference\, independent component analysis\, and dimensionality reduction.
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/colloquium-51225/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Colloquium
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/media/CMSA-Colloquium-5.12.2025.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250506T161500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250506T181500
DTSTAMP:20260429T030702
CREATED:20250407T174129Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250407T174129Z
UID:10003738-1746548100-1746555300@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar
DESCRIPTION:Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/quantumgeo_5625/
LOCATION:Science Center 507\, 1 Oxford Street\, Cambridge\, 02138
CATEGORIES:Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250505T163000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250505T173000
DTSTAMP:20260429T030702
CREATED:20250407T140808Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250501T134436Z
UID:10003733-1746462600-1746466200@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Thinking Outside the Ballot Box
DESCRIPTION:Colloquium \nSpeaker: Ariel Procaccia\, Harvard University \nTitle: Thinking Outside the Ballot Box \nAbstract: How should one design unprecedented democratic processes capable of handling enormous sets of alternatives like all possible policies\, bills\, or statements? I argue that this challenge can be addressed through a framework called generative social choice\, which fuses the rigor of social choice theory with the flexibility and power of large language models. I then explore an application of generative social choice to the problem of identifying a proportionally representative slate of opinion statements. This includes a discussion of desired properties\, an algorithm that provably achieves them\, an implementation using GPT\, and insights from an end-to-end pilot. By providing guarantees\, generative social choice could alleviate concerns about AI-driven democratic innovation and help unlock its potential.
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/colloquium-5525/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Colloquium
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/media/CMSA-Colloquium-5.5.2025.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250429T161500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250429T181500
DTSTAMP:20260429T030702
CREATED:20250414T213151Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250428T143404Z
UID:10003740-1745943300-1745950500@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Algebraic approach to the bow construction
DESCRIPTION:Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar \nSpeakers: Anadil Saeed Rao (Northeastern) and Vasily Krylov (CMSA/Harvard) \nTitle: Algebraic approach to the bow construction \nAbstract: Anadil will finish his part of the talk. Vasily will then explain how to understand moduli spaces of instantons on R^4\, monopoles on R^3\, and instantons on Taub-NUT spaces algebraically as so-called bow varieties. We will see how affine type A Nakajima quiver varieties and Slodowy slices arise as special cases of bow varieties. Time permitting\, we will also discuss applications to 3D mirror symmetry and Coulomb branches.
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/quantumgeo_42925-2/
LOCATION:Science Center 507\, 1 Oxford Street\, Cambridge\, 02138
CATEGORIES:Geometry and Quantum Theory Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/media/CMSA-Geometry-Quantum-Theory-4.29.2025.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250428T163000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250428T173000
DTSTAMP:20260429T030702
CREATED:20241209T171137Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250423T174326Z
UID:10003637-1745857800-1745861400@cmsa.fas.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Bass-Note Spectra of locally uniform geometries
DESCRIPTION:Colloquium \nSpeaker: Peter Sarnak\, IAS & Princeton University \nTitle: Bass-Note Spectra of locally uniform geometries \nAbstract: We formulate and report on the problem of the Bass-Note Spectrum of an invariant operator as one varies over locally uniform geometries. In the Euclidean setting this recasts classical problems of Mahler from the geometry of numbers in a new light. For certain operators homogeneous dynamics can be used decisively. In the non-Euclidean setting of hyperbolic manifolds we review some recent developments using the conformal bootstrap method and of random covers to study the Bass-Note spectra. We highlight the theme and impact of rigidity.
URL:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/colloquium-42825/
LOCATION:CMSA Room G10\, CMSA\, 20 Garden Street\, Cambridge\, MA\, 02138\, United States
CATEGORIES:Colloquium
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/media/CMSA-Colloquium-4.28.2025.png
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR