Online Seminar – August 2020 – Professor Geordie Williamson

David Wood

  • Thursday
     6 Aug 2020
     4:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Event Time:
Thursday, 6 August @ 1600 (AEST) (Melbourne)
Thursday, 6 August @ 1400 (CST) (Beijing, China)
Thursday, 6 August @ 1130 (IST) (New Delhi, India)
Thursday, 6 August @ 0700 (BST) (London)
Thursday, 6 August@ 0200 (EDT) (New York)
Wednesday, 5 August @ 2300 (PDT) (San Francisco)

Presenter: Professor Geordie Williamson, Sydney Mathematical Research Institute (SMRI) / University of Sydney

Biography: University of Sydney & Wikipedia

Geordie Williamson is a professor of mathematics at the University of Sydney. He became the youngest living Fellow of the Royal Society when he was elected in 2018 at the age of 36. Geordie completed his bachelor’s degree at the University of Sydney in New South Wales and his PhD at the University of Freiburg in Germany.

(Source: Wikipedia)

Topic: Modular Representation Theory and Geometry

Abstract: This will be a broad survey talk on interactions between geometry and representation theory, with a focus on representations in positive characteristic (“modular representation theory”). I will outline several basic questions (e.g. for modular representations of the symmetric group) which appear very difficult, and have resisted direct algebraic approaches for over a hundred years. Over the last two decades, a new approach has emerged via geometric representation theory. It turns out that subtle questions concerning torsion in cohomology control these problems, and this allows some progress to be made. Many open questions remain, but at this point there can be no doubt that a fascinating and deep theory awaits us.

Structure: 45 minutes seminar with 15 minutes question time

Seminar Recording & Slides:


Please click here for the recording of the webinar.


Please click here for the presentation notes.