Geometry Seminar
Date: October 11, 2021
Time: 3:00PM - 4:00PM
Location: BLOC 302
Speaker: Michael Willis, Stanford University
Title: Links, Braids, Infinite Twists, and More
Abstract: We will consider some quantum invariants for links and braids in 3-dimensional Euclidean space, focusing on the Jones polynomial and its various "lifts" to higher categories. These invariants stand at the intersection of knot theory with more general low-dimensional topology and geometry, as well as representation theory, mathematical physics, and more. We will focus on the special role played by the limiting value of such invariants as the strands involved twist about each other infinitely often.