Lie Theory Seminar Fall 2007

Fridays at 2:25 in Van Vleck B305

Last Update: July 20, 2007


Friday December 14, 2007 at 2:25pm in B305 Van Vleck:

Speaker: Matt Davis, University of Wisconsin

Title: Representations of Affine Hecke algebras

Abstract: TBA

Tuesday December 11, 2007 at 2:25pm in 901 Van Vleck:

Speaker: Martha Yip, University of Wisconsin

Title: Parking functions, Shi arrangements and representations

Abstract: TBA

Friday December 7, 2007 at 2:25pm in B305 Van Vleck:

Speaker: Zajj Daugherty, University of Wisconsin

Title: Graded diagram algebras

Abstract: The graded Birman-Murakami-Wenzl algebra arises as a tensor power centralizer algebra, an algebra of operators which preserve symmetries in a tensor space. The classical case, studied by Frobenius and Schur around 1900, provided the link between the representation theory of the symmetric group and the general linear group. In this talk, I will utilize combinatorial tools to explore the link between the actions of the graded BMW algebra and the symplectic and orthogonal Lie algebras on the tensor space.

Friday December 7, 2007 at 11:00am in B115 Van Vleck:

Speaker: Zhaohu Nie, University of Texas A&M

Title: Cohomology theories for algebraic varieties

Abstract: I will discuss two topics: Hodge theory and motivic cohomology. For Hodge theory, I will start with the approach to the Hodge conjecture using singular hypersurfaces. Then I will discuss the related notions of singularities of a Hodge class and singularities of an admissible normal function, and the equivalence of the Hodge conjecture to the existence of such singularities. This part is joint work with P. Brosnan, H. Fang and G. Pearlstein. For motivic cohomology, I will present, after some background materials, a construction of the motivic reduced power operations following a topological analogue of Karoubi. If time permits (unlikely), I will briefly mention some other theories in this huge field.

Friday November 30, 2007 at 2:25pm in B305 Van Vleck:

Speaker: Julia Pevtsova, University of Washington

Title: Spectra of triangulated categories

Abstract: I shall start by discussing a general framework of studying tensor triangulated categories via geometric ideas as introduced by P. Balmer and then concentrate on two specific applications: to the category of modular representations of a finite group scheme and to the bounded derived category of a quotient stack.

Thursday, November 1 at 1:20pm in 901 Van Vleck:

Speaker: Rajesh Kulkarni, Michigan State University

Title: Self-dual sheaves on certain unitary Shimura varieties

Abstract:

Monday October 22, 2007 at 1:20pm in Van Vleck 901:

Speaker: Nora Ganter, Colby College

Title: Representation theory and character theory in 2-categories

Abstract: In the 90, Hopkins, Kuhn and Ravenel studied general cohomology theories of classifying spaces of finite groups. In this context, they came across a character theory much like that of the representations of finite groups. The generalized group characters that turn up in this context are called 2-class functions; they are functions on pairs of commuting elements that are invariant under simultaneous conjugation

χ(g,h) = χ(s-1gs, s-1hs).

There are notions of transfer and restriction, inner products and the like. I will explain how a categorical notion of representation gives rise to a Hopkins-Kuhn-Ravenel type character theory. Time permitting, I will give a short overview over the appearance of generalized characters in various branches of mathematics.

Monday October 22, 2007 at 3:30pm in Van Vleck 901:

Speaker: Alex Ghitza, Colby College

Title: Lifting automorphic forms from positive characteristic

Abstract: Modular forms (mod p) can be defined in two ways: (a) by reduction modulo p of modular forms over the integers, or (b) intrinsically, using the moduli space of elliptic curves over finite fields. The obvious question is whether the two definitions agree, and this was answered by Katz (yes, if the forms have weight 2 or higher) and by Mestre (no, for forms of weight 1). I will review these "classical" results and discuss the issues involved in extending them to other classes of automorphic forms, with emphasis on Siegel modular forms. The talk will be such that a lack of background knowledge can be made up for by having sufficient credulity in what I will claim.

Friday October 12, 2007 at 2:25pm in B305 Van Vleck:

Speaker: Arun Ram, University of Wisconsin

Title: Boundary diagram algebras

Abstract: This talk is about diagram algebras which come from the two-boundary braid group (braids with two poles). This is a generalization of recent work (from statistical mechanics) on two-boundary Temperley-Lieb algebras. The generalized setting naturally includes two boundary Hecke algebras and two-boundary BMW algebras. These algebras are like affine Hecke algebras (of type A) and affine BMW algebras except with two poles.

Friday September 28, 2007 at 2:25pm in B305 Van Vleck:

Speaker: Mathieu Willems, University of Ottawa

Title: A Chevalley formula in equivariant K-theory

Abstract: In this talk, I will give a Chevalley formula in equivariant K-theory. First, I will decompose the class of a line bundle in the equivariant K-theory of a Bott-Samelson variety. Then I will use this result to give a formula to multiply the class of a line bundle by the class of a Schubert variety in the equivariant K-theory of a flag variety.

Tuesday September 25, 2007 at 2:25pm in B223 Van Vleck:

Speaker: Henning Andersen, University of Aarhus

Title: Sum formulas in the representation theory of algebraic and quantum groups

Abstract: Let V be a Weyl module for a semisimple algebraic group G and let T be a tilting module. Important information about the composition factors of V and about the indecomposable summands of T is contained in the Jantzen filtrations of V and of HomG(V, T). We shall discuss joint work with U. Kulkarni in which give a unified proof of sum formulas for such filtrations. Our method also applies to the corresponding problem for quantum groups.

Friday September 21, 2007 at 2:25pm in B305 Van Vleck:

Speaker: Noah Kieserman, University of Wisconsin

Title: Integration and exponentiation

Abstract:

Friday September 14, 2007 at 2:25pm in B305 Van Vleck:

Speaker: Arun Ram, University of Wisconsin

Title: Centers of tantalizers

Abstract: Many diagram algebras arise as tantalizers. The Schur-Weyl duality makes it possible to steal most of the center of the tantalizer from the corresponding dual object in the duality. I will outline this process and explain how combinatorial results pop out of the picture. This talk is based on joint work with Zajj Daugherty and Rahbar Virk.

Friday September 7, 2007 at 2:25pm in B305 Van Vleck:

Speaker: Nathan Geer, Georgia Tech

Title: An invariant trace for the category of representations of Lie superalgebras

Abstract: In this talk I will discuss a renormalization of the supertrace on the category of representations of Lie superalgebras, by a kind of "fake superdimension." The genuine superdimensions and supertraces are generically zero. However, the "fake superdimensions" are non-zero and lead to a kind of supertrace which is non-trivial and invariant. The proof I will discuss uses quantum algebra and low-dimensional topology but surprisingly the statements about representations of Lie superalgebras are completely classical statements. This is joint work with Bertrand Patureau-Mirand.

Wednesday May 9, 2007 at 2:25pm in B333 Van Vleck:

Speaker: Helene Barcelo, Arizona State University

Title: The Discrete Fundamental Group of the Order Complex of Bn.

Abstract: We prove combinatorially that the first Betti number of the complement of the $3$-equal arrangement is equal to $2^{n-3}(n^2-5n+8)-1.$ This formula was originally obtained by Bj\"orner and Welker in 1995. We use a notion of discrete homotopy to reformulate the problem into one of counting certain equivalence classes of $6$-cycles in the graph corresponding to the $1$-skeleton of the permutahedron. We then use the language of words, over the alphabet of simple transpositions, to obtain necessary and sufficient conditions to determine if two $6$-cycles belong to the same class. The proof requires only simple combinatorial arguments.

Wednesday May 2, 2007 at 2:25pm in B333 Van Vleck:

Speaker: Matt Davis, University of Wisconsin, Madison

Title: On indexing affine Hecke algebra representations

Monday April 30, 2007 at 3:30pm in B131 Van Vleck:

Speaker: John Bowman, University of Wisconsin

Title: Finite dimensional modules for affine quantum groups

Wednesday April 25, 2007 at 2:25pm in B333 Van Vleck:

Speaker: Rahbar Virk, University of Wisconsin, Madison

Title: On centers

Wednesday April 18, 2007 at 2:25pm in B333 Van Vleck:

Speaker: Zajj Daugherty, University of Wisconsin, Madison

Title: Introduction to affine and graded BMW algebras

Monday April 16, 2007 at 2:25pm in 901 Van Vleck:

Speaker: Lauren Williams, Harvard University

Title: From total positivity on the Grassmanian to the asymmetric exclusion process

Wednesday April 11, 2007 at 2:25pm in B333 Van Vleck:

Speaker: Martha Yip, University of Wisconsin, Madison

Title: Counting noncrossing partitions and regions

Wednesday March 21, 2007 at 2:25pm in B333 Van Vleck:

Speaker: Arun Ram, University of Wisconsin, Madison

Title: Introduction to moment maps on flag varieties

Monday March 12 at 3:30pm in B131 Van Vleck

Speaker: Stefko Miklavic, University of Ljubljana

Title: sl_2 actions on graphs

Wednesday March 7 at 2:25pm in B333 Van Vleck

Speaker: Petra Hitzelberger, University of Muenster

Title: What is a Λ-building?

Abstract: We will discuss the definition of affine Λ-buildings, which are generalisations of simplicial affine buildings, give some of their properties and an example.

Wednesday February 21 at 2:25pm in B333 Van Vleck

Speaker: Fred Goodman, University of Iowa

Title: Something about BMW algebras?

Monday January 29, 2007 at 3:30pm in B131 Van Vleck:

Speaker: Seok-Jin Kang, Seoul National University

Title: Abstract crystals for generalized Kac-Moody algebras