Pan American Advanced Studies Institute: Commutative Algebra and Its Interactions with Algebraic Geometry, Representation Theory, and Physics; Guanajuato, Mexico; May 14-25, 2012

University Of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln NE

Investigators

Abstract

1123059 Iyengar This Pan-American Advanced Studies Institutes (PASI) award, jointly supported by the NSF and the Department of Energy (DOE), will take place May 14-25, 2012 at the Centro de Investigación en Matemáticas (CIMAT) in Guanajuato, Mexico. Organized by Dr. Srikanth Iyengar of the Department of Mathematics at the University of Nebraska and Dr. Sarah J. Witherspoon of the Department of Mathematics at Texas A & M University, in collaboration with Dr. Ragnar-Olaf Buchweitz (Canada) and Dr. José Antonia de la Peña (Mexico), the PASI will address issues in commutative algebra and its interactions with algebraic geometry, representation theory, and theoretical physics. The specific topics to be covered are: matrix factorizations and maximal Cohen-Macaulay modules; cluster algebras and cluster categories; cohomological theory of support varieties; and topological quantum field theories and Frobenius algebras. This PASI will familiarize graduate students, postdocs, and early career faculty with emerging applications of commutative algebra. It will also provide an opportunity for building and fostering collaborations among researchers from various countries in the Americas. The organizers will encourage participants to organize a special session at an American Mathematical Society (AMS) meeting during the three-year period following the institute. Furthermore, they will continue to mentor those participants and those who become involved in the program at the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute-Berkeley, California (MSRI) in commutative algebra during the year 2012-2013. A wiki page will serve as a platform for dissemination of notes from the lecturers, and for discussions on problems and questions related to the lectures.