Representation Theory, Automorphic Forms, and Complex Geometry

Harvard University, Cambridge MA

Investigators

Abstract

This funding is for the conference "Representation Theory, Automorphic Forms, and Complex Geometry" to be held at Harvard University from May 20th to 23rd, 2013. There will be approximately 16 speakers and an anticipated 100 participants. The conference will have two major themes. The first consists of recent approaches to understanding the unitary dual of a semisimple Lie group, a fundamental problem in both representation theory and automorphic forms. Several of the talks will describe recent advances in computing the unitary dual, understanding unitarity through Hodge structures, and constructing unitary representations using global methods (for example, via Arthur's conjectures on the discrete spectrum). The second theme is the application of geometric constructions in representation theory to problems in automorphic forms, in particular to analytic number theory and the study of L-functions. We hope that bringing together experts in these various branches of mathematics will encourage collaborations in new directions. By its very nature, the conference seeks to connect different areas of mathematical research, and thus should be useful in exposing researchers of all levels to ideas which have increasing importance. The grant includes funding for graduate student participation, in particular, and also funding for postdocs, young researchers, and mathematicians from underrepresented groups. We hope that the conference will draw not only mathematicians who work directly in these two areas, but also others from neighboring areas of mathematics and mathematical physics. The conference website can be found at http://www.math.harvard.edu/conferences/schmid_2013/index.html