Focus Program on Noncommutative Geometry and Quantum Groups; June 3-28, 2013 at the Fields Institute in Toronto, Canada

University Of Maryland, College Park, College Park MD

Investigators

Abstract

This award provides funding to help defray the expenses of U.S. participants in the conference "Focus Program on Noncommutative Geometry and Quantum Groups" that will take place from June 3-28, 2013, at the Fields Institute in Toronto, Canada. The subject matter of this wide-ranging conference is noncommutative geometry and related topics. One of the deepest principles in mathematics, dating back to Descartes's "La Geometrie" in 1637, is the equivalence between geometry and algebra. Geometric objects can be studied by algebraic tools, and algebra can be studied by thinking about it geometrically. Noncommutative geometry is the study of geometry when the associated algebra is noncommutative. Far from being just a generalization of conventional geometry for its own sake, noncommutative geometry is in fact forced on us by the basic principles of quantum mechanics, which require physically observable quantities to correspond to noncommuting operators on a Hilbert space. This event will explore the ramifications of such noncommutativity in a number of different contexts. The conference program provides ample opportunity for graduate students, postdocs, and other young scientists to present their work.