Young Geometric Group Theory Meeting VI

Cornell University, Ithaca NY

Investigators

Abstract

This award is to fund US-based junior researchers to attend a conference, Young Geometric Group Theory Meeting VI, to be held at Oxford University's Mathematical Institute in England, 20-24 March 2017. Geometric group theory is an active mathematical field that concerns the interplay between groups (algebraic structures capturing symmetries) and geometry and topology (the quantitative and qualitative studies of spaces). Most of the conference participants will be graduate students and early-career mathematicians. The conference will allow them to learn about new developments in the field, to communicate their research results, and to spark new research collaborations. Geometric group theory enjoys a growing diversity, which this conference aims to promote further through the selection of the speakers and other participants. Funds will cover travel and local housing expenses of 15 US-based conference participants, including some speakers. The conference is the sixth iteration of the "Young Geometric Group Theory" meetings, which have been held every year since 2012. It will have three main types of events: mini-courses given by five established experts in the field, informal discussion sessions, and research talks given by junior researchers in geometric group theory. The mini-courses will allow graduate students and postdocs to learn cutting-edge methods in geometric group theory both from their peers and from experts. The talks publicize the work of junior researchers and provide feedback. The selection of mini-courses and speakers will reflect various current key directions of research in geometric group theory, including group homology and stability, non C^*-exact groups, and geometric structures, compactifications of representation varieties and non-archimedean geometry. More information can be found at http://www.personal.rhul.ac.uk/udah/001/YGGTVI.htm