Snapshots of Modern Mathematics from Oberwolfach
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- ItemQuantum symmetry(Oberwolfach : Mathematisches Forschungsinstitut Oberwolfach gGmbH, 2020) Caspers, MartijnThe symmetry of objects plays a crucial role in many branches of mathematics and physics. It allowed, for example, the early prediction of the existence of new small particles. “Quantum symmetry” concerns a generalized notion of symmetry. It is an abstract way of characterizing the symmetry of a much richer class of mathematical and physical objects. In this snapshot we explain how quantum symmetry emerges as matrix symmetries using a famous example: Mermin’s magic square. It shows that quantum symmetries can solve problems that lie beyond the reach of classical symmetries, showing that quantum symmetries play a central role in modern mathematics.
- ItemDescribing distance: from the plane to spectral triples(Oberwolfach : Mathematisches Forschungsinstitut Oberwolfach gGmbH, 2021) Arici, Francesca; Mesland, BramGeometry draws its power from the abstract structures that govern the shapes found in the real world. These abstractions often provide deeper insights into the underlying mathematical objects. In this snapshot, we give a glimpse into how certain “curved spaces” called manifolds can be better understood by looking at the (complex) differentiable functions they admit.
- ItemC∗ -algebras: structure and classification(Oberwolfach : Mathematisches Forschungsinstitut Oberwolfach gGmbH, 2021) Kerr, DavidThe theory of C∗C∗-algebras traces its origins back to the development of quantum mechanics and it has evolved into a large and highly active field of mathematics. Much of the progress over the last couple of decades has been driven by an ambitious program of classification launched by George A. Elliott in the 1980s, and just recently this project has succeeded in achieving one of its central goals in an unexpectedly dramatic fashion. This Snapshot aims to recount some of the fundamental ideas at play.
- ItemSearching for the Monster in the Trees(Oberwolfach : Mathematisches Forschungsinstitut Oberwolfach gGmbH, 2022) Craven, David A.The Monster finite simple group is almost unimaginably large, with about 8 × 1053 elements in it. Trying to understand such an immense object requires both theory and computer programs. In this snapshot, we discuss finite groups, representations, and finally Brauer trees, which offer some new understanding of this vast and intricate structure.
- ItemLagrangian mean curvature flow(Oberwolfach : Mathematisches Forschungsinstitut Oberwolfach gGmbH, 2021) Lotay, Jason D.Lagrangian mean curvature flow is a powerful tool in modern mathematics with connections to topics in analysis, geometry, topology and mathematical physics. I will describe some of the key aspects of Lagrangian mean curvature flow, some recent progress, and some major open problems.