Search Results
Higgs bundles without geometry
2020, Rayan, Steven, Schaposnik, Laura P.
Higgs bundles appeared a few decades ago as solutions to certain equations from physics and have attracted much attention in geometry as well as other areas of mathematics and physics. Here, we take a very informal stroll through some aspects of linear algebra that anticipate the deeper structure in the moduli space of Higgs bundles.
Lagrangian mean curvature flow
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.
Zopfgruppen, die Yang–Baxter-Gleichung und Unterfaktoren
2021, Lechner, Gandalf
Die Yang–Baxter-Gleichung ist eine faszinierende Gleichung, die in vielen Gebieten der Physik und der Mathematik auftritt und die am besten diagrammatisch dargestellt wird. Dieser Snapshot schlägt einen weiten Bogen vom Zöpfeflechten über die Yang–Baxter- Gleichung bis hin zur aktuellen Forschung zu Systemen von unendlichdimensionalen Algebren, die wir „Unterfaktoren“ nennen.
Vertex-to-Self Trajectories on the Platonic Solids
2020, Athreya, Jayadev S., Aulicino, David
We consider the problem of walking in a straight line on the surface of a Platonic solid. While the tetrahedron, octahedron, cube, and icosahedron all exhibit the same behavior, we find a remarkable difference with the dodecahedron.
From Betti numbers to ℓ²-Betti numbers
2020, Kammeyer, Holger, Sauer, Roman
We provide a leisurely introduction to ℓ²-Betti numbers, which are topological invariants, by relating them to their much older cousins, Betti numbers. In the end we present an open research problem about ℓ²-Betti numbers.
Jewellery from tessellations of hyperbolic space
2022, Gangl, Herbert
In this snapshot, we will first give an introduction to hyperbolic geometry and we will then show how certain matrix groups of a number-theoretic origin give rise to a large variety of interesting tessellations of 3-dimensional hyperbolic space. Many of the building blocks of these tessellations exhibit beautiful symmetry and have inspired the design of 3D printed jewellery.
Finite geometries: pure mathematics close to applications
2021, Storme, Leo
The research field of finite geometries investigates structures with a finite number of objects. Classical examples include vector spaces, projective spaces, and affine spaces over finite fields. Although many of these structures are studied for their geometrical importance, they are also of great interest in other, more applied domains of mathematics. In this snapshot, finite vector spaces are introduced. We discuss the geometrical concept of partial t-spreads together with its implications for the “packing problem” and a recent application in the existence of “cooling codes”.
Describing distance: from the plane to spectral triples
2021, Arici, Francesca, Mesland, Bram
Geometry 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.
From the dollar game to the Riemann-Roch Theorem
2021, Lamboglia, Sara, Ulirsch, Martin
What is the dollar game? What can you do to win it? Can you always win it? In this snapshot you will find answers to these questions as well as several of the mathematical surprises that lurk in the background, including a new perspective on a century-old theorem.
Reflections on hyperbolic space
2021, Haensch, Anna
In school, we learn that the interior angles of any triangle sum up to pi. However, there exist spaces different from the usual Euclidean space in which this is not true. One of these spaces is the ''hyperbolic space'', which has another geometry than the classical Euclidean geometry. In this snapshot, we consider the geometry of hyperbolic polytopes, for example polygons, how they tile hyperbolic space, and how reflections along the faces of polytopes give rise to important mathematical structures. The classification of these structures is an open area of research.