seminars:topsem

## Geometry and Topology Seminar

We meet Thursdays at 2:50–3:50 pm in WH-100E followed by refreshments served from 4:00–4:25 pm in WH-102. This semester's organizer is Jonathan Williams.

Some seminar speakers will also give a colloquium talk at 4:30 pm on the same day as the seminar talk. This seminar is partly funded as one of Dean's Speaker Series in Harpur College (College of Arts and Sciences) at Binghamton University.

The seminar has an announcement mailing list open to all. There is also a Google calendar with the seminar schedule (also in iCal).

Previous seminars

• November 16
Speaker: Mark Sapir (Vanderbilt University)
Title: Divergence functions of R. Thompson groups

Abstract: This is a joint work with Gili Golan. The divergence function of a group generated by a finite set $X$ is the smallest function $f(n)$ such that for every $n$ every two elements of length $n$ can be connected in the Cayley graph (corresponding to $X$) by a path of length at most $f(n)$ avoiding the ball of radius $n/4$ around the identity element. We prove that R. Thompson groups $F$, $T$, $V$ have linear divergence functions. Therefore the asymptotic cones of these groups do not have cut points.

• November 23 (no seminar - Thanksgiving)
• November 30
Speaker: TBA (institution)
Title: TBA

Abstract: TBA

• December 7
Speaker: TBA (institution)
Title: TBA

Abstract: TBA