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--- seminars:topsem [2026/04/07 15:08] – lruffoni
+++ seminars:topsem [2026/08/13 21:43] (current) – lruffoni
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 We meet **Thursdays** at **2:45--3:45 pm** in **Whitney Hall 100E**. This semester's organizers are James Hyde and Lorenzo Ruffoni. The seminar has an announcement [[https://groups.google.com/a/binghamton.edu/g/topsem|mailing list]] open to all.
 Topics include: geometric group theory, differential geometry and topology, low-dimensional topology, algebraic topology, and homotopy theory.
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-<option value="">Previous seminars</option>
-    <option value="http://www2.math.binghamton.edu/p/seminars/topsem/topsem_fall2025">Fall 2025</option>
-    <option value="http://www2.math.binghamton.edu/p/seminars/topsem/topsem_spring2025">Spring 2025</option>
-    <option value="http://www2.math.binghamton.edu/p/seminars/topsem/topsem_fall2024">Fall 2024</option>
-    <option value="http://www2.math.binghamton.edu/p/seminars/topsem/topsem_spring2024">Spring 2024</option>
-    <option value="http://www2.math.binghamton.edu/p/seminars/topsem/topsem_fall2023">Fall 2023</option>
-    <option value="http://www2.math.binghamton.edu/p/seminars/topsem/topsem_spring2023">Spring 2023</option>
-    <option value="http://www2.math.binghamton.edu/p/seminars/topsem/topsem_fall2022">Fall 2022</option>
-    <option value="http://www2.math.binghamton.edu/p/seminars/topsem/topsem_spring2022">Spring 2022</option>
-    <option value="http://www2.math.binghamton.edu/p/seminars/topsem/topsem_fall2021">Fall 2021</option>
-    <option value="http://www2.math.binghamton.edu/p/seminars/topsem/topsem_spring2021">Spring 2021</option>
-    <option value="http://www2.math.binghamton.edu/p/seminars/topsem/topsem_fall2020">Fall 2020</option>
-    <option value="http://www2.math.binghamton.edu/p/seminars/topsem/topsem_spring2020">Spring 2020</option>
-    <option value="http://www2.math.binghamton.edu/p/seminars/topsem/topsem_fall2019">Fall 2019</option>
-    <option value="http://www2.math.binghamton.edu/p/seminars/topsem/topsem_spring2019">Spring 2019</option>
-    <option value="http://www2.math.binghamton.edu/p/seminars/topsem/topsem_fall2018">Fall 2018</option>
-    <option value="http://www2.math.binghamton.edu/p/seminars/topsem/topsem_spring2018">Spring 2018</option>
-    <option value="http://www2.math.binghamton.edu/p/seminars/topsem/topsem_fall2017">Fall 2017</option>
-    <option value="http://www2.math.binghamton.edu/p/seminars/topsem/topsem_spring2017">Spring 2017</option>
-    <option value="http://www2.math.binghamton.edu/p/seminars/topsem/fall2016">Fall 2016</option>
-    <option value="http://www2.math.binghamton.edu/p/seminars/topsem/spring2016">Spring 2016</option>
-    <option value="http://www2.math.binghamton.edu/p/seminars/topsem/fall2015">Fall 2015</option>
-    <option value="http://www2.math.binghamton.edu/p/seminars/topsem/spring2015">Spring 2015</option>
-    <option value="http://www2.math.binghamton.edu/p/seminars/topsem/fall2014">Fall 2014</option>
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-====== Spring 2026 ======
+-----
-  * **January 29h** \\ Speaker: ** Juliet Aygun (Cornell) ** \\ Title: **Counting geodesics on prime-order k-differentials ** <WRAP box>// Abstract: //
+=====Fall 2026=====
-It has been of popular interest over the last several decades to count geodesics with respect to their length on flat surfaces. Asymptotics of these counting functions for generic translation surfaces, which are Riemann surfaces with a holomorphic one form, have been determined by the pioneering work of Eskin-Masur-Zorich. There is a more general type of flat surface called a (1/k)-translation surface, which is a Riemann surface with a k-differential. Equivalently, a (1/k)-translation surface is a collection of polygons in the complex plane with sides identified pairwise by translation and possible rotations of 2pi/k. In this talk, we will discuss asymptotics of these counting functions on generic (1/k)-translation surfaces when k is prime and genus is more than two. The main tools I will discuss are GL+(2,R)-orbit closures and a result of Eskin-Mirzakhani-Mohammadi which relates asymptotics to GL+(2,R)-orbit closures.  \\ </WRAP>
-  * **February 5th** \\ Speaker: ** Barry Minemyer (Commonwealth University - Bloomsburg) ** \\ Title: ** Negatively Curved Metrics on Complex Hyperbolic Branched Covers ** <WRAP box>// Abstract: // Gromov and Thurston used hyperbolic branched cover manifolds to construct the first known examples of compact manifolds which admit a pinched negatively curved metric, but do not admit a hyperbolic metric.  Fine and Premoselli (n=4) and Hamenstadt and Jackel (n > 4) later used these same manifolds to construct the first known examples of negatively curved Einstein metrics (in these respective dimensions) that are not locally symmetric.
-Recently, Stover and Toledo proved that analogous complex hyperbolic branched cover manifolds exist.  They also proved that these manifolds do not admit a locally symmetric metric, and a result of Zheng shows that these manifolds are Kahler.  In this talk I will present recent work proving the existence of pinched negatively curved metrics, as well as the existence of negatively curved Kahler-Einstein metrics (due to Guenancia and Hamenstadt) on these complex hyperbolic branched cover manifolds.  Part of my presented work is joint with Lafont.    \\ </WRAP>
-  * **February 12th** \\ Speaker: ** Francis Wagner (Cornell University) ** \\ Title: ** Isoperimetric functions and the Word Problem ** <WRAP box>// Abstract: // A fundamental algorithmic question in group theory is the Word Problem for finitely generated groups, which asks whether there exists an algorithm to decide whether two words on the generators represent the same group element. A related notion is the Dehn function of a finitely presented group, the smallest isoperimetric function of the presentation's Cayley complex. While the Dehn function gives an upper bound for the complexity of the Word Problem for that group, this bound is only meaningful in the class of finitely presented groups and is very far from sharp even in this class. We resolve this disconnect by instead considering the Dehn functions of the finitely presented groups into which a group embeds, demonstrating a refinement of the Higman embedding theorem that gives a potentially quasi-optimal bound on the Dehn function of the ambient group.  \\ </WRAP>
-  * **February 19th** \\ Speaker: ** Satya Howladar (University of Florida) ** \\ Title: ** Gromov’s Conjecture for Product of Baumslag-Solitar Groups and some other One relator groups ** <WRAP box>// Abstract: //  Gromov introduced macroscopic dimension of metric spaces in order to study large scale properties of manifolds. He conjectured that a closed $n$-manifold which admits Positive Scaler Curvature metric, should have its universal cover to be of macroscopic dimension at most $n-2$, with respect to the pull back metric on it. This conjecture depends a lot on the fundamental group of the base manifold. For $n>4$, closed spin $n$-manifolds $M$, we developed sufficient condition on $\pi_1(M)$, to verify the conjecture. When $\pi_1(M)$ is product of $2$-dimensional groups (i.e. groups with classifying space a $2$-dimensional CW complex), $\mathbb Z_2$-summands in their homology creates a problem for application of our technique. We could resolve this in the case of certain one-relator groups, including Baumslag-Solitar, and certain others, by passing to some finite index subgroup of them not admitting $\mathbb Z_2$-torsion in homology. This is done by the well-known technique of Fox calculus, to analyze boundary maps of cells of finite index covers. I will try to revisit this technique and sketch a proof our result. \\ </WRAP>
-  * **February 26th** \\ Speaker: ** Lucas Williams (Binghamton University) ** \\ Title: ** Equivariant Framed 1-Manifolds and the Pontryagin-Thom Isomorphism ** <WRAP box>// Abstract: // The Pontryagin-Thom construction gives an isomorphism between the cobordism group of framed n-manifolds and the nth stable homotopy group of the sphere spectrum. The G-equivariant Pontryagin-Thom construction gives an isomorphism between the cobordism group of V-framed  G-manifolds and the Vth stable homotopy group of the G-equivariant sphere spectrum. We will discuss both of these constructions and then present some new explicit descriptions of the images of each 1-dimensional manifold equipped with an action by the cyclic group of order 2 in their relevant homotopy groups. We subsequently provide a new perspective on some key differences between the equivariant and non-equivariant Hopf fibration.   \\ </WRAP>
-  * **March 5th** \\ Speaker: ** Oliver Wang (University of Virginia) ** \\ Title: ** Group actions on exotic spheres ** <WRAP box>// Abstract: //  In the 1960's W.C. Hsiang and W.Y. Hsiang showed that exotic spheres admit less symmetries than the standard sphere. However, constructing symmetries on exotic spheres has been a difficult task. It is still an open question whether or not every exotic sphere admits a smooth, nontrivial S^1-action. In fact, it is open whether or not every exotic sphere admits a smooth, nontrivial C_p-action, where C_p denotes the cyclic group of order p. In this talk, I will discuss recent work with Nick Kuhn and J.D. Quigley relating this problem to stable homotopy theory. \\ </WRAP>
-  * **March 12th** \\ Speaker: ** Sofia Martinez (Bryn Mawr College) ** \\ Title: ** Localizations on Lattices ** <WRAP box>// Abstract: // Homotopical Combinatorics is a newer area of Algebraic Topology that studies in a more tractable manner the homotopical structure of topological spaces with the action of a group. The main objects of study in this new area are Transfer systems, originally created with the goal of understanding equivariant analogs of higher coherences. In a more category-theoretic language, a transfer system on a poset, or more generally a finite category, C, is a wide subcategory of C closed under pullbacks. This talk will focus on the case when C=Sub(G), the subgroup lattice of a finite group, G. Subsequent work shows that transfer systems occur naturally as the acyclic fibrations of nicer categories known as model category and their are universal constructions that provide a way to move between these categories; these are called left and right Bousfield localizations. In this we will see how transfer systems change under these types of constructions.   \\ </WRAP>
+  * **8/20/2026** \\ Speaker: ** Yu-Chan Chang (Ohio State) ** \\ Title: **Dehn Functions of Bestvina--Brady Groups** <WRAP box> //Abstract:// Dehn functions are quasi-isometry invariants of finitely presented groups that measure the complexity of the word problem and capture geometric properties of groups. For example, hyperbolic groups are characterized by having linear Dehn function. Subgroups can have larger Dehn functions than their ambient groups. For instance, CAT(0) groups have at most quadratic Dehn function, but their subgroups can have polynomial Dehn functions of arbitrary degree. In this talk, I will review some results on Dehn functions and then present a complete classification of the Dehn functions of Bestvina--Brady groups. This is joint work with Jeronimo Garcia-Mejia and Matteo Migliorini.  \\ </WRAP>
-  * **March 13th** \\ **[[hiltonmemorial:lecture2026|PETER HILTON MEMORIAL LECTURE]]** \\    **SPECIAL TIME AND LOCATION: March 13, 3:30pm, Alumni Lounge at Old O'Connor Hall** \\ Speaker: **Martin Bridson** (University of Oxford) \\ Title: **Chasing finite shadows of infinite groups through geometry** <WRAP box>// Abstract: // There are many situations in geometry or elsewhere in mathematics where it is natural or convenient to explore infinite groups of symmetries via their actions on finite objects. But how hard is it find these finite manifestations and  to what extent does the collection of all such actions determine the infinite group?
-In this colloquium, I will sketch some of the rich history of  such problems and then describe some of the great advances in recent years. I'll describe pairs of distinct groups that have the same finite images and I'll sketch the proof of some "profinite rigidity results", i.e. theorems showing that in certain circumstances one can identify an infinite group if one knows its set of finite images. \\
- </WRAP>
-  * **March 19th** \\ Speaker: ** Francesco Lin (Columbia) ** \\ Title: ** Coexact 1-form spectral gaps of hyperbolic rational homology spheres ** <WRAP box>// Abstract: //  The spectral gap of the Hodge Laplacian of functions (or,
-equivalently, exact 1-forms) is a very well-studied fundamental
-quantity associated to a hyperbolic three-manifold. In recent years,
-the problem of understanding its counterpart on coexact 1-forms has
-also spurred a lot of activity because of its relation with questions
-in number theory and low-dimensional topology. In this talk, after
-introducing the geometric setup and highlighting some fundamental
-differences between these two quantities, I will focus on some
-structural properties of the set of coexact 1-form spectral gaps of
-hyperbolic rational homology spheres. In particular, I will discuss a
-construction that allows to determine somewhat explicitly some
-interesting accumulation points of the set of such spectral gaps. This
-is joint work with M. Lipnowski. \\ </WRAP>
-  * **March 26th** \\ Speaker: ** Varinderjit Mann (Cornell University) ** \\ Title: ** Slice enriched categories, microcosm principle,
-and slice model structures ** <WRAP box>// Abstract: // The goal of this talk is to highlight an example of a very important phenomenon known
+  * **10/15/2026** \\ no seminar (Fall break) \\
-as the microcosm principle, coined by John Baez and James Dolan. This particular example
-involves discussing pseudomonoid objects and pseudomodule objects. Furthermore, the
-discussion is interesting in its own right and allows one to define general sliced enriched
-categories. We will begin by reviewing what it means to categorify general algebraic
-structures such as monoids. Then, we will take this further to the general context of horizontal
-categorification and vertical categorification with examples. Our primary consideration
-of this will be that of a pseudomonoid object and pseudomodule object in a monoidal
--category. Finally, we discuss the slicing of pseudomonoid objects and pseudomodule
-objects in the monoidal 2-category Cat, and describe how they respect the consideration of
-model structures.  \\ </WRAP>
-  * **April 2nd**   <WRAP box>//  // (Spring break - no seminar)  \\ </WRAP>
+  * **10/22/2026** \\ Speaker: ** Meenakshy Jyothis (University of Oklahoma) ** \\ Title: **TBA** <WRAP box>// Abstract: //
+TBA\\ </WRAP>
-  * **April 9th** \\ Speaker: **Sanjana Agarwal (Indiana University, Bloomington) ** \\ Title: ** Dennis trace for combinatorial K-theories ** <WRAP box>// Abstract: // Classically, algebraic K-theory captures various invariants associated to a ring R used widely in algebraic and arithmetic geometry and number theory. To compute these invariants, one of the most successful tools have been trace methods. The trace method machinery builds off a map called the Dennis trace map from the algebraic K-theory of R to the Hochschild homology of R.
+  * **11/26/2026** \\ no seminar (Thanksgiving) \\
-In recent years, new analogues of algebraic K-theory have been introduced (first by Zakharevich) in `combinatorial' categories motivated by generalized Hilbert's third problem. In this talk, we present initial attempts to generalize the theory of trace methods to such combinatorial K-theories. This is joint work with Ramyak Bilas. \\ </WRAP>
-  * **April 16th** \\ Speaker: **Josefien Kuijper (University of Toronto)** \\ Title: ** TBA ** <WRAP box>// Abstract: //  \\ </WRAP>
-  * **April 23th** \\ Speaker: ** Changjie Chen (CRM Montreal) ** \\ Title: ** TBA ** <WRAP box>// Abstract: //  \\ </WRAP>
+-----
-  * **April 30th** \\ Speaker: ** Urshita Pal (University of Michigan) ** \\ Title: ** TBA ** <WRAP box>// Abstract: //  \\ </WRAP>
+=====Past Semesters=====
+[[seminars:topsem:topsem_spring2026|Spring 2026]] | [[seminars:topsem:topsem_fall2025|Fall 2025]] | [[seminars:topsem:topsem_spring2025|Spring 2025]] | [[seminars:topsem:topsem_fall2024|Fall 2024]] | [[seminars:topsem:topsem_spring2024|Spring 2024]] | [[seminars:topsem:topsem_fall2023|Fall 2023]] | [[seminars:topsem:topsem_spring2023|Spring 2023]] | [[seminars:topsem:topsem_fall2022|Fall 2022]] | [[seminars:topsem:topsem_spring2022|Spring 2022]] | [[seminars:topsem:topsem_fall2021|Fall 2021]] | [[seminars:topsem:topsem_spring2021|Spring 2021]] | [[seminars:topsem:topsem_fall2020|Fall 2020]] | [[seminars:topsem:topsem_spring2020|Spring 2020]] | [[seminars:topsem:topsem_fall2019|Fall 2019]] | [[seminars:topsem:topsem_spring2019|Spring 2019]] | [[seminars:topsem:topsem_fall2018|Fall 2018]] | [[seminars:topsem:topsem_spring2018|Spring 2018]] | [[seminars:topsem:topsem_fall2017|Fall 2017]] | [[seminars:topsem:topsem_spring2017|Spring 2017]] | [[seminars:topsem:topsem_f16|Fall 2016]] | [[seminars:topsem:topsem_s16|Spring-Summer 2016]] | [[seminars:topsem:topsem_f15|Fall 2015]] | [[seminars:topsem:topsem_s15|Spring 2015]] | [[seminars:topsem:topsem_f14|Fall 2014]]