TSVP Talk: "Knots and Modularity" by Dr. Robert Osburn

The slides of this talk are available here.

Dr. Robert Osburn is visiting OIST from 2022/06/09 until 2022/09/01 through the "Theoretical Sciences Visiting Program" (TSVP). Find out more about the TSVP in this news article or the program website.
He will present his research in this seminar in an accessible manner. All students and researchers are welcome and encouraged to ask questions after the talk. Guests from outside OIST are welcome to join via Zoom.

Title: Knots and Modularity

Abstract: Knots are objects which appear in nature, science and the arts. We see them while untying our shoelaces, looking under a microscope or admiring the Book of Kells.
Knot invariants are quantities defined for each knot which are the same for equivalent knots. Modular forms are analytic objects with intrinsic symmetric properties. They played a key role in the proof of Fermat’s Last Theorem and occur in many diverse areas such as mathematical physics, algebraic geometry, combinatorics and black holes. Over the past two decades, there have been hints of intriguing connections between these two seemingly disparate areas. In this lecture, we discuss historical developments and recent striking interactions between quantum knot invariants and a new spectrum of modular forms, namely mock modular and quantum modular forms.

Profile: Robert Osburn is an associate professor at University College Dublin. He completed his Ph.D. from Louisiana State University in 2001 in the fields of algebraic K-theory and number theory. His recent work has focused on special functions, modular forms, combinatorics and quantum knot invariants.

Language: English, no interpretation.

Target audience: General audience / all students and researchers at OIST.
Freely accessible to all OIST members and guests without registration.

This talk will also be broadcast online via Zoom:
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Meeting ID:    938 7494 6468
Passcode:    803663