Superstrings, Geometry, Topology, and $C^*$-algebras

Superstrings, Geometry, Topology, and $C^*$-algebras
Author: Robert S. Doran
Publisher: American Mathematical Soc.
Total Pages: 265
Release: 2010-10-13
Genre: Mathematics
ISBN: 0821848879

This volume contains the proceedings of an NSF-CBMS Conference held at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas, May 18-22, 2009. The papers, written especially for this volume by well-known mathematicians and mathematical physicists, are an outgrowth of the talks presented at the conference. Topics examined are highly interdisciplinary and include, among many other things, recent results on D-brane charges in $K$-homology and twisted $K$-homology, Yang-Mills gauge theory and connections with non-commutative geometry, Landau-Ginzburg models, $C^*$-algebraic non-commutative geometry and ties to quantum physics and topology, the rational homotopy type of the group of unitary elements in an Azumaya algebra, and functoriality properties in the theory of $C^*$-crossed products and fixed point algebras for proper actions. An introduction, written by Jonathan Rosenberg, provides an instructive overview describing common themes and how the various papers in the volume are interrelated and fit together. The rich diversity of papers appearing in the volume demonstrates the current interplay between superstring theory, geometry/topology, and non-commutative geometry. The book will be of interest to graduate students, mathematicians, mathematical physicists, and researchers working in these areas.

Topological Recursion and its Influence in Analysis, Geometry, and Topology

Topological Recursion and its Influence in Analysis, Geometry, and Topology
Author: Chiu-Chu Melissa Liu
Publisher: American Mathematical Soc.
Total Pages: 578
Release: 2018-11-19
Genre: Mathematics
ISBN: 1470435411

This volume contains the proceedings of the 2016 AMS von Neumann Symposium on Topological Recursion and its Influence in Analysis, Geometry, and Topology, which was held from July 4–8, 2016, at the Hilton Charlotte University Place, Charlotte, North Carolina. The papers contained in the volume present a snapshot of rapid and rich developments in the emerging research field known as topological recursion. It has its origin around 2004 in random matrix theory and also in Mirzakhani's work on the volume of moduli spaces of hyperbolic surfaces. Topological recursion has played a fundamental role in connecting seemingly unrelated areas of mathematics such as matrix models, enumeration of Hurwitz numbers and Grothendieck's dessins d'enfants, Gromov-Witten invariants, the A-polynomials and colored polynomial invariants of knots, WKB analysis, and quantization of Hitchin moduli spaces. In addition to establishing these topics, the volume includes survey papers on the most recent key accomplishments: discovery of the unexpected relation to semi-simple cohomological field theories and a solution to the remodeling conjecture. It also provides a glimpse into the future research direction; for example, connections with the Airy structures, modular functors, Hurwitz-Frobenius manifolds, and ELSV-type formulas.

Integrability, Quantization, and Geometry: II. Quantum Theories and Algebraic Geometry

Integrability, Quantization, and Geometry: II. Quantum Theories and Algebraic Geometry
Author: Sergey Novikov
Publisher: American Mathematical Soc.
Total Pages: 480
Release: 2021-04-12
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1470455927

This book is a collection of articles written in memory of Boris Dubrovin (1950–2019). The authors express their admiration for his remarkable personality and for the contributions he made to mathematical physics. For many of the authors, Dubrovin was a friend, colleague, inspiring mentor, and teacher. The contributions to this collection of papers are split into two parts: “Integrable Systems” and “Quantum Theories and Algebraic Geometry”, reflecting the areas of main scientific interests of Dubrovin. Chronologically, these interests may be divided into several parts: integrable systems, integrable systems of hydrodynamic type, WDVV equations (Frobenius manifolds), isomonodromy equations (flat connections), and quantum cohomology. The articles included in the first part are more or less directly devoted to these areas (primarily with the first three listed above). The second part contains articles on quantum theories and algebraic geometry and is less directly connected with Dubrovin's early interests.

Recent Developments in Lie Algebras, Groups and Representation Theory

Recent Developments in Lie Algebras, Groups and Representation Theory
Author: Kailash C. Misra
Publisher: American Mathematical Soc.
Total Pages: 330
Release: 2012
Genre: Mathematics
ISBN: 0821869175

This book contains the proceedings of the 2009-2011 Southeastern Lie Theory Workshop Series, held October 9-11, 2009 at North Carolina State University, May 22-24, 2010, at the University of Georgia, and June 1-4, 2011 at the University of Virginia. Some of the articles, written by experts in the field, survey recent developments while others include new results in Lie algebras, quantum groups, finite groups, and algebraic groups.

Lie Algebras, Lie Superalgebras, Vertex Algebras and Related Topics

Lie Algebras, Lie Superalgebras, Vertex Algebras and Related Topics
Author: Kailash C. Misra
Publisher: American Mathematical Soc.
Total Pages: 370
Release: 2016-06-28
Genre: Mathematics
ISBN: 1470418444

This book contains the proceedings of the 2012–2014 Southeastern Lie Theory Workshop Series held at North Carolina State University in April 2012, at College of Charleston in December 2012, at Louisiana State University in May 2013, and at University of Georgia in May 2014. Some of the articles by experts in the field survey recent developments while others include new results in representations of Lie algebras, and quantum groups, vertex (operator) algebras and Lie superalgebras.

Noncommutative Geometry and Optimal Transport

Noncommutative Geometry and Optimal Transport
Author: Pierre Martinetti
Publisher: American Mathematical Soc.
Total Pages: 234
Release: 2016-10-26
Genre: Mathematics
ISBN: 1470422972

The distance formula in noncommutative geometry was introduced by Connes at the end of the 1980s. It is a generalization of Riemannian geodesic distance that makes sense in a noncommutative setting, and provides an original tool to study the geometry of the space of states on an algebra. It also has an intriguing echo in physics, for it yields a metric interpretation for the Higgs field. In the 1990s, Rieffel noticed that this distance is a noncommutative version of the Wasserstein distance of order 1 in the theory of optimal transport. More exactly, this is a noncommutative generalization of Kantorovich dual formula of the Wasserstein distance. Connes distance thus offers an unexpected connection between an ancient mathematical problem and the most recent discovery in high energy physics. The meaning of this connection is far from clear. Yet, Rieffel's observation suggests that Connes distance may provide an interesting starting point for a theory of optimal transport in noncommutative geometry. This volume contains several review papers that will give the reader an extensive introduction to the metric aspect of noncommutative geometry and its possible interpretation as a Wasserstein distance on a quantum space, as well as several topic papers.

Nine Mathematical Challenges: An Elucidation

Nine Mathematical Challenges: An Elucidation
Author: A. Kechris
Publisher: American Mathematical Soc.
Total Pages: 221
Release: 2021-09-24
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1470454904

This volume stems from the Linde Hall Inaugural Math Symposium, held from February 22–24, 2019, at California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California. The content isolates and discusses nine mathematical problems, or sets of problems, in a deep way, but starting from scratch. Included among them are the well-known problems of the classification of finite groups, the Navier-Stokes equations, the Birch and Swinnerton-Dyer conjecture, and the continuum hypothesis. The other five problems, also of substantial importance, concern the Lieb–Thirring inequalities, the equidistribution problems in number theory, surface bundles, ramification in covers and curves, and the gap and type problems in Fourier analysis. The problems are explained succinctly, with a discussion of what is known and an elucidation of the outstanding issues. An attempt is made to appeal to a wide audience, both in terms of the field of expertise and the level of the reader.