SMS scnews item created by James East at Tue 9 Jun 2009 1238
Type: Seminar
Distribution: World
Expiry: 12 Jun 2009
Calendar1: 12 Jun 2009 1205-1255
CalLoc1: Carslaw 375
Auth: jamese@bari.maths.usyd.edu.au

Algebra Seminar

Quantum groups, braidings and crystals

Peter Tingley

Friday June 12, 12:05--12:55pm, Carslaw 375

Abstract

We will discuss two beautiful facts about the representation theory of quantized universal enveloping algebras. The first is that the category of representations is braided, which is a key ingredient in the celebrated quantum group knot invariants. The second is the existence of crystal bases for the representations. These are extremely nice bases which, among other things, describe much of the structure of the representations in a purely combinatorial way. We will then discuss how these things are related. Much of this talk is expository, but I will end with a precise statement of this relationship which was developed in joint work with Joel Kamnitzer.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After the seminar we will take the speaker to lunch.

See the Algebra Seminar web page for information about other seminars in the series.

James East jamese@maths.usyd.edu.au