Student Seminar in Symplectic vs. Contact Geometry
Autumn 2021
Instructors:
Class Meetings:
Time: Wednesdays 14:00-16:00
Place: HG G 19.2
Zoom Room: Click HERE (Contact instructors for the passcode.)
Live Streaming: Click HERE (Log-in required)
Videos: Click HERE (Log-in required)
Useful external links:
Objectives:
This student seminar aims to provide a glimpse of two sister geometries that have recently earned a central role in mathematics interacting with other areas. Side by side, we will discuss basics of symplectic and contact manifolds, some key submanifolds (Lagrangian and Legendrian) and the toric subclasses (symplectic and contact), which have gained prominence as testing grounds for other theories.
By giving two or three half-hour talks about each geometry, typing up notes for those talks, and participating in talks by others, each participant will have the opportunity to get acquainted with the landscape of symplectic and contact worlds, expand their command of geometry and topology, and develop presentation and collaboration skills.
Topics:
Prerequisites:
Prior knowledge of differential geometry and algebraic topology is required. Details of the seminar organization will be discussed during the organizational meeting on September 22, 2021.
Suggested references and readings:
Tentative Plan:
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Tentative Weekly Plan:
For the sake of consistent presentations and lecture notes, please follow the notations and conventions here:
Notations and Conventions
Prelude: Overview
Week 1: September 22, 2021
Week 2: September 29, 2021
Brief overview of two geometries
Part I: Two Sister Geometries: Symplectic vs. Contact
Week 3: October 6, 2021
Week 4: October 13, 2021
Week 5: October 20, 2021
Week 6: October 27, 2021
Part II: Two Sister Submanifolds: Lagrangian vs. Legendrian
Week 7: November 3, 2021
Week 8: November 10, 2021
Part III: Two Toric Geometries: Symplectic Toric vs. Contact Toric Geometry
Week 9: November 17, 2021
Week 10: November 24, 2021
Week 11: December 1, 2021
Week 12: Double Header Week (Notice the shrunk schedule!)
December 8, 2021, Wednesday
December 10, 2021, Friday from 12:00-14:00
Week 13: December 15, 2021
Week 14: December 22, 2021
Disclaimer: The course syllabus provides a general plan and is, in principle, tentative and subject to change. Please check out this website regularly for updates.
Last modified: December 14, 2021.