Algebraic geometry has a strong and broad representation at the research institutions of the Northeastern states. AGNES will be a new series of biannual workshops that intends to further the interaction and collaborations between the algebraic geometers in the area. Each workshop will be held over a weekend at one of the participating institutions. The workshops will include research talks by renowned experts and junior researchers, both from outside the area and within. Professional development sessions and introductory pre-talks will be aimed particularly at graduate students. Every workshop will culminate with an open problem session. It will thus give an opportunity to disseminate recent results and developments, and exchange ideas and views about future directions of algebraic geometry.

Algebraic geometry is the study of spaces defined by polynomial equations. Many of the spaces occurring in nature are of this type, and for this reason algebraic geometry has found diverse applications in the sciences. In particular, there are strong connections with recent work in theoretical physics (string theory). This grant will support a series of algebraic geometry conferences in the Northeastern states. The key aims of the series are to expose graduate students to a broad spectrum of research in the field and to improve communication between the many algebraic geometers in the northeast.

Project Report

This proposal is part of AGNES, a series of conferences in algebraic geometry held twice a year at Universities in the Northeast of the US. Algebraic geometry is the study of the geometries appearing from systems of polynomial equations. It is of deep importance within mathematics, and has gained an enormous importance in applications; the range of its applications covers topics as diverse as string theory in theoretical physics, robotics, or genetics. The goal of the workshop series is twofold: on the one hand it aims to create a stronger network between the existing excellent algebraic geometry in the Northeast. On the other hand, it aims to educate graduate students and young researchers, and to introduce them to the community. For example, each workshop contains introductory pre-talks aimed specifically at graduate students, and a poster session gives graduate students and young researchers a chance to present their results to a wider audience. We feel that on both counts, this workshop has been a tremendous success. Our list of speakers was a mixture of established researchers with an excellent world-wide reputation, and of young rising stars in the field. The workshop attracted about 120 participants - many more than we had anticipated; a large majority among them were graduate students or post-docs. A particular highlight of the conference was a talk by Bill Fulton from University of Michigan on "Communicating Mathematics". He is a prize-winning expositor, and his talk was full of thought-provoking original thoughts that left quite a strong impression on all of us, but particularly on our young participants; learning how to write and present mathematics well is an indispensable skill for any graduate student to learn - whether they decide to pursue an academic career, or a career as a mathematician in the government sector or in the industry. Finally, an open problem session gave the opportunity for a fruitful exchange on possible future directions of the field.

Agency
National Science Foundation (NSF)
Institute
Division of Mathematical Sciences (DMS)
Type
Standard Grant (Standard)
Application #
0963782
Program Officer
Tie Luo
Project Start
Project End
Budget Start
2010-04-01
Budget End
2012-03-31
Support Year
Fiscal Year
2009
Total Cost
$27,900
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Connecticut
Department
Type
DUNS #
City
Storrs
State
CT
Country
United States
Zip Code
06269