Colloquium

Steven Rayan, University of Saskatchewan

“Moduli Spaces and Quantum Matter: From Materials to Pure Mathematics and Back"

The advent of topological materials, a form of physical matter with unusual but useful properties, has brought with it unexpected new connections between physics and pure mathematics. As the name suggests, topology has played a significant role in understanding and classifying these materials. In this talk, I will offer a brief look at a vast extension to this story, arising from my work with various collaborators over the last three years, that sees complex algebraic geometry — in particular, Riemann surfaces and moduli spaces associated to them — being used to anticipate new models of quantum matter. There will be lots of pictures.

MC 5501