Graduate Student Colloquium

Thursday, May 17, 2018 4:00 pm - 4:00 pm EDT (GMT -04:00)

Josh Hews, Department of Pure Mathematics, University of Waterloo

"Algorithms for 3-Manifolds"

Does there exist an algorithm to determine if two 3-manifolds are homeomorphic? It turns out the answer is yes! Unfortunately, it is unlikely that we will be able to implement such an algorithm. But there are simpler problems that have been implemented! In this talk we’ll explore the theory of normal surfaces, and how we can use it to create algorithms for two important 3-manifold problems: 3-sphere recognition and prime decomposition. In the process there will be many pictures and examples to wrap your head around. There will even be a live experiment with a program that implements these algorithms!

MC 5417