Oberlin College and Conservatory

Mapping Class Groups: Symmetries of Surfaces

Friday, October 9, 2015 at 4:30pm to 5:30pm

King Building, 239
10 North Professor Street, Oberlin, OH 44074

Abstract: How much symmetry does a sphere have?  What about a torus (the surface of a doughnut), or even more complicated surfaces?  The answer you get might depend on how your surface sits in space.

In this talk, we will introduce a notion of symmetry, called a mapping class, where the answer to these questions is intrinsic to the surface and does not depend on how the surface sits in space.  We will look at some examples of interesting mapping classes and discuss the Nielsen-Thurston classification theorem.

This talk is designed for a general mathematical audience.  It is funded by a grant from the Oberlin Alumni Office.

Reception at 4 pm in King Hall, 203 before the lecture.

Event Type

Lectures/Symposia/Workshops

Departments

Academic, Mathematics

Cost

Free

Contact Person

Jack Calcut

Contact Phone Number

440-775-8380

Contact E-mail Address

jcalcut@oberlin.edu

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