Algebraic Geometers Gather at Georgia Tech

Algebraic geometers in Georgia and neighboring southern states gather at the Georgia Tech School of Mathematics on Feb. 23-25, 2018, to strengthen their growing community. The goal is to support early-career mathematicians, especially those from groups that are underrepresented in mathematics. The gathering – the 2018 Georgia Algebraic Geometry Symposium (GAGS) – will provide attendees opportunities to network and be exposed to cutting-edge developments in the field.

Classical algebraic geometry studies questions about solutions sets of polynomial equations, according to Josephine Yu, an associate professor in the School of  Mathematics. Among the questions practitioners in the field ask are: What is the dimension of the solution space? What is its shape? Can we break up the solution space into simpler components? Modern algebraic geometry includes much more abstract objects, Yu says.. 

Algebraic geometry has connections to complex analysis, string theory, topology, number theory, and game theory. It has applications in statistics, robotics, phylogenetics, and geometric modeling.

The School of Mathematics is home to several experts in algebraic geometry: faculty members Matt Baker, Greg Blekherman, Anton Leykin, Joseph Rabinoff, Kirsten Wickelgren, and Yu; postdoctoral fellows Padmavathi Srinivasan and Philipp Jell; and senior academic professional Salvador Barone.

Baker is organizing 2018 GAGS, with assistance from Rabinoff and Yu. 

The 2018 symposium in Georgia Tech is the culmination of a three-year National Science Foundation (NSF) grant (DMS-1529573) to Georgia Tech, University of Georgia (UGA), and Emory University to organize and host GAGS in rotation over three years. The symposium was held at Emory University in 2016 and at UGA in 2017.

The 2018 GAGS features the following invited speakers, including one from Germany:

• Linda Chen (Swarthmore College)
• June Huh (Institute for Advanced Study)
• David Jensen (University of Kentucky)
• Jesse Kass (University of South Carolina)
• Lek-Heng Lim (University of Chicago)
• Kristin Shaw (Technischen Universität Berlin)
• Andrew Snowden (University of Michigan)
• Padmavathi Srinivasan (Georgia Institute of Technology)