Seminar:
Fall 2015, Thursdays, Blocker 506A, 4:00-4:50 PM
Date: September 24
* Prof. Riad Masri
* Prof. Sarah Witherspoon
Abstract
R. Masri: "The Chowla-Selberg formula"
Abstract: The Chowla-Selberg formula is an identity which relates values of the Dedekind eta function at certain algebraic numbers called CM points to values of Euler's Gamma function at rational numbers. We will describe this formula, and mention some potential research problems related to "higher dimensional" generalizations (some of which are computational in nature).
S. Witherspoon: "Algebraic deformation theory and Hochschild cohomology"
Abstract: Some rings may be thought of as deformations of other rings, that is, they are very similar in ways that can be made precise. For example, deforming a polynomial ring can lead to a Weyl algebra, to functions on a quantum space, or to a universal enveloping algebra of a Lie algebra. Underlying deformations generally is Hochschild cohomology, a powerful tool for understanding rings and their modules. This mini-talk will be a brief introduction, illustrated with examples.