SEMINAR: Joint Physics and Mathematics Colloquium

Everyone is warmly invited to the Joint Physics and Mathematics Colloquium. This special event is due to the visit of Professor Rod Gover from the University of Auckland. Please come along to hear about some interesting developments in mathematical physics.

Talk title: Conformal geometry and taming infinity

Abstract:

The world around us appears to involve lengths and angles. From these emerge the classical notions of shape and symmetry configured in 3 dimensions. Our mathematical ancestors realised that these notions should be important, not only for construction and surveying, but also for understanding "life, the universe and everything". In the process of simplifying complicated structures it turns out that an important role is played by conformal geometries - these are spaces where there is a notion of angle but not length.

We will discuss some elegant tools for working with these less than rigid geometries and how they help treat other problems such as writing massive particle equations and taming non-compact spaces.