Geometry, Topology and Dynamics Seminar
Michael Brandenbursky
The Technion, Haifa
Knot Theory and Quasi-morphisms
Abstract: Quasi-morphisms on a group are real-valued functions which
satisfy the homomorphism equation "up to a bounded error".
They are known to be a helpful tool in the study of the algebraic structure
of non-Abelian groups.
I will discuss a construction relating
a) certain knot and link invariants; in particular, the ones that
come from the knot Floer homology and a Khovanov-type homology,
b) braid groups,
c) the dynamics of area-preserving diffeomorphisms of a two-dimensional disc,
d) quasi-morphisms on the group of all such compactly supported
diffeomorphisms of the disc.
Monday October 5, 2009 at 3:00 PM in SEO 612