On 30 April, 2012 I gave a talk at the University of Southern California, for the Geometry & Topology Seminar. Slides are available.
Itsy bitsy topological field theory, MIT April 2012
On 23 April, 2012 I gave a talk at MIT, for the Geometry and Topology Seminar. The talk was entitled “Itsy bitsy topological field theory”.
Itsy bitsy topological field theory, Monash Mar 2012
On 6 March, 2012 I gave a talk at Monash University, entitled “Itsy bitsy topological field theory”.
Itsy bitsy topological field theory
We construct an elementary, combinatorial kind of topological quantum field theory, based on curves, surfaces, and orientations. The construction derives from contact invariants in sutured Floer homology and is essentially an elaboration of a TQFT defined by Honda–Kazez–Matic. This topological field theory stores information in binary format on a surface and has “digital” creation and annihilation operators, giving a toy-model embodiment of “it from bit”.
Hyperbolic cone-manifolds with prescribed holonomy, Maryland Nov 2011
On 28 November, 2011 I gave a talk at the University of Maryland, for the Geometry-Topology Seminar. The talk was entitled “Hyperbolic cone-manifolds with prescribed holonomy”.
Sutured Floer homology and TQFT, Harvard May 2011
On 13 May, 2011 I gave a talk at Harvard University, for the Gauge Theory and Topology seminar. The talk was entitled “Sutured Floer homology and TQFT”.
Sutured topological quantum field theory, Brown April 2011
On 6 April, 2011 I gave a talk at Brown University, for the Geometry and Topology seminar. The talk was entitled “Sutured topological quantum field theory”.
Sutured TQFT, torsion, and tori
We use the theory of sutured TQFT to classify contact elements in the sutured Floer homology, with Z coefficients, of certain sutured manifolds of the form \( (\Sigma \times S^1, F \times S^1) \) where \( \Sigma \) is an annulus or punctured torus. Using this classification, we give a new proof that the contact invariant in sutured Floer homology with Z coefficients of a contact structure with Giroux torsion vanishes. We also give a new proof of Massot’s theorem that the contact invariant vanishes for a contact structure on \( (\Sigma \times S^1, F \times S^1) \) described by an isolating dividing set.
Talks at Columbia University, Oct 2010
On 1 October, 2010 I gave two talks at Columbia University.
Sutured TQFT and contact elements in SFH, Boston College Sep 2010
On 23 September, 2010 I gave a talk at Boston College, for the Geometry/Topology seminar. The talk was entitled “Sutured topological quantum field theory and contact elements in sutured Floer homology”.