Geometry & Topology Seminar

The Topological Period-Index Problem

  • Speaker: Xing Gu (University of Melbourne)

  • Time: Aug 2, 2019, 10:00-11:00

  • Location: Conference Room 415, Hui Yuan 3#

Abstract

The topological period-index problem, an analogue to the long-standing period-index problem in algebraic geometry, concerns a given torsion class α in the 3rd integral cohomology group of a topological space X and various principal PUn-bundles over X associated to α. Here PUn is the projective unitary group of degree n, i.e., the unitary group Un modulo invertible scalars.

In this talk I will introduce recent progresses on the topological period-index problems for finite CW-complexes and manifolds.