Brandeis-Harvard-MIT-Northeastern

JOINT MATHEMATICS COLLOQUIUM


 
Invariants of singularities in positive characteristic

 

Mircea Mustata

University of Michigan
 
 

Northeastern University

Thursday, November 9, 2006


 

Talk at 4:30 p.m. in 509 Lake Hall

Tea at 4:00 p.m. in 544 Nightingale Hall


 
 

Abstract:   In characteristic zero one defines invariants of singularities using the order of vanishing along various divisors. In practice, one can compute them using a resolution of singularities. I will discuss some related invariants defined in positive characteristic. While their definition is very elementary, using the Frobenius morphism, they seem to encode subtle arithmetic information. I will discuss rationality properties of these invariants, as well known and conjectural connections between the invariants in characteristic zero and those in characteristic p.



Here are some directions to Northeastern University. Lake Hall and Nightingale Hall can be best accessed from the entrance on the corner of Greenleaf Street and Leon Street. The two halls are connected, with no well-defined boundary in between. In particular, 509 Lake Hall is on the same corridor as 544 Nightingale Hall.

There is free parking available for people coming to the Colloquium at Northeastern's visitor parking (Rennaisance Garage). The entrance is from Columbus Avenue. If coming by car, you should park there and take the parking talon. After the lecture, you may pick up the payment coupon from Andrei Zelevinsky.



Home Web page:  Alexandru I. Suciu  Comments to:  alexsuciu@neu.edu  
Posted:: October 22, 2006    URL: http://www.math.neu.edu/bhmn/mustata06.html