SCIENTIFIC PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES

December 23, 2024
Organizers
Erhard Neher, Kirill Zainoulline
Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Ottawa
 

OVERVIEW

Exceptional algebras and groups have always caught the fascination of mathematicians. While intimately linked to each other, algebras and groups have each their own methods and questions. The purpose of the workshop is to bring together specialists and young researchers from both areas to discuss recent developments and results, to provide an overview of the current research and applications, and to stimulate new advances.

A special feature of this workshop are two mini-courses (4 lectures each) which provide an introduction to the workshop's theme from different perspectives. While introductory, these courses will lead the audience to a survey of the present state of the art.

  • Albert Algebras by Holger Petersson.
  • Exceptional Moufang polygons by Richard Weiss.

Besides the two mini-courses, there will be invited one-hour talks by the leading experts in the area, as well as talks by young researchers.

Participants may also be interested in a closely related event, the 69th Algebra Day on April 14, 2012, also at the University of Ottawa.

CONFIRMED INVITED SPEAKERS: Abstracts available here
  • Vladimir Chernousov (Alberta)
  • Alberto Elduque (Zaragoza)
  • John Faulkner (Virginia)
  • Skip Garibaldi (Emory)
  • Nikita Karpenko (Paris 6)
  • Max-Albert Knus (ETH Zürich)
  • Mark MacDonald (UBC)
  • Tom de Medts (Ghent)
  • Raman Parimala (Emory)
  • Holger Petersson (Hagen) (notes)
  • Arturo Pianzola (Alberta)
  • Anne Queguiner-Mathieu (Paris 13)
  • Richard Weiss (Tufts)

*All talks will be in Lamoureux Building (see LMX on the campus map), Room 221

Workshop Program

Thursday April 19, 2012
9:00-10:20 a.m.

Holger Petersson, FernUniversität in Hagen
Albert Algebras I

10:30-11:00 a.m

Mark MacDonald, University of British Columbia
Essential dimension of the exceptional groups
http://www.math.ubc.ca/~mlm/Papers/OttawaTalk2012.pdf

11:10-12:30 p.m.

Richard Weiss, Tufts University
Exceptional Moufang polygons I

12:30 a.m.

LUNCH

14:00-15:00 p.m Arturo Pianzola, Alberta/Mathematical Sciences
Serre's Conjecture II, Dessins d'Enfants and Lie algebras of type $D_4$
15:00-15:30 p.m. BREAK

15:30-16:30 p.m. Nikita Karpenko, Universite Pierre et Marie Curie / Institut de Mathematiques de Jussieu
On $p$-generic splitting varieties
16:30-16:50 p.m. Hernando Bermudez, Emory University
A Unified Solution to Some Linear Preserver
17:00-17:20 Timothy Pollio, University of Virginia
The multinorm principle
18:30 CONFERENCE DINNER
Friday April 20, 2012
9:00-10:20 a.m.

Holger Petersson, FernUniversität in Hagen
Albert Algebras II

10:30-11:00 a.m

Sanghoon Baek, University of Ottawa
Annihilators of torsion of Chow groups of twisted spin flags

11:10-12:30 p.m.

Richard Weiss, Tufts University
Exceptional Moufang polygons II

12:30 a.m.

LUNCH

14:00-15:00 p.m

Skip Garibaldi, Emory University
Did a 1-dimensional magnet detect $E_8$?
slides available here

15:00-15:30 p.m. BREAK

15:30-16:30 p.m. John Faulkner, University of Virginia
Weyl images of Kantor Pairs
16:30-16:50 p.m. Caroline Junkins, University of Ottawa
The J-invariant and Tits algebras for groups of inner type E6
17:00-17:20 John Hutchens, North Carolina State University
k-involutions of Exceptional Linear Algebraic Groups
Saturday April 21, 2012
9:00-10:20 a.m.

Holger Petersson, FernUniversität in Hagen
Albert Algebras III

10:30-11:00 a.m

Anne Quéguiner-Mathieu, Université Paris 13
Applications of triality to orthogonal involutions in degree $8$

11:10-12:30 p.m.

Richard Weiss, Tufts University
Exceptional Moufang polygons III

12:30 a.m.

LUNCH

14:00-15:00 p.m

Vladimir Chernousov, University of Alberta
Groups of type $F_4$ over regular local rings

15:00-15:30 p.m. BREAK

15:30-16:30 p.m. Raman Parimala, Emory University
R-triviality of certain simply connected groups of type $E_8$
16:30-16:50 p.m. Igor Rapinchuk, Yale University
On the conjecture of Borel and Tits for abstract homomorphisms of algebraic groups
17:00 - 17:20 p.m. Changlong Zhong, (University of Ottawa)
Invariant and characteristic map
Sunday April 22, 2012
9:00-10:20 a.m.

Holger Petersson, FernUniversität in Hagen
Albert Algebras IV

10:30-11:00 a.m

Tom De Medts, Ghent University (Belgium)
Exceptional Moufang quadrangles and $J$-ternary algebras

11:10-12:30 p.m.

Richard Weiss, Tufts University
Exceptional Moufang polygons IV

12:30 a.m.

LUNCH

14:00-15:00 p.m

Alberto Elduque, Universidad de Zaragoza
Gradings on the octonions and the Albert algebra
http://www.unizar.es/matematicas/algebra/elduque/Talks/GradingsOctonionsAlbert.pdf

15:00-15:30 p.m. BREAK

15:30-16:30 p.m. Max Knus, ETH Zurich
Triality over arbitrary fields and over $\mathbb F_1$


REGISTERED ATTENDEES (*indicates to be confirmed)

Full Name University Name
Auel, Asher* Emory University
Babic, Antonio University of Alberta
Baek, Sanghoon University of Ottawa
Bermudez, Hernando Emory University
Bhaskhar, Nivedita* Emory University
Billig, Yuly Carleton University
Boelaert, Lien Ghent University
Bose, Anirban Indian Statistical Institute, Delhi Centre
Bumagin, Inna Carleton University
Chernousov, Vladimir University of Alberta
De Medts, Tom Ghent University
Elduque, Alberto Universidad de Zaragoza
Faulkner, John R. University of Virginia
Garibaldi, Skip Emory University
Gille, Stefan University of Alberta
Hoffnung, Alexander University of Ottawa
Hutchens, John North Carolina State University
Junkins, Caroline University of Ottawa
Karpenko, Nikita Université Pierre et Marie Curie
Knus, Max ETH
Larsen, Victor Emory University
Leclerc, Marc-Antoine University of Ottawa
MacDonald, Mark University of British Columbia
Malagon, Audrey Virginia Wesleyan College
Malagon-Lopez, Jose University of Ottawa
Mehrdad, Negin University of Ottawa
Meyer, Jeffrey University of Michigan
Minchenko, Andrey University of Western Ontario
Naert, Karsten Ghent University
Neher, Erhard University of Ottawa
Nevins, Monica University of Ottawa
Parimala, Raman Emory University
Petersson, Holger P. Fernuniversität Hagen
Pianzola, Arturo University of Alberta
Pollio, Timothy University of Virginia
Quéguiner-Mathieu, Anne Université Paris 13
Racine, Michel University of Ottawa
Rapinchuk, Igor Yale University
Salmasian, Hadi University of Ottawa
Savage, Alistair University of Ottawa
Sebbar, Abdellah University of Ottawa
Singh, Anupam IISER Pune
Steele, Andrew* University of Nottingham
Talboom, John Carleton University
Thakur, Maneesh Indian Statistical Institute
Weiss, Richard Tufts University
Yahorau, Uladzimir University of Alberta
Zainoulline, Kirill University of Ottawa
Zhong, Changlong University of Ottawa