3.00 p.m.
Geometric flows and string theory
Suneeta Vardarajan
Dept. of Math. and Stat. Sciences, U. of Alberta.
29-12-08

---

Abstract

Geometric flows such as the Ricci flow have been successfully used to resolve the Poincare and Thurston conjectures for 3-manifolds. In this talk, I will briefly introduce these flows and then describe how they arise in a completely different context, in string theory. I will then outline how recently developed techniques in Ricci flow could be used to address questions of interest in the physics of sigma models and string theory.