Topology in seven dimensions. Aims: The project aims to give a complete classification of a certain class of 7-dimensional spaces; namely simply-connected spin 7-manifolds. We also present related programs classify G_2-structures on 7-manifolds.
Significance: the proposed classification will be a signature achievement in the topology of manifolds, with applications likely in both geometry and mathematical physics.
Expected outcomes: The project will produce a series of papers published in high ....Topology in seven dimensions. Aims: The project aims to give a complete classification of a certain class of 7-dimensional spaces; namely simply-connected spin 7-manifolds. We also present related programs classify G_2-structures on 7-manifolds.
Significance: the proposed classification will be a signature achievement in the topology of manifolds, with applications likely in both geometry and mathematical physics.
Expected outcomes: The project will produce a series of papers published in high quality journals and enhanced scientific collaboration between Australia and the United Kingdom.
Benefits: The project will enhance Australia's research reputation by producing excellent research in a field not historically represented in the country.Read moreRead less
Geodesic arcs and surfaces for hyperbolic knots and 3-manifolds. This project aims to use recent breakthroughs in mathematics to determine explicit geometric information on mathematical spaces, namely knot complements and 3-manifolds. These spaces arise in applications across science and engineering. They break into pieces that admit geometry, where hyperbolic geometry is the most common. This project expects to generate new knowledge around a number of open questions and conjectures on the hype ....Geodesic arcs and surfaces for hyperbolic knots and 3-manifolds. This project aims to use recent breakthroughs in mathematics to determine explicit geometric information on mathematical spaces, namely knot complements and 3-manifolds. These spaces arise in applications across science and engineering. They break into pieces that admit geometry, where hyperbolic geometry is the most common. This project expects to generate new knowledge around a number of open questions and conjectures on the hyperbolic geometry of knots and 3-manifolds. Expected outcomes include development of theory, and improved geometric tools. It will benefit the mathematical community through new insights and improved methods, and possibly lead to downstream applications in other scientific fields that rely on geometry. Read moreRead less
Optimal shapes in geometry and physics: Isoperimetry in modern analysis. This project will find the best isoperimetric shapes in curved spaces: shapes that optimise geometric or analytic quantities, such as the volume enclosed by a surface of a given area, or the resonant frequency of a drum of given area. The optimal shapes lead to tools that are widely used in differential equations, geometric analysis, statistical physics, probability theory, and quantum computing. Through this work, we ....Optimal shapes in geometry and physics: Isoperimetry in modern analysis. This project will find the best isoperimetric shapes in curved spaces: shapes that optimise geometric or analytic quantities, such as the volume enclosed by a surface of a given area, or the resonant frequency of a drum of given area. The optimal shapes lead to tools that are widely used in differential equations, geometric analysis, statistical physics, probability theory, and quantum computing. Through this work, we will forge connections between the geometry of curved spaces, and the physics of operators therein. The significant benefits of this project include increasing fundamental mathematical knowledge, building capacity in Australia’s world-class geometric analysis community, and strong links with international partners.Read moreRead less
Singular spaces in analysis and geometry. Singularities arise naturally in many areas of mathematics, as models of symmetry, degeneracy, and asymptotic collapse. The aim of this project is to provide powerful, generlisable tools to elucidate the interplay between modes of singularity formation and solutions to the important differential equations which arise in geometric analysis. The proposed framework builds upon the established success of microlocal analysis, initiated by Melrose in the 1980' ....Singular spaces in analysis and geometry. Singularities arise naturally in many areas of mathematics, as models of symmetry, degeneracy, and asymptotic collapse. The aim of this project is to provide powerful, generlisable tools to elucidate the interplay between modes of singularity formation and solutions to the important differential equations which arise in geometric analysis. The proposed framework builds upon the established success of microlocal analysis, initiated by Melrose in the 1980's, in the generalisation of landmark theorems like the Atiyah-Singer index theorem to more general Riemannian manifolds. This project will benefit Australia by increasing its capacity in pure mathematics in this highly active research area.Read moreRead less
Trisections, triangulations and the complexity of manifolds. This project aims at practical representations of 3-dimensional and 4-dimensional spaces as needed in applications. Topology is the mathematical study of the shapes of spaces. Geometry endows spaces with additional structure such as distance, angle and curvature. Special combinatorial structures, such as minimal triangulations, are often closely connected to geometric structures or topological properties. This project aims to construct ....Trisections, triangulations and the complexity of manifolds. This project aims at practical representations of 3-dimensional and 4-dimensional spaces as needed in applications. Topology is the mathematical study of the shapes of spaces. Geometry endows spaces with additional structure such as distance, angle and curvature. Special combinatorial structures, such as minimal triangulations, are often closely connected to geometric structures or topological properties. This project aims to construct computable invariants, connectivity results for triangulations, and algorithms to recognise fundamental topological properties and structures such as trisections and bundles.Read moreRead less
Algebraic invariants of singularities. This project aims to study the local and global behaviour of singularities that algebraic equations can describe via difficult algebraic invariants constructed from (algebraic) functions on the geometric object. A geometric object has a singularity at a point where its tangent directions do not behave the way they should. Examples include black holes, the vertex of a cone or a road intersection. This project is expected to contribute to fundamental research ....Algebraic invariants of singularities. This project aims to study the local and global behaviour of singularities that algebraic equations can describe via difficult algebraic invariants constructed from (algebraic) functions on the geometric object. A geometric object has a singularity at a point where its tangent directions do not behave the way they should. Examples include black holes, the vertex of a cone or a road intersection. This project is expected to contribute to fundamental research goals in pure mathematics, and increase the international competitiveness of Australian mathematics research.Read moreRead less
Finite dimensional integrable systems and differential geometry. Mathematical models of many processes in science (physics, engineering) and in the real world (nature, economics) are governed by complicated systems of differential equations. An important, distinguished class of such models is described by integrable systems, the systems for which one can provide a comprehensive qualitative picture, and in many cases, a complete solution. Using recently developed, powerful methods of integrable s ....Finite dimensional integrable systems and differential geometry. Mathematical models of many processes in science (physics, engineering) and in the real world (nature, economics) are governed by complicated systems of differential equations. An important, distinguished class of such models is described by integrable systems, the systems for which one can provide a comprehensive qualitative picture, and in many cases, a complete solution. Using recently developed, powerful methods of integrable systems and differential geometry, this project will focus on a range of important, interconnected theoretical problems in both disciplines. The expected outcomes will provide new, deep, mathematically and physically significant results which will lead to applications and developments across a range of fields.Read moreRead less
Proving the Landau-Ginzburg/Conformal Field Theory correspondence. This project aims to provide the first precise mathematical statement and geometric proof of the Landau-Ginzburg/Conformal Field Theory (LG/CFT) correspondence for simple singularities, a physically motivated principle that relates hypersurface singularities in algebraic geometry to representations of vertex algebras in conformal field theory. The formalism developed here is expected to clarify the nature of the correspondence an ....Proving the Landau-Ginzburg/Conformal Field Theory correspondence. This project aims to provide the first precise mathematical statement and geometric proof of the Landau-Ginzburg/Conformal Field Theory (LG/CFT) correspondence for simple singularities, a physically motivated principle that relates hypersurface singularities in algebraic geometry to representations of vertex algebras in conformal field theory. The formalism developed here is expected to clarify the nature of the correspondence and lead directly to generalisations beyond simple singularities, as well as provide a dictionary to translate methods of CFT into singularity theory and vice versa. These results will further cement Australia's reputation as an international leader in pure mathematics and mathematical physics research.Read moreRead less
Real groups, Hodge theory, and the Langlands program. This mathematics project aims to settle open questions in real groups. The real groups are the fundamental symmetries occurring in nature and are important both in number theory and in the physical sciences. In particular, this project aims to reach a comprehensive understanding of Langlands duality for real groups, investigate how Hodge theory can be used to describe the unitary dual, and investigate the micro-local structure of systems of d ....Real groups, Hodge theory, and the Langlands program. This mathematics project aims to settle open questions in real groups. The real groups are the fundamental symmetries occurring in nature and are important both in number theory and in the physical sciences. In particular, this project aims to reach a comprehensive understanding of Langlands duality for real groups, investigate how Hodge theory can be used to describe the unitary dual, and investigate the micro-local structure of systems of differential equations. Potential benefits include increasing the international stature of mathematics in Australia and improving the quality of the workforce.Read moreRead less
Classical and quantum invariants of low-dimensional manifolds. This project aims to advance our understanding of knots and 3-dimensional spaces, which arise naturally in fields as diverse as physics, computer graphics, chemistry and biology. Recent ideas from quantum field theory link physics to topology in dimensions 3 and 4, leading to powerful invariants of knots and 3-dimensional manifolds that include the Jones polynomial and the 3D-index. This project aims to resolve key questions relating ....Classical and quantum invariants of low-dimensional manifolds. This project aims to advance our understanding of knots and 3-dimensional spaces, which arise naturally in fields as diverse as physics, computer graphics, chemistry and biology. Recent ideas from quantum field theory link physics to topology in dimensions 3 and 4, leading to powerful invariants of knots and 3-dimensional manifolds that include the Jones polynomial and the 3D-index. This project aims to resolve key questions relating these quantum invariants to classical topology and geometry. The project will have a major impact in low-dimensional topology, and lead to deep and unexpected connections between mathematics and mathematical physics.Read moreRead less