TFT and Moduli Spaces

6 EC

Semester 1, period 1, 2

5324TFMS6Y

Owner Master Mathematics
Coordinator prof. dr. S. Shadrin
Part of Master Mathematics, year 1Master Mathematical Physics, year 1

Course manual 2017/2018

Course content

We'll discuss the structure of the moduli spaces of curves from different points of view. We'll see how the information about the topology of moduli spaces emerges in different ways as a system of the universal properties of different families of topological field theories. In particular, we'll give an introduction to the Gromov-Witten theory, Batalin-Vilkovisky algebras, integrable hierarchies of hydrodynamic type, and Givental's formalism.

Study materials will be advised after each lecture. 

Objectives

Understanding of the interplay of the algebraic structures behind the topology of the moduli spaces of curves and topological field theories. The goal is to achieve the level that allows to read and understand recent research papers on these subjects.

Teaching methods

  • Lecture
  • Presentation/symposium
  • Self-study

Lectures: general introduction to all necessary diverse concepts.

Self-study: these are homeworks and extra reading that are necessary to make the theory more clear and precise.

Presentation/symposium: at the end of the course every student will get a recent research paper to prepare a presentation for the other students. The goal is to learn to read recent research articles on the topics of the course

Learning activities

Activity

Number of hours

Lectures

14

Presentations

4

Zelfstudie

150

Total

168

Attendance

The programme does not have requirements concerning attendance (OER-B).


Additional requirements for this course:

Additional requirements for this course:

No additional requirements.

Assessment

Item and weight Details

Final grade

20%

Homeworks

80%

Presentation

Must be ≥ 5

Fraud and plagiarism

The 'Regulations governing fraud and plagiarism for UvA students' applies to this course. This will be monitored carefully. Upon suspicion of fraud or plagiarism the Examinations Board of the programme will be informed. For the 'Regulations governing fraud and plagiarism for UvA students' see: www.uva.nl/plagiarism

Course structure

Weeknummer Onderwerpen Studiestof
1  Genus 0 and genus 1 moduli  
2  Topology on the space of curves, nodal curves  
3  Dual graphs, stratification, natural maps  
4  CohFT and TFT, Keel's theorem  
5  Universal curve, genus 0 examples  
6  Psi-classes  
7  Topological recursion, WDVV and string equations  
8    
9  Tautological ring, kappa classes  
10  Topological recursion relations for correlators  
11  Dependant variables of integrable systems  
12  Examples of CohFT's and their enumerative meaning  
13  Poisson geometry and hydrodynamics  
14  Miura transformation and higher genera  
15 BV algebras, BCOV theory, Gromov-Witten theory  
16    

Timetable

The schedule for this course is published on DataNose.

Additional information

 The required background for this course: an overall good understanding of algebra, geometry, and topology.

Contact information

Coordinator

  • prof. dr. S. Shadrin