Calendar

Sep
1
Tue
Dona Strauss (University of Leeds) @ Lecture held in Elysium
Sep 1 @ 6:00 am – 8:00 am

Title: The Semigroup $beta S$
by Dona Strauss (University of Leeds) as part of Topological Groups

Lecture held in Elysium.

Abstract
If $S$ is a discrete semigroup, the semigroup operation on $S$ can be extended to a semigroup operation on its Stone–Čech compactification $beta S$. The properties of the semigroup $beta S$ have been a powerful tool in topological dynamics and combinatorics.

I shall give an introductory description of the semigroup $beta S$, and show how its properties can be used to prove some of the classical theorems of Ramsey Theory.

Sep
8
Tue
Bharat Talwar (University of Dehli) @ Lecture held in Elysium
Sep 8 @ 6:00 am – 8:00 am

Title: Closed Lie Ideals and Center of Generalized Group Algebras
by Bharat Talwar (University of Dehli) as part of Topological Groups

Lecture held in Elysium.

Abstract
The closed Lie ideals of the generalized group algebra $L^1(G,A)$ are characterized in terms of elements of the group $G$, elements of the algebra $A$, and the modular function $Delta$ of the group $G$. Conditions under which for a given closed Lie ideal $Lsubseteq A$ the subspace $L^1(G,L)$ is a Lie ideal, and vice versa, are discussed. The center of $L^1(G,A)$ is characterized, followed by a discussion regarding a very special projection in $L^1(G,A)$. Finally, a few restrictions are imposed on $G$ and $A$ under which $mathcal{Z}(L^1(G,A))congmathcal{Z}(L^1(G))otimes^gammamathcal{Z}(A)$.

The presentation is based on joint work with Ved Prakash Gupta and Ranjana Jain.

Sep
15
Tue
Nico Spronk (University of Waterloo) @ Lecture held in Elysium
Sep 15 @ 6:00 am – 8:00 am

Title: Topologies, idempotents and ideals
by Nico Spronk (University of Waterloo) as part of Topological Groups

Lecture held in Elysium.

Abstract
Let $G$ be a topological group. I wish to exhibit a bijection between (i) a certain class of weakly almost periodic topologies, (ii) idempotents in the weakly almost periodic compactification of $G$, and (iii) certain ideals of the algebra of weakly almost periodic functions. This has applications to decomposing weakly almost periodic representations on Banach spaces, generalizing results which go back to many authors.

Moving to unitary representations, I will develop the Fourier-Stieltjes algebra $B(G)$ of $G$, and give the analogous result there. As an application, I show that for a locally compact connected group, operator amenability of $B(G)$ implies that $G$ is compact, partially resolving a problem of interest for 25 years.

Sep
22
Tue
Mukund Madhav Mishra (Hansraj College) @ Lecture held in Elysium
Sep 22 @ 6:00 am – 8:00 am

Title: Potential Theory on Stratified Lie Groups
by Mukund Madhav Mishra (Hansraj College) as part of Topological Groups

Lecture held in Elysium.

Abstract
Stratified Lie groups form a special subclass of the class of nilpotent Lie groups. The Lie algebra of a stratified Lie group possesses a specific stratification (and hence the name), and an interesting class of anisotropic dilations. Among the linear differential operators of degree two, there exists a family that is well behaved with the automorphisms of the stratified Lie group, especially with the anisotropic dilations. We shall see that one such family of operators mimics the classical Laplacian in many aspects, except for the regularity. More specifically, these Laplace-like operators are sub-elliptic, and hence referred to as the sub-Laplacians. We will review certain interesting properties of functions harmonic with respect to the sub-Laplacian on a stratified Lie group, and have a closer look at a particular class of stratified Lie groups known as the class of Heisenberg type groups.

Sep
29
Tue
Sutanu Roy (National Institute of Science Education and Research) @ Lecture held in Elysium
Sep 29 @ 6:00 am – 8:00 am

Title: Compact Quantum Groups and their Semidirect Products
by Sutanu Roy (National Institute of Science Education and Research) as part of Topological Groups

Lecture held in Elysium.

Abstract
Compact quantum groups are noncommutative analogs of compact groups in the realm of noncommutative geometry introduced by S. L. Woronowicz back in the 80s. Roughly, they are unital C*-bialgebras in the monoidal category (given by the minimal tensor product) of unital C*-algebras with some additional properties. For real 0<|q|<1, q-deformations of SU(2) group are the first and well-studied examples of compact quantum groups. These examples were constructed independently by Vaksman-Soibelman and Woronowicz also back in the 80s. In fact, they are examples of a particular class of compact quantum groups namely, compact matrix pseudogroups. The primary goal of this talk is to motivate and discuss some of the interesting aspects of this theory from the perspective of the compact groups. In the second part, I shall briefly discuss the semidirect product construction for compact quantum groups via an explicit example. The second part of this will be based on a joint work with Paweł Kasprzak, Ralf Meyer and Stanislaw Lech Woronowicz.

Oct
6
Tue
Nicolò Zava (University of Udine) @ Lecture held in Elysium
Oct 6 @ 6:00 am – 8:00 am

Title: Towards a unifying approach to algebraic and coarse entropy
by Nicolò Zava (University of Udine) as part of Topological Groups

Lecture held in Elysium.

Abstract
In each situation, entropy associates to a self-morphism a value that estimates the chaos created by the map application. In particular, the algebraic entropy $h_{alg}$ can be computed for (continuous) endomorphisms of (topological) groups, while the coarse entropy $h_c$ is associated to bornologous self-maps of locally finite coarse spaces. Those two entropy notions can be compared because of the following observation. If $f$ is a (continuous) homomorphism of a (topological) group $G$, then $f$ becomes automatically bornologous provided that $G$ is equipped with the compact-group coarse structure. For an endomorphism $f$ of a discrete group, $h_{alg}(f)=h_c(f)$ if $f$ is surjective, while, in general, $h_{alg}(f)
eq h_c(f)$. That difference occurs because in many cases, if $f$ is not surjective, then $h_c(f)=0$.

In the first part of the talk, after briefly recalling the large-scale geometry of topological groups, we define the coarse entropy and discuss its relationship with the algebraic entropy. The second part is dedicated to the introduction of the algebraic entropy of endomorphisms of $G$-sets (i.e., sets endowed with group actions). We show that it extends the usual algebraic entropy of group endomorphisms and we provide evidence that it can represent a useful modification and generalisation of the coarse entropy that overcome the non-surjectivity issue.

Oct
13
Tue
Break (University of Hawaiʻi) @ Lecture held in Elysium
Oct 13 @ 6:00 am – 8:00 am

Title: Topological Groups Seminar Two-Week Hiatus
by Break (University of Hawaiʻi) as part of Topological Groups

Lecture held in Elysium.
Abstract: TBA

Oct
20
Tue
Break (University of Hawaiʻi) @ Lecture held in Elysium
Oct 20 @ 6:00 am – 8:00 am

Title: Topological Groups Seminar Two-Week Hiatus
by Break (University of Hawaiʻi) as part of Topological Groups

Lecture held in Elysium.
Abstract: TBA