Tuesday 18 November 2025, 16:00 - 17:00 in HG00.071
Guy Boyde (VU)
Temperley-Lieb algebras and their homology
Temperley--Lieb algebras are certain (very graphical!) finite-dimensional algebras that show up in many different parts of mathematics. They were invented in the '70s to solve counting problems in statistical physics, reinvented in the '80s to build knot invariants, and have since also found homes in representation theory, geometry, and (most recently) homological stability. I will explain this history, tell you what we mean by homology of an algebra, and then explain what we know about computing it for Temperley--Lieb algebras. This is joint work with Rachael Boyd, Oscar Randal-Williams, and Robin Sroka. Prerequisites will be minimal.