Monday 20th of March 2023, 15:15-16:15 in HG03.085
Janet Flikkema
Classification of reductive algebraic groups using root data.
A root system is a subset of an euclidean space satisfying certain geometrical axioms. Some of you might have seen root systems in the classification of semisimple Lie algebras. A slightly more general notion is that of a root datum, which arises analogously in the classification of reductive algebraic groups. In this talk, I will first give a short overview of root systems and their role in the classification of semisimple Lie algebras. However, the main focus of the talk will be on algebraic groups. I will spend some time to explain the necessary basics of algebraic groups and then I aim to show how the structure of a reductive algebraic group is determined by its root datum.