Topology seminar
Speaker: Bittu Singh, IIT Bombay
Host: Rekha Santhanam
Title: Applications of Rational Homotopy Theory
Time, day and date: 4:00:00 PM – 4:40:00 PM, Monday, June 29
Venue: Room 215
Abstract: We now have all the tools from rational homotopy theory to algebraically model free loop spaces, which is key to its rational cohomology ring.
We continue the talk by presenting the solution to the closed geodesic problem due to Vigué-Poirrier and Sullivan. This solution relates the algebraic structure of the rational cohomology ring of a manifold to the existence of infinitely many closed geodesics.