Summary

The eCHT Kan seminar is an online graduate student seminar in algebraic topology, modeled after the “Kan seminar” at MIT. In this seminar, students will

• Read and assimilate information from research papers in algebraic topology.
• Present the contents of these papers in an online seminar format.
• Discuss these papers with other participants.

An eCHT Kan seminar was previously organized by J.D. Quigley and Hana Jia Kong in Fall 2019, by J.D. Quigley and Ang Li in Fall 2020, and by Hana Jia Kong and Sarah Petersen in Winter 2022.  An online Kan seminar in category theory was previously organized by Emily Riehl in 2014 and again in 2017.

Student Expectations

Students will take turns giving presentations on the contents of research papers. Students are expected to attend all presentations.

Students may select papers that match their particular mathematical interests; some possibilities are listed on the seminar webpage. In general, papers should be chosen for the significance of their contents and also for their expository quality.

Some suggested papers (from Dan Isaksen, John Klein, and Andrew Salch)
More suggested papers (from Mark Behrens and Haynes Miller)

Over the course of the semester, each student will give a 50-minute-long presentation via Zoom. The presentation can be made using Beamer slides or screen capture software. For example, see recordings of recent eCHT presentations.

Students must skim the paper being presented each week and post a response (at least one paragraph) in the private seminar workspace prior to that week’s talk. These responses can include comments and questions about the mathematical content of the paper, as well as how the paper fits into their understanding of the subject. The shared online workspace will also serve as a forum where students can ask questions as they prepare for their presentations.

As a general rule, students are expected to obtain 1-2 independent study credits from their home universities for their participation in the seminar. This requirement is waived on an individual basis for students whose home universities do not have formal independent study opportunities.

Organizers

The Fall 2022 electronic Kan seminar is run by Hana Jia Kong (IAS) and Scotty Tilton (UCSD). Contact for more information.

Application

Please submit the application form to apply. Applications received by August 28 will receive full consideration. 

Schedule

The seminar meets on Wednesdays at 11:00 am Eastern time.  It runs from September 7 to December 7.