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, and again by J.D. Quigley and Ang Li in Fall 2020.  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.

Students are encouraged to obtain independent study credit from their home universities for their participation in the eCHT Kan seminar, but this is not required.

Organizers

The electronic Kan seminar is run by Hana Jia Kong (IAS) with the assistance of Sarah Petersen (University of Notre Dame). Contact either of us for more information.

Application

Please submit the application form to apply. Applications received by January 13 will receive full consideration. 

Schedule

The seminar meets on Wednesdays at 11:00 am Eastern time.  It runs from January 19 through April 27.