Algebraic Dynamics Seminar at Harvard
We meet in Room 232 of the Science Center, usually on Thursdays at 4pm. Seminars are typically two hours long, with a break in the middle and the second hour for more details. Please email me (Laura DeMarco) if you are interested in joining the email list, so I can send you announcements. The math department is locked, so you should contact me if you are not from Harvard but would like to attend a lecture.
See also the Informal Geometry & Dynamics seminar on Wednesdays.
Next lecture:
Thursday, April 9, 4:00-6:00pm
Richard Birkett (Brown University)
Title: Rational Maps on Elliptic Surfaces
Abstract: We will discuss rational self-maps on surfaces which respect (but do not necessarily fix) an elliptic fibration on the surface i.e. fibres are mapped to fibres. Such elliptic surfaces arguably form the largest swathe of the classification of surfaces, and these maps, elliptic skew products, likewise form a significant class of rational maps. However, little has been said about their dynamics. First I will show that these maps fall into two clean categories. Intriguing algebraic and arithmetic questions follow, which I will share and answer to a greater extent. Using a mix of algebraic, geometric, arithmetic, and dynamical arguments we will work toward a descriptive classification. Joint work in progress with Giacomo Mezzedimi (Bonn).
Spring 2026
January 29. Adam Melrod, Harvard
February 5. Chenxin Huang, Harvard
February 12. Yohsuke Matsuzawa, Osaka Metropolitan University
February 25 (Wednesday). Curt McMullen, Harvard
March 12. Sarah Koch, University of Michigan
March 25 (Wednesday). John Hamal Hubbard, Cornell
April 2. Sina Saleh, Harvard
April 9. Richard Birkett, Brown University
Fall 2025
September 18. Max Weinreich, Harvard
September 24 (Wednesday). Mala Mukundan, Boston University, in SC530
October 2. Saeed Zakeri, Queens College CUNY
October 8 (Wednesday). Dylan Thurston, Boston College, in SC530
October 30. Matt Olechnowicz, Concordia University
November 6. Curt McMullen, Harvard
November 20. Tanya Firsova, Kansas State