Conference on Groupoids and Stacks in Geometry and Physics

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AbstractAward: DMS-0406368Principal Investigator: Ping XuThe proposal is to partially support a five-day workshop on"Groupoids and Stacks in Physics and Geometry", to be held at theCentre International de Rencontres Mathematiques (Luminy, France)from June 28 to July 2, 2004. The workshop is organized by PIwith Kai Behrend from the University of British Columbia,Canada. One objective of the proposed workshop is to bringtogether the groupoid community (consisting of both differentialgeometers and operator algebraists) and the stack community, inorder to encourage more interaction and cross-fertilizationbetween these fields. PI also wishes to bring to the workshopphysicists working on quantum field theory and string theory,since physics has been a steady source of ideas in theaforementioned subjects.Groupoids/stacks is a mathematical notion which arises naturallyin order to study symmetries of objects such as finite parts of acrystal. It is related to mechanics, physics, and geometry. Thesubject may also have potential applications to biology. Thereare many bright young people working in these subjects around theworld and this workshop will be a great opportunity to bringU.S. researchers, especially young people, to exchange theirideas with their international colleagues and to broaden theirperspective. PI anticipates inviting many mathematicians at thepostdoctoral and graduate student level (from the United States,Africa, Canada, and Europe) to the workshop.