Inaugural Peter Scherk Lecture in Geometry

Lecture: An Application of Homotopy Theory to Condensed Matter Physics
Speaker: Prof. Daniel S. Freed, University of Texas at Austin
Date: Monday, Sept. 16, 2019
Time: 3:30 - 5 pm
Location: Biology 106

Prof. Daniel S. Freed is an internationally recognized expert in geometry and topology, and their connection to quantum physics. He is a past Guggenheim Fellow and Sloan Fellow.

This lecture is a kick-off event for quanTA, the University of Saskatchewan's new Centre for Quantum Topology and Its Applications. All are welcome. Coffee, tea and snacks will be served.

The Centre for Quantum Topology and Its Applications is bringing together experts from mathematics, physics, chemistry, computing and other disciplines to work on all aspects of topological materials. These materials represent new, yet robust, phases of matter that offer incredible control over physical properties with minimal engineering. The theoretical prediction and discovery of these materials in nature led to a Nobel Prize in Physics in 2016.

About Professor Peter Scherk:

Professor Peter Scherk was a faculty member in mathematics at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) from 1943-1959. Born in Germany and a student at the famous mathematical school in Goettingen, his Jewish background meant he had to seek refuge in North America after the rise of the Nazis. USask offered him a professorship and, making his home in Saskatoon, he became one of Canada's principal geometry experts. Later in his career, he helped to bolster the Canadian Mathematical Society.

In recognition of the key role played by USask in his father's life, John Scherk, who was born in Saskatoon and is now a mathematician in Toronto, and his family have supported the establishment of quanTA by helping to initiate the new lecture series.

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