Organizers: Peter Crooks and Alex Suciu

Description: This conference aims to emphasize and build upon the existing connections between compactifications, configurations, cohomology, and adjacent subjects. Recurring themes are likely to include algebraic groups, blow-ups, configuration spaces, hyperplane arrangements, Lie theory, and wonderful compactifications.

Dates: October 22–24, 2021

Venue: Northeastern University in Boston, MA

Speakers: The following people have kindly agreed to speak at our conference.

• Ana Balibanu (Harvard University)

• Patrick Brosnan (University of Maryland at College Park)

• Graham Denham (University of Western Ontario)

• Nir Gadish (University of Michigan at Ann Arbor)

• Iva Halacheva (Northeastern University)

• Ben Knudsen (Northeastern University)

• Laurențiu Maxim (University of Wisconsin at Madison)

• Eric Ramos (Bowdoin College)

• Botong Wang (University of Wisconsin at Madison)

Conference program: Please download the formal conference program via this link. It includes all titles and abstracts, as well as the precise times and room numbers for all events.

COVID-19 protocols:

• Registration: If you are not affiliated with Northeastern University and wish to participate, please communicate this in an email to the organizers. This would allow us to register you as a visitor to Northeastern.

• Daily pre-arrival wellness check: Non-Northeastern-based participants should complete this wellness check for each day of attendance. This should be done prior to arriving at the conference site on a given day. Northeastern-based participants will be responsible for completing the usual wellness check.

• On-site COVID-19 protocols: There are several COVID-19 protocols for people physically present on the campus of Northeastern University. These include the wearing of face coverings at all times while indoors, regardless of a person's vaccination status. Some additional regulations are specific to non-Northeastern-based participants. All such participants should come prepared with evidence of being fully vaccinated, or of having received a negative result on a PCR or viral antigen test taken no more than 72 hours prior to arriving at Northeastern. Please consult this webpage for a complete description of the COVID-19 protocols at Northeastern University.

Funding: The organizers gratefully acknowledge the National Science Foundation for financial support.