Seminars will be held usually on every Wednesday 5 PM (IST). However, you should check the schedule for exceptions. We plan to hold it virtually. Even if it is non-virtual in due course of time, we hope to keep the virtual set up simultaneously for outreach to a broader mathematical audience. All updates concerning the series of discussions will be updated in this webpage.

Upcoming speakers:

• Jian Wang (Augsburg University), Date: 21st April.

Title : Contractible 3-manifold and Positive scalar curvature

Abstract : It is not known whether a contractible 3-manifold admits a complete metric of positive scalar curvature. For example, the Whitehead manifold is a contractible 3-manifold but not homeomorphic to $R^{3}$. In this talk, I will present my proof that it does not have a complete metric with positive scalar curvature. I will further explain that a contractible genus one 3-manifold, a notion introduced by McMillan, does not admit a complete metric of positive scalar curvature.

• Harish Seshadri (IISc Bangalore), Date: 5th May. Time: 5--6 PM.

Title: Einstein metrics on the 4-sphere.

Abstract: It is unknown if the standard round metric is the unique (up to scaling) Einstein metric on the 4-sphere. In this talk, I will discuss an attempt at understanding Einstein metrics on S^4 based on Yamabe constants of the metrics.

• Mainak Poddar (IISER Pune), Date: 24th March, 14th and 28th April. Time: 5--6 PM.

Title: Bubbling and Gromov compactness

Abstract: This is the first in a series of three expository talks that aim to illustrate the construction of the chain complex in Lagrangian Floer (co)homology. In this talk we will discuss the compactification of the moduli space of J-holomorphic discs in a symplectic manifold.

Organizing Committee:

Soma Maity (Convener)

Shane D'Mello

Pranab Sardar

Mahender Singh

Krishnendu Gongopadhyay