Research

I study representation theory, categorification, and algebraic combinatorics.

Representation theory is a field which focuses on studying algebraic structures like groups and algebras by focusing on ways to represent them as matrices acting on a vector space. This approach turns out to be extremely powerful and broadly applicable, partly because it allows us to use our thorough knowledge of linear algebra to investigate more nonlinear phenomena.

Algebraic combinatorics provides insights about algebraic structures by investigating associated combinatorial notions, such as symmetric functions and planar diagrammatics. These combinatorial methods are often the key to understanding difficult problems in representation theory.

My research statement is available here.

Some specific topics of recent interest for me:

  • Heisenberg categorification

  • Trace decategorification

  • Symmetric functions

  • Partition algebras

Some of my collaborators:

Papers

Published/Accepted

  • Trace decategorification of tensor product algebras (with C. Leonard). To appear in Journal of Pure and Applied Algebra. arXiv 1903.08697

  • The center of the twisted Heisenberg category, factorial Schur Q-functions, and transition functions on the Schur graph (with H. Kvinge and C. Oguz), 2019. In Journal of Algebraic Combinatorics. arXiv 1712.09626.

  • The type B extended nilHecke algebra and symmetric functions , 2017. In Journal of Pure and Applied Algebra. arXiv 1710.10698.

  • Trace of the twisted Heisenberg category (with C. Oguz), 2017. In Communications in Mathematical Physics. arXiv 1702.08108.

  • Cocenters of the Hecke Clifford and spin Hecke algebras, 2016. In Journal of Algebra. arXiv 1605.05744

  • Gelfand Models for Diagram Algebras (with T. Halverson), 2015. In Journal of Algebraic Combinatorics. arXiv 1302.6150

Preprints

  • Frobenius W-algebras and traces of Frobenius Heisenberg categories (with A. Savage). arXiv 2007.02732

Conferences and Seminars

Invited talks

  • AMS Special Session on Geometry and Representation Theory of Quantum Algebras and Related Topics, November 2019, Riverside, CA.

  • AMS Special Session on Combinatorial and Categorical Aspects of Representation Theory, October 2018, San Francisco, CA.

  • Ottawa-Lyon-Sao Paulo Workshop on Representation Theory. July 2018, University of Ottawa and Carleton University. Traces of tensor product categories.

  • Virginia Tech Algebra Seminar, October 2017. Trace and center of the twisted Heisenberg category. Link to slides.

  • AMS Special Session on Combinatorics and Representation Theory of Reflection Groups: Real and Complex, September 2017, Denton, TX.

  • AMS Special Session on Representation Theory and Integrable Systems, April 2017, Bloomington, IN.

  • University of Virginia Algebra Seminar, February 2017. Trace of the twisted Heisenberg category. Link to slides.

  • University of Virginia Algebra Seminar, December 2014. Gelfand Models for diagram algebras. Link to slides.

Contributed talks

  • Workshop on Representation Theory, Combinatorics, and Geometry. October 2018, University of Virginia. Traces of tensor product categories.

  • Interactions of quantum affine algebras with cluster algebras, current algebras and categorification. June 2018, Catholic University of America. Trace and center of the twisted Heisenberg category. Link to slides.

  • 2018 Joint Mathematics Meetings - AMS Contributed Paper Session on Lie Theory and Related Topics. January 2018, San Diego, CA.

  • University of Virginia Graduate Seminar, September 2016. An introduction to categorification.

  • Southeastern Lie Theory Conference: Algebraic groups, Quantum groups, and Geometry, May 2016, University of Virginia. Traces of Hecke-Clifford and spin Hecke algebras.

  • University of Virginia Graduate Seminar, February 2016. Spin representation theory.

Conferences attended

  • US-Mexico Conference on Representation Theory and Noncommutative Algebra, May 2016, University of Southern California.

  • Southeastern Lie Theory Conference: Algebraic and Combinatorial Representation Theory, October 2015, North Carolina State University.

  • Summer School and Workshop on Lie Theory, July 2015, East China Normal University.

  • AMS Southeast Spring Sectional, March 2015, Georgetown University.