Abstract: The advent of knot polynomials revolutionised the field of knot theory in the 3-sphere, bringing it to the forefront of research in topology. The Jones polynomial is credited with laying the foundations of quantum topology. These polynomials are characterised by ‘skein relations’, which are linear relations involving two or more link diagrams. In the late 1980s, Przytycki and Turaev independently generalised this skein theory to arbitrary 3-manifolds, thereby introducing the first quantum invariants of 3-manifolds. In my talk, we will explore these invariants, known as skein modules, and explore the main ideas and their relevance in modern mathematics.

If you are interested in joining for lunch with the speaker at 12:30 pm, please let Cigole Thomas know.