Graduate Algebraic Geometry Seminar Fall 2025
When: Wednesdays 3:40 pm - 4:30 pm. (Note there is tea time Wednesdays at 3:30pm on 9th Floor).
Where: Van Vleck B317
Who: All undergraduate and graduate students interested in algebraic geometry, abstract algebra, commutative algebra, representation theory, and related fields are welcome to attend.
Why: The purpose of this seminar is to learn algebraic geometry, commutative algebra, and broadly algebra itself, by giving and listening to talks in a informal setting. Sometimes people present an interesting topic or paper they find. Other times people give a prep talk for the Algebraic Geometry Seminar. Other times people give a series of talks on a topic they have been studying in-depth. Regardless the goal of GAGS is to provide a supportive and inclusive place for all to learn more about algebraic geometry and commutative algebra.
How: If you want to get emails regarding time, place, and talk topics, add yourself to the gags mailing list: gags@g-groups.wisc.edu by sending an email to gags+subscribe@g-groups.wisc.edu. If you prefer (and are logged in under your wisc google account) the list registration page is here.
Enrollment in Math 941: The correct section to enroll for Math 941 is with Andrei Căldăraru for Fall 2025.
Organizers: Kevin Dao and Boyana Martinova.
Being an audience member
The goal of GAGS is to create a safe and comfortable space inclusive of all who wish to expand their knowledge of abstract algebra, algebraic geometry, representation theory, and commutative algebra. In order to promote such an environment in addition to the standard expectations of respect/kindness all participants are asked to following the following guidelines:
- Do not speak for/over the speaker
- Ask questions appropriately
- Save lengthy questions or highly technical questions for after the talk
Talks (13 days for Fall 2025)
| Date | Speaker | Title | Abstract |
| September 3rd | GAGS SOCIAL! | No talk this week :) | Come say hi and hear about our plans for GAGS this year! |
| September 10th | Kevin Dao | Introduction to the Weyl Algebra | I plan to focus on introducing the Weyl Algebra for $\mathbb{A}^1$ and talk about its basic properties. I plan to keep it elementary and relate it to topics that people around the department care about. |
| September 17th | Timothy Cheek | On Brauer Groups | We motivate and construct the Brauer group of a field algebraically. We then show it can be expressed in terms of Galois cohomology. Time permitting, we use this idea to define the cohomological Brauer group of quasi-compact schemes, and discuss further applications. |
| September 24th | Ari Davidovsky | Hurwitz Spaces | Hurwitz spaces are moduli spaces parametrizing certain family of curves $C$ along with maps $C \to \mathbb{P}^1$. We will construct Hurwitz spaces and see what we can understand about their topology. We will also see how Hurwitz spaces can help inform us about $\mathcal{M}_g$ the moduli space of genus $g$ curves. |
| October 1st | Lizi Guo | Serre's Géométrie Algébrique et Géométrie Analytique (GAGA) | Algebraic geometry studies varieties that are locally cut out by polynomial functions, while complex analytic geometry studies analytic spaces that are locally cut out by holomorphic functions. The two fields are intricately connected. I will introduce Jean-Pierre Serre’s classic 1956 paper Géométrie Algébrique et Géométrie Analytique, now known as GAGA. The results establish the analytification of algebraic varieties and coherent sheaves, as well as the equivalence of categories between algebraic and analytic coherent sheaves. As a direct corollary, one immediately sees that any projective analytic variety is algebraic. |
| October 8th | Alex Bonat | ||
| October 15th | Boyana Martinova | ||
| October 22nd | Zhenpeng Li | ||
| October 29th | Yourong Zang | ||
| November 5th | Ivan Aidun | ||
| November 12th | Jameson Auger | ||
| November 19th | Alex Menzia | ||
| November 26th | NO GAGS - THANKSGIVING :) | Enjoy your holiday! | |
| December 3rd | Caitlin Davis | ||
| December 10th | Bella Finkel |