Date: 14 September 2018
Location: Hempfield High School, Room 213
 Speaker: Linda Chen, Swarthmore College
   Title: Enumerative Geometry: Numbers and Beyond

Abstract: Enumerative geometry problems have been studied by
algebraic geometers since the nineteenth century. Indeed, enumeration
was the subject of Hilbert’s Fifteenth problem. We will explore several
enumerative problems and describe some underlying structures that encode
the numbers. For example, a breakthrough in the 1990’s inspired by
physics gave surprising and beautiful answers to classical problems,
such as the enumeration of degree d rational plane curves passing
through 3d-1 general points. I will also discuss extensions and open
problems.