Date: 6 March 2020
Location: Hempfield High School, Room 213
 Speaker: Michael McCooey, Franklin and Marshall College
   Title: On a counterexample to a theorem of McCooey, and other stories

Abstract: I will begin with a short introduction to the parts of
my research that apply equivariant cohomology to study which finite
groups can admit actions of certain four-manifolds. While some in the
audience will have seen this before, I will start with basic examples.

I will then relate the sad story of the discovery by Semra Pamruk of an
error in my claim of a collapsing result for a certain spectral
sequence, and discuss her recent work with Ian Hambleton on a result
which, though weaker, has the virtue of being correct.

Time permitting, I will discuss some of my other recent research towards
developing a better geometric understanding of the differentials in that
spectral sequence in terms of equivariant characteristic classes and the
Atiyah-Bott integration formula.