Graduate/faculty Seminar
Friday, October 9, 2009, 4:30pm, 119 Physics
Dave Rose
Why I love cats, and you should too
Abstract:
Category theory can be described as a general mathematical theory of structures and of systems of structures. Originally developed in the 40's by Saunders Mac Lane and Samuel Eilenberg in the context of algebraic topology, category theory has since grown to serve as both an organizational tool in many areas of mathematics and as a deep theory connecting these areas. The aims of this talk are 3-fold: first, to introduce the basic notions of category theory and to give a wide range of examples; second, to show how abstract results in category theory can influence the way we think about mathematics; finally, to show how a knowledge of some general results in category theory can save us time and effort in our day to day mathematical work. Since I will be starting with the basics, this talk should be accessible to a wide audience. Students who are considering working in algebra, geometry, or topology are particularly encouraged to attend, as are any students who have ever wondered why I love covering the chalkboards of 274F with crazy-looking diagrams or why the word `natural' is the fifth most used word in my vocabulary. [video]

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