EVENT DETAILS AND ABSTRACT

Title: A Little Classical Algebraic Geometry via Linear Algebra
Speaker: Owen Gwilliam
Speaker Info:
Brief Description:
Special Note:
Abstract:

We'll talk about the discriminant and the resultant in one dimension, which are natural objects the measure the behavior of single-variable polynomials. We'll then explain how to generalize these constructions to higher dimensions by defining the "determinant of a chain complex" (a rather fancy term for a simple idea). No sheaves, no schemes, no algebra beyond polynomials and vector spaces; just beautiful mathematics from 160 years ago.