About:
About the talk
Braid groups are a fascinating class of groups that have many applications and have been studied from many different viewpoints. Braid groups belong to a much larger, but less understood class of groups known as Artin groups. Beginning with braid groups, we discussed various algebraic and geometric characterizations of Artin groups. We then surveyed what is known and not known about these groups and highlighted some new approaches to the most challenging problems.
About the speaker
Ruth Charney is the Theodore and Evelyn G. Berenson Professor of Mathematics at Brandeis University. She received her PhD from Princeton University in 1977 and held postdoctoral positions at Berkeley and Yale before joining the faculty of The Ohio State University. In 2003, she returned to her alma mater, Brandeis University. Charney’s research involves the interplay between topology and algebra. Her early work centered on questions in algebraic K-theory, then in the 1990s she became one of the pioneers in the emerging field of geometric group theory. In addition to her research, she has been heavily involved in professional service and she is strongly committed to promoting diversity in the mathematical community. She has served as President of the Association for Women in Mathematics (AWM) and, most recently, as President of the American Mathematical Society (AMS).