Shenandoah Undergraduate Mathematics and Statistics Conference
at James Madison University, October 18, 2008
Closing Address
Knots, Surfaces, and 3-Manifolds
Robin Wilson, Cal Poly Pomona
| Abstract:
The areas of knot
theory and 3-manifold topology are
closely related. In fact, the exterior of
a knot is itself an example of a
3-manifold. One approach to studying
3-manifolds is to understand the
surfaces that are contained in them. In this talk I will give an
introduction to
knot
theory, its connections with
3-manifold topology, and the study
of surfaces in 3-manifolds and knot
exteriors. I will also discuss some recent
research about bridge surfaces
in knot complements.
Biography: Robin Wilson was earned his Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of California at Davis in 2006, earned a Masters in Mathematics from Howard University in 2001, and completed his undergraduate work at the University of California at Berkeley in 1999. He held a University of California President’s Postdoctoral Fellowship at UC Santa Barbara in 2006-2007 and since 2007 he has been on the faculty at the California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. His current research is in the areas of knot theory and 3-manifold topology. |