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Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics

There is a well understood relationship between the word problem for a finitely presented group G and the geometry of discs filling loops in any compact manifold with fundamental group G. This relationship was exploited in the 1990s and 2000s to develop a rather complete understanding of the Dehn Functions of finitely presented groups. The geometry of the conjugacy problem is less robust and less well understood. Following a very brief survey of what is known about this topi, I shall sketch some highlights from a series of recent (and future) papers concerning the nature of Conjugator Length Functions, which provide optimal bounds on the size of conjugating elements. This talk is based on on-going work with Tim Riley (Cornell). 

Further information

Time:

01Sep
Sep 1st 2025
10:15 to 11:15

Venue:

Seminar Room 1, Newton Institute

Speaker:

Martin Bridson (University of Oxford)

Series:

Isaac Newton Institute Seminar Series