3d mirror symmetry learning seminar

A hyperkahler manifold X is naturally the target for a supersymmetric N=4 3d theory, and possesses two distinct topological twists, which give rise to two 3d TQFTs: the 3d A-model and the 3d B-model associated to X. By the cobordism hypothesis, these TQFTs are determined by a 2-category of boundary conditions; while the 3d B-model 2-category appears to be taking the form of quasi-coherent sheaves of categories, the 3d A-model remains more elusive. The goal of this learning seminar is to better understand these 2-categories, and the phenomenon of 3d mirror symmetry: the exchange of the 3d A-model of a hyperkahler manifold with the 3d B-model of its dual.

The plan at least for the first half of the seminar is to understand some of what is known and expected of these 2-categories, and the 3d mirror symmetry equivalence in some more understood examples, such as in the "abelian" case, when the target manifold is the cotangent bundle of a torus. In the second half of the seminar, it would be nice to discuss the non-abelian case, which is related to questions in modern geometric representation theory. To this end, one of the goals of this seminar is to better understand the contents of Teleman's 2014 ICM address [Tel], and the current progress on the predictions made therein.

We will typically meet on Wednesdays at 11am in BA6183, except for weeks where this time is unavailable, in which case we will meet instead on Thursday, or in BA6180 (or both). Below is the schedule for the seminar.

Schedule:

Date Topic Speaker
Thursday, July 9th.
BA6180, 2-3pm
Introduction and overview [Kap, §1-2], [Tel, §1-2], [WeY, §1-3]
Ben Gammage
Wednesday, July 15th.
BA6183, 11am-1pm
Expectations for the 3d A-model: holomorphic Floer theory [DoRe], [PS], [Bou]
Josh Lau
Wednesday, July 22nd.
BA6183, 11am-1pm
Rozansky—Witten theory and the KRS B-model 2-category [RoW], [KapRoSa], [KapRo], [Tel §3]
Jeremy Peters
Wednesday, July 29th.
BA6183, 11am-1pm
Sheaves of categories and 1-affineness [Ga], [Ste1], [Ste2]
Grisha Taroyan
Thursday, August 6th.
BA6183, 11am-1pm
The geometry of symplectic resolutions [Kam], [Gin]
Jack Ceroni
Wednesday, August 12th.
BA6180, 11am-1pm
de Rham and Betti class field theory [HRa], [GamH2]
Waleed Qaisar
Thursday, August 20th.
BA6180, 11am-1pm
Coulomb branches  [BraFin], [Kam]
Ben Gammage
Wednesday, August 26th.
BA6183, 11am-1pm
Koszul Duality
Josh Lau

References: