Title: Quotients of surface groups via TQFT

Prof. Koberda, Thomas, University of Virginia, 2017-03-29, Wed., 3:30-4:30, Hill 101, please note the special time and room.

Abstract: I will show how to construct linear quotients of surface groups which are infinite, and where each simple loop has finite order. As an application, I will construct finite covers of surfaces where the pullbacks of simple loops fail to generate the integral homology. We thus answer questions due to Looijenga. This represents joint work with R. Santharoubane.