Series: Mathematics Colloquium

Date: Thursday, December 4, 2003

Time: 4:00 - 5:00 PM

Place: 102 McAllister Building

Host: Sergei Tabachnikov

Refreshments: 3:15 - 4:00 PM, in 212 McAllister

Speaker: Arkady Vaintrob, University of Oregon

Title: 

  Alexander-Conway Polynomial, Milnor Numbers and Spanning Trees

Abstract:  

  We will discuss connections between the multivariable
  Alexander-Conway invariant of links in the three-space and Milnor's
  higher linking numbers.  The main tool in understanding relations
  between these classical invariants will be the theory of finite type
  invariants and the Kontsevich integral.  In particular, we will see
  that that the lowest-order term of the Alexander-Conway polynomial
  of a link L can be expressed as the sum over certain spanning trees
  of products of first non-vanishing Milnor invariants of L.