Speaker:
Ingrid Irmer (SUSTech)
Time:
October 28 (Wed), 2026, 4:00-5:00 pm
Location:
HIMIS 7A1
Title:
Topological Morse functions and Moduli space
Abstract:
Abstract: Topological Morse functions are continuous functions whose critical points satisfy a nondegeneracy property similar to their smooth counterparts. They can be used for constructing handle decompositions similar to the usual (smooth) Morse functions. Circle packing problems are the classic source of topological Morse functions. In this talk I will explain how several mapping class group-equivariant topological Morse functions arise on Teichmüller space as hyperbolic analogues of Euclidean circle- and sphere-packing problems, and survey what these functions tell us about the topology of Moduli space.
Bio:
Ingrid Irmer is an Assistant Professor at the Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech). Her work lies in low-dimensional topology and geometry. Her research interests include mapping class groups, fibrations of three- and four-dimensional manifolds, Morse theory, and Lorentzian geometry.