Unlocking the Connection: Invariant Theory Meets Complexity Theory 🔍

Dr. F.C. Kohli Centre of Excellence Perspectives in Mathematical Sciences January 10–February 4, 2022 Friday, 14 January 2022, 19:30 IST ________________________________________________________________________ Abstract Invariant theory (and the closely related subject of representation theory) can be summarized as the study of symmetries captured by group actions. Remarkable discoveries over the last two decades have placed invariant theory and representation theory at the centre of some of the most fundamental problems in complexity theory such as identity testing problems and even the celebrated P vs NP problem. In this talk, I will try to give an overview of the interactions between these subjects, present various exciting results in recent years, and suggest future directions. About the speaker Visu graduated with a BSc in Mathematics and Computer Science at the Chennai Mathematical Institute in 2013. He completed his PhD in 2018 at the University of Michigan under the supervision of Prof Harm Derksen. He has held postdoctoral positions at the Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton (under the mentorship of Prof Avi Wigderson) and the University of Melbourne. He is currently a quantitative researcher at Radix Trading. His primary research interests are Invariant theory, Representation theory, and Computational Complexity. He likes to develop and use tools from abstract algebraic subjects to tackle problems in tensors, complexity and other areas of theoretical computer science.