SMS scnews item created by Catherine Meister at Wed 6 May 2026 1235
Type: Seminar
Distribution: World
Expiry: 27 May 2026
Calendar1: 13 May 2026 1200-1300
CalLoc1: SMRI Seminar Room (A12 Macleay Room 301)
CalTitle1: A computational arms race in knot theory: Algorithms vs examples
Auth: cmeister@159-196-153-133.9fc499.syd.nbn.aussiebb.net (cmei0631) in SMS-SAML

Geometry & Topology Seminar

Alex He, University of Sydney

Geometry & Topology Seminar, Wednesday 13th May 2026, 12 pm – 1 pm, SMRI Seminar Room (A12 Macleay Room 301)

Abstract: This talk will begin with a selective survey of computation involving knots and 3-manifolds, with a bias towards techniques using normal surfaces. I will then present some recent developments in the "arms race" between designing effective algorithms versus constructing hard examples. On the algorithms side, I will mention a recent algorithm for recognising composite knots, developed jointly with Eric Sedgwick and Jonathan Spreer. On the side of hard examples, I will discuss ongoing work with Corentin Lunel on procedural generation of hard unknot diagrams and hard 3-sphere triangulations.

The Geometry & Topology Seminar will be held on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month during semester. The Australian Geometric Topology Webinar will be broadcast at the same time and place on the first and third Wednesday of the month. For seminar updates, see Geometry & Topology Seminar.

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