Joint Colloquium: Vaughan Jones -- Planar algebra talk and lunch (RSVP required)

We will be taking Vaughan Jones to lunch at the Forum Restaurant in the
Darlington Centre after his talk on Wednesday 26 November (so lunch will be
1-2 PM). If you would like to join us (and I hope that you will), it is
essential to RSVP to Emma (carberry@maths.usyd.edu.au) by midday (12 PM) on
Friday, 21 November. Please also let me know by this time if you would like
a vegetarian meal or have other dietary restrictions. The restaurant will
provide a set menu of a meat, fish or vegetarian dish (the last by request
only), sparkling water and tea/coffee for $28. You will need to pay me
rather than the restaurant directly, so please bring cash as it will not be
possible to pay using a card. Please let me know if you have any questions,
and I look forward to seeing you at the talk and lunch. 



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           THE UNIVERSITIES OF SYDNEY AND NSW

          SCHOOLS OF MATHEMATICS AND STATISTICS


___________________JOINT COLLOQUIUM______________________


Speaker: Prof. Vaughan Jones (Berkeley)

Title:Planar algebra


Date:    Wednesday, 26 November 2008
Venue:   Carslaw 175, University of Sydney
Time: 12 PM

Abstract: I will talk about algebra having operations indexed by
planar diagrams. This kind of algebra arises from various
sources including knot theory, statistical mechanical models,
matrix models, quantum groups, category theory  and von Neumann algebras.
There are many common themes including the Yang Baxter equation
and other skein relations. A canonical construction of von Neumann
algebras from planar algebra will be presented.