********************************** STUDENT ALGEBRAIC GEOMETRY SEMINAR ********************************** TIME: WEDNESDAY 28/03/2007, 4pm PLACE: RED CENTRE 4082, UNSW SPEAKER: HUGO BOWNE-ANDERON TOPIC: ETALE COHOLOMOGY This will be the first in a series of talks on etale cohomology, a topic which has had major repercussions in such diverse fields of research as algebraic geometry, representation theory and number theory. I will keep it relatively simple. All you need to know is the definition of a variety. The first talk will be dedicated to discussing why the (standard) Zariski topology is too coarse and why the etale topology gives us a cohomology theory comparable to working complex analytically. Via many examples, we will also see what these etale maps look like and why they are so nice to work with. This is a shockingly beautiful area of maths. However, it is also very difficult to work through on your own. The good thing for you is that i’ve done the work and you can come and watch it all unfold! Please feel free to email me (hugo@maths.unsw.edu.au) with any queries. Hugo Bowne-Anderson (PhD student at UNSW).