Math & Stats Algebra & Geometry Seminar
Tuesday, October 22nd, 2024

Time: 3:30 p.m.  Place: Jeffery Hall, Room 422

Speaker: David Wehlau (RMC & Queen’s University)

Title: Rings of Invariants for Finite Groups of Lie Type

Abstract: This is joint work with H.E.A. Campbell (Queen's) and R.J. Shank (University of Kent at Canterbury). There has been significant interest for a number of years in the rings of invariants of the defining representations of the finite classical groups. These rings have been computed for several of the groups and have remained mysterious for several of the other cases. Recently, we succeeded in finding the first explicit description of the rings of invariants for the case of orthogonal groups in odd characteristics. This case has provided a single framework that allows us to handle all the finite classical groups. I will outline this framework and discuss some of the consequences of these computations.