Speaker: Gunnar Carlsson
Title: Functoriality and Data
Affiliation: Stanford University
Date: Friday, April 17, 2009
Place and Time: Room 101, Love Building, 3:35-4:30 pm
Refreshments: Room 204, Love Building, 3:00 pm

Abstract. Methods of algebraic topology and the representation theory of categories (specifically quivers) can be put to good use in understanding questions about qualitative properties, such as the existence of cluster decompositions or recurrent behavior, in data sets. I will summarize what is known so far, with examples, and talk more generally about what topological ideas have to offer for the analysis of data.