MATH Seminar

Title: Mock theta functions and quantum modular forms
Seminar: Algebra
Speaker: Larry Rolen of University of Cologne
Contact: David Zureick-Brown, dzb@mathcs.emory.edu
Date: 2015-03-17 at 4:00PM
Venue: W304
Download Flyer
Abstract: In this talk, I will describe several related recent results related to mock theta functions, which are functions described by the Indian mathematician Ramanujan shortly before his death in 1920. These functions have very recently been understood in a modern framework thanks to the work of Zwegers and Bruinier-Funke. Here, we will revisit the original writings of Ramanujan and look at his original conception of these functions, which gives rise to a surprising picture connecting important objects such as generating functions in combinatorics and quantum modular forms.