University of Miami
Department of Mathematics
College of Arts and Sciences
Special Course
Spring Semester 2016
Hodge Theory and Degenerations of Algebraic Surfaces
a course by
Distinguished Professor Phillip Griffiths
Ungar Building, Room 506
5:00 pm to 7:00 pm
Monday, February 1st, 2016
Monday, February 8th, 2016
Thursday, February 18th, 2016
Friday, February 26th, 2016
Monday, February 29th, 2016
Thursday, March 3rd, 2016
Monday, March 14th, 2016
Tuesday, March 15th, 2016
The lectures include:
1. Introduction - overview of the algebraic geometry background.
2. Algebraic surfaces - the H surface part I.
3. The H surface II - singularities of surfaces.
4. Kollar - Shepard - Barron - Alexeev (KSBA) moduli spaces and their compactifications. Introduction of the Period Map.
5. Degeneration of Hodge Structures and theory of Mixed Hodge Structures.
6. Compactification of the period domain and extension of the period map.
7. Relation between the boundary structure to KSBA compactification.
8. Conclusion - open questions and directions.
Some Information:
Phillip Griffiths
Member of the National Academy of Sciences
Dr. Phillip Griffiths is a College of Arts and Sciences Distinguished Scholar in Mathematics. He received his B.S. from Wake Forest University in 1959 and his Ph.D. from Princeton University in 1962. He served as the Institute for Advanced Study as Director from 1991until 2003, as Professor of Mathematics from 2004 until 2009, and as Professor Emeritus since 2009. He has served as the Chair of its Science Initiative Group since 1999. He was Provost and James B. Duke Professor of Mathematics at Duke University from 1983 to 1991. He has also served on the faculties of the University of California at Berkeley, Princeton University and Harvard University.
Dr. Griffiths is one of the world's foremost experts in algebraic geometry and was inducted into the National Academy of Science in 1979 and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1995. Among his many honors, Dr. Griffiths is the recipient of the Chern Medal from the International Mathematical Union (2014), the Steele Prize for Lifetime Achievement from the American Mathematical Society (2014), the Brouwer Prize from the Royal Dutch Mathematical Society (2008) and the Wolf Foundation Prize in Mathematics (2008). He was a Guggenheim Foundation Fellow from 1980 until 1982.
Dr. Griffiths has served on many important advisory boards and committees throughout his career including the Board of Trustees for the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute (2008-2013; Chair 2010-2013), the Board of Directors of Banker's Trust New York (1994-1999), the Board of Directors of Oppenheimer Funds (1999-2013), the Carnegie-IAS Commission on Mathematics and Science Education (Chair 2007-2009), and the Scientific Committee of the Beijing International Center for Mathematical Research (2010-2013). From 2002 to 2005 he was the Distinguished Presidential Fellow for International Affairs for the US National Academy of Sciences and from 2001 to 2010 Senior Advisor to the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
