Topology Seminar
Upcoming Talks
In Fall 2026, the UChicago Algebraic Topology Seminar will meet on Tuesdays at 3:50-4:50PM in Eckhart Hall 206 and will be preceded by a pretalk 3:20-3:50PM (unless otherwise noted).
To receive emails about the seminar, please email Nikolai Konovalov requesting to be subscribed to our mailing list.
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Preston Cranford (Northwestern University)
Generalized Thom Spectra and Bökstedt periodicity
The Hopkins-Mahowald Theorem says that the Eilenberg-Maclane spectrum $\mathbb{F}_2$ is a Thom spectrum. The Hopkins-Mahowald theorem is equivalent to Bökstedt periodicity which says the topological Hochschild homology ($\mathrm{THH}$) of $\mathbb{F}_2$ is a polynomial ring on a degree two generator. I will discuss how this story generalizes to $MU$-modules and give my take on a proof of Bökstedt periodicity. Time permitting, I will discuss the higher height story ($\mathrm{THH}$ of truncated Brown-Peterson spectra), the motivic story ($\mathbb{F}_2$ as a motivic Thom spectrum), and ongoing work on nilpotence in $\mathbb{E}_2$-rings.
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Arnab Kundu (SLMath)
If you have any questions, please contact Nikolai Konovalov, Kiran Luecke, Kirill Magidson, Akhil Mathew, Shauly Ragimov, or Peter May.