Physical Mathematics 2026 in Korea
June 15-19, 2026
Venue: Room101, Building129, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
Homepage: [Link]
Contact: uhrisu1@[Link] (Uhi Rinn Suh)
Time Table
Time Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri
09:00 - 09:30 Registration / Coffee Break Coffee Break Coffee Break Coffee Break
Coffee Break
09:30 - 10:30 Neitzke Neitzke Reshetikhin Reshetikhin Reshetikhin
11:00 - 12:00 Arakawa Arakawa Arakawa Neitzke Jeong
12:00 - 12:05 - - Group Photo - -
12:05 - 13:30 Lunch Lunch Lunch Lunch Lunch
13:30 - 14:30 Patnaik McBreen Free Discussion Park Free Discussion
14:30 - 15:30 Coffee Break Coffee Break Coffee Break Coffee Break -
15:30 - 16:30 Cherednik Appel Free Discussion Zhang -
17:00 - - - - Banquet -
▶ WiFi
- SSID: Sangsan Hall, Password:sangsanhall
▶ Suttle Bus (Only for Speakers)
- Shilla Stay -> Building 129 : Mon-Fri at 8:30
- Building 129 -> Shilla Stay or Speaker’s dinner :
Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri
Departure Time 17:00 17:30 13:30 19:00 13:30
from Bd.129 to dinner to hotel to hotel to hotel to hotel
Titles and Abstracts
Lectue series
Speaker: Tomoyuki Arakawa
Title: 4D/3D QFT and representation theory
Abstract: 4D/3D quantum field theory in theoretical physics is conceptually rich and
gives rise to many interesting mathematical structures, even though a fully rigorous
mathematical formulation of the theories themselves is still lacking. A relatively
recent discovery by Beem et al. shows that to every 4D N=2 superconformal field
theory one can associate a representation-theoretic object called a vertex algebra,
which serves as an invariant (or observable) of the theory. Although vertex algebras
are inherently algebraic, those arising as invariants of 4D QFT display striking
connections with certain geometric objects that also appear as invariants of the same
physical theories. Similarly, to each 3D N=4 gauge theory one can associate two
vertex algebras—the A-twisted and B-twisted boundary VOAs—by the work of Gaiotto
and his collaborators, which may be viewed as refinements of the Higgs and Coulomb
branches. In this lecture, I will discuss some representation-theoretic aspects of
these phenomena.
Speaker: Andrew Neitzke
Title: Physics and Mathematics of Class S
Abstract: I will give an overview of a family of quantum field theories known as
"Class S", and some of their applications in physics and mathematics. A rough plan
of the lectures:
Lecture 1: Quantum field theories from surfaces
We will explain that certain four-dimensional supersymmetric quantum field theories
can be parameterized by Riemann surfaces with marked points and decorations.
Different ways of cutting the surface into pairs of pants correspond to different but
equivalent descriptions of the same physics.
Lecture 2: Geometry of vacua
We will explain how the low-energy behavior of class S field theories is controlled by
the geometry of Hitchin's integrable system. Thus physical questions about effective
couplings, particles and charges get related to geometry of Higgs bundles and
spectral curves.
Lecture 3: Connections to other subjects
We will discuss links between class S theories and various subjects in physics and
mathematics, including two-dimensional conformal field theory, cluster coordinates,
and wall-crossing.
Speaker: Nicolai Reshetikhin
Title : Superintegrability in Hamiltonian mechanics with examples.
Abastract:
1. Hamiltonian superintegrable systems, Example: Kepler system.
2. Spin Calogero-Moser system and superintegrable systems on moduli spaces of flat
connections over a surface.
3. Superintegrable systems on factorizable Poisson Lie groups.
Research Talk
Speaker: Andrea Appel
Title: Monodromy of the Casimir connection at numerical quantum parameters
Abstract: The monodromy theorem for the Casimir connection of a symmetrisable
Kac-Moody algebra was proved in earlier joint work with Valerio Toledano Laredo for
a formal quantum parameter. That proof relied on deformation-theoretic methods
and a strong rigidity result, which imply the statement for generic complex values of
the quantum parameter.
In this talk, I will present an alternative and more direct proof, valid for every
numerical parameter away from roots of unity. More precisely, I will introduce a
canonical braided tensor functor from category O for the Kac-Moody algebra to the
corresponding category for the quantum group, giving in particular another proof of
the Drinfeld–Kohno theorem. On integrable modules, this functor readily identifies the
monodromy of the Casimir connection with the quantum Weyl group action. This is
based on forthcoming joint work with Valerio Toledano Laredo.
Speaker: Ivan Cherednik
Title: Motivic superpolynomials and instanton slices
Abstract: The key will be my recent theorem that establishes a solid connection
between motivic superpolynomials for modules of any rank over plane curve
singularities and certain slices of Quot-schemes over isolated surface singularities,
torsion-free modules there with fixed "conductors". This includes some new formulas
for instanton sums for modules over A^2 supported at 0.
Our definition is of general nature and, generally, does not require plane curve
singularities. The first examples resulted in surprising motivic formulas for
superpolynomials of certain hyperbolic knots, including K12n242 and K12n725. It is
not clear by now which non-algebraic knots can be obtained, but I will state a
conjecture linking them to those from a recent work by Galashin-Lam and prior
ones. If time permits, I will discuss the modification of ASF, Affine Springer Fibers,
incorporating this new development, which indicates that ASF and several related
theories (local LP is one of them) may exist beyond "curves".
Speaker: Saebyeok Jeong
Title: Miura operators as R-matrices from M-brane Intersections
Abstract: In this talk, I will discuss how M2-M5 intersections in a twisted M-theory
background yield the R-matrices of the quantum toroidal algebra of gl(1). These
R-matrices are identified with the Miura operators for the q-deformed W- and
Y-algebras. Additionally, I will show how the M2-M5 intersection (or equivalently, the
Miura operator) generates the qq-characters of the 5d N=1 gauge theory, offering
new insight into the algebraic meaning of the latter.
Speaker: Michael McBreen
Title: The small quantum group via microlocal sheaves
Abstract: I will describe joint work with Roman Bezrukavnikov, Pablo Boixeda Alvarez
and Zhiwei Yun, which realizes a block of representations of the small quantum
group as microlocal sheaves on a moduli space of wildly ramified Higgs bundles over
the complex plane. Conjecturally, this is in turn equivalent to the Fukaya category of
a related moduli of irregular local systems.
Speaker: Sunghyuk Park
Title: Skein trace and applications
Abstract: The moduli space of rank n local systems on a Riemann surface S
famously admits "cluster coordinates," which are now part of the "higher Teichmuller
theory" of Fock and Goncharov. It was later discovered by Gaiotto, Moore, and
Neitzke that these coordinate charts can be identified with the moduli of rank 1 local
systems on a spectral curve Σ, a degree n branched cover over S. Fock and
Goncharov showed that cluster varieties in general admit a q-deformation, while
Turaev had previously established that the moduli space of rank n local systems on
S admits a q-deformation to the gl(n) skein algebra. For the two deformations to
agree, there must exist corresponding maps from the gl(n) skein of S to the gl(1)
skein of Σ. Such maps were indeed constructed algebraically by Bonahon and Wong
and others under the name "quantum trace," but their geometric origin -- and why
such maps should exist a priori -- remained unclear. In this talk, I will give a
geometric construction of these maps and their generalization, named "skein trace,"
by counting holomorphic curves. Time permitting, I will discuss two applications of
this construction: a skein-valued lift of the Kontsevich-Soibelman wall-crossing
formula, obtained by deforming Σ in the space of branched covers, and a definition
of BPS q-series for fibered 3-manifolds via the skein trace map.
Speaker: Manish Patnaik
Title: Whittaker functions, antispherical modules, and formulas of Kato-Lusztig type
Abstract: The antispherical module for an affine Hecke algebra plays a central role in
many different aspects of algebraic representation theory. This module also has a
p-adic incarnation in terms of certain spaces of Whittaker functions. After
explaining this connection and also its relation to the so-called geometric
Casselman-Shalika or Kato-Lusztig formulas, we will explain how to lift this story to
the setting of p-adic loop groups where the affine Hecke algebra is replaced by a
variant of the DAHA. We will also explain the relation to the double affine geometric
Satake program and deformations of this story that are naturally related to the
quantum geometric Langlands correspondence. Joint work with Valentin Buciumas and
Yanze Chen.
Speaker: Huafeng Zhang
Title: Uni-triangular R-matrices of quantum affine algebras via Theta series
Abstract: The universal R-matrix of the quantum affine algebra associated to a
finite-dimensional simple complex Lie algebra admits a Gauss decomposition into a
lower uni-triangular part, an abelian part, and an upper uni-triangular part. In this
talk, we explain a simple conjugation formula for the uni-triangular R-matrices with
one tensor factor evaluated at an arbitrary finite-dimensional representation of the
quantum affine algebra. Our formula involves the T-series of Frenkel--Hernandez
and the Theta series introduced in a previous work.
Map for Lunch and Banquet
Lunch (Cafeteria "Dooraemidam", 5th floor of Building 75-1)
- Speakers: Table-Service Area
- Other Participants: Buffet Area (Lunch coupon is needed.)
- Please return any unused lunch coupons before you leave.
Banquet
- B1 of Building 38 (Please use the exterior staircase.)
Coffee Break
- Coffee and snacks will be served on the 4th floor of Building 129.
- Wi-Fi : PMK26 (no password)
Discussion Room :
- Room 301 in Building 129 has been reserved throughout the conference
week for free discussions.
- Wi-Fi : 129-301 (Password:1357908642)