| Differential geometry is a vast subject that has its roots in both the classical theory of curves and surfaces, i.e., the study of properties of objects in physical space that are unchanged by rotation and translation, and in the early attempts by Gauss and Riemann, among others, to understand the features of problems from the calculus of variations that are independent of the coordinates in which they might happen to be described.
As classical as the subject is, it is currently undergoing a very vigorous development, interacting strongly with theoretical physics, mechanics, topology, algebraic geometry, symplectic topology, partial differential equations, the calculus of variations, integrable systems, and many other subjects. The five main topics on which we propose to concentrate the program are areas that have shown considerable growth in the last ten years:
- Complex geometry, calibrated geometries and special holonomy
- Geometric analysis
- Symplectic geometry and gauge theory
- Geometry and physics
- Riemannian and metric geometry
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