Program

In the slightly more than two decades that have elapsed since the fields of Symplectic and Contact Topology were created, the field has grown enormously and unforeseen new connections within Mathematics and Physics have been found. The goals of the 2009-10 program at MSRI are to:I. Promote the cross-pollination of ideas between different areas of symplectic and contact geometry;II. Help assess and formulate the main outstanding fundamental problems and directions in the field;III. Lead to new breakthroughs and solutions of some of the main problems in the area;IV. Discover new applications of symplectic and contact geometry in mathematics and physics;V. Educate a new generation of young mathematicians, giving them a broader view of the subject and the capability to employ techniques from different areas in their research.To achieve these goals, the program will concentrate on three broad, interrelated themes that encompass many of the modern trends in symplectic geometry: algebraic structures associated to holomorphic curves; symplectic and contact geometry in low dimensional topology; and symplectic topology and dynamics.To apply please visit http://www.msri.org/web/msri/scientific/member-application (Deadlines: 1 Oct. 2008 -- 1 Dec. 2008.)Bibliography (PDF 79KB)