[Binghamton Geometry/Topology Seminar] (no subject)

[Marco Varisco]

BINGHAMTON GEOMETRY/TOPOLOGY SEMINAR
  http://www.math.binghamton.edu/dept/topsem/

Date:  Thursday, May 1, 2008

Time:  2:50 pm

Place:  Library North 2205
  (followed by coffee/tea in the Anderson Reading Room)

Speaker:  Ian Leary (Ohio State University)

Title:  Variations on a theme of Kan-Thurston

Abstract: The Kan-Thurston theorem says (roughly) that every connected
space has the same homology as a K(G,1) for some group G. Brita
Nucinkis and I proved an analogous theorem with the 'classifying space
for proper bundles' in place of a K(G,1): this space can have any
(nice, connected) homotopy type. I will explain these results and a
new strengthening of both results which uses CAT(0) cube complexes.
I show that every (nice connected) space has the same homology as a
locally CAT(0) cube complex and that every such space has the homotopy
type of the quotient of a locally CAT(0) cube complex by an isometric
involution.