This is a survey talk about one of the main parts of what we call high-dimensional combinatorics. We start by equating a permutation with a permutation matrix. Namely, an nxn array of zeros and ones where every line (=row or column) contains exactly one 1. In general, a d-dimensional permutation is an array [n]x[n]x....x[n] (d+1 factors) of zeros and ones in which every line (now there are d+1 types of lines) contains exactly one 1. Many questions suggest themselves, some of which we have already solved, but many others are still wide opne. Here are a few examples:

Markoff triples are integer solutions to Markoff equation $x^2+y^2+z^2=3xyz$ which arose in Markoff's spectacular and fundamental work (1879) on diophantine approximation and has been henceforth ubiquitous in a tremendous variety of different fields in mathematics and beyond.

Abstract: I will give an introduction to the cohomology of universal covers of finite complexes. These groups are (for infinite covers) either trivial or infinite dimensional, but they have renormalized real valued Betti numbers. Their study is philosophically related to the topic of our year, and they have wonderful applications in geometry, group theory, topology etc and I hope to explain some of this.

Abstract: While algebraic topology is now well established as an applicable branch of mathematics, its emergence in neuroscience is surprisingly recent. In this talk I will present a summary of an ongoing joint project with mathematician and neuroscientists. I will start with some basic facts on neuroscience and the digital reconstruction of a rat’s neocortex by the Blue Brain Project in EPFL.

Abstract: Let X be a simplicial complex on n vertices without missing faces of dimension larger than d. Let L_k denote the k-Laplacian acting on real k-cochains of X and let μ_k(X) denote its minimal eigenvalue. We study the connection between the spectral gaps μ_k(X) for k ≥ d and μ_{d-1}(X). Applications include: 1) A cohomology vanishing theorem for complexes without large missing faces. 2) A fractional Hall type theorem for general position sets in matroids.

Abstract: Let G be a finitely generated group and let G>G_1>G_2 ... be a sequence of finite index normal subgroups of G with trivial intersection. We expect that the asymptotic behaviour of various group theoretic invariants of the groups G_i should relate to algebraic, topological or measure theoretic properties of G. A classic example of this is the Luck approximation theorem which says that the growth of the ordinary Betti numbers of sequence G_i is given by the L^2-Betti number of (the classifying space) of G.

Abstract:

In the first talk we gave a brief outline of the contents of the course. In the rest of the semester we will get deeper into some topics. In the coming lecture ( and the next one) we will discuss Kazhdan property T and its connections with expanders and with first cohomology groups. No prior knowledge will be assumed.