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On the p-curvature of quantum connections of CY threefolds

CMSA QUANTUM FIELD THEORY AND PHYSICAL MATHEMATICS SEMINAR

When: February 9, 2026
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Where: CMSA, 20 Garden St, G102
Speaker: Shaoyun Bai (MIT)

The small quantum connection of Calabi-Yau varieties has integral coefficients, thus admits reduction mod a prime number p. A fundamental invariant associated with flat connections over characteristic p is the p-curvature, which lies at the heart of study of algebraic differential equations. I will explain how to identify the p-curvature of quantum connection of any compact Calabi-Yau threefold with the quantum Steenrod operation, thereby providing a modular description of the p-curvature in this setting. I will also discuss the role of BPS invariants and the mirror symmetry context. This is based on joint work with Jae Hee Lee.

In person and online:

Zoom link: https://harvard.zoom.us/j/98290689769
Password: CMSA-QFTPM