UBC/ PIMS Mathematical Sciences Young Faculty Award Colloquium: Liam Watson

What is Khovanov homology, and when is it boring?

Khovanov homology, though relatively young, is difficult to survey in an hour. This talk will nevertheless attempt to do so, by focussing on the problem of characterizing thin links—those links with simplest-possible Khovanov homology. This is a story that is still unfolding; I will describe some progress that is part of a joint project with Artem Kotelskiy and Claudius Zibrowius.