Modern algebra: representation theory

Akshay Venkatesh, MWF 11-11:50pm.

There will be no class on Monday April 11 and Friday April 15. I will hold make-up classes later in the quarter. Professor Bump will teach the class on Wednesday April 15, which will run 11--12:15.
Summary Representation theory, assuming previous exposure to graduate-level algebra. Topics to be covered: representation theory of finite groups and character theory; representations of unitary groups, symmetric groups and Schur/Weyl duality; introduction to representations of compact Lie groups.
The CA is Sukhada Fadnavis, office hours W 1-3 F 2-4 in 380-L. My office hours will be F 4-5 and W 3-4 in 383-E.
References: Although there is no course text, Serre's Linear representations of finite groups is an excellent reference for a good part of the course.
Homeworks There will be four or five homework assignments, at roughly two-week intervals.
homework 1 homework 2 homework 3 (now revised, some hints added). homework 4 (due by end of exam period).
Lecture summaries
    Week 1. (M) Definition of group representations, some examples. (W) Maschke's theorem. (F) NO CLASS.
Akshay Venkatesh
Department of Mathematics Rm. 383-E
Stanford University
Stanford, CA
email: akshay at stanford math