18.979 Graduate Geometry Seminar Spring 2007:
Polyfold-Fredholm theory and generalized Lagrangian Floer theory

Hofer-Wysocki-Zehnder have recently introduced new "scale" smooth structures on Banach spaces and "polyfolds", a generalization of Banach manifolds, allowing for locally varying dimensions. In this language, a compactified moduli space can be described as the zero set of a "Fredholm section" in a "polyfold bundle". Examples of such moduli spaces are the set of Morse flow lines, including broken trajectories; or the set of holomorphic curves, including nodal curves. More generally, the formation of singularities can be described in the same category that nonsingular objects lie in. Two main features of this Polyfold-Fredholm theory are an abstract transversality theorem and an implicit function theorem. I will develop the Polyfold-Fredholm theory from scratch and illustrate its application at a setup for generalized Lagrangian Floer theory (overcoming obstructions from disk bubbles). The latter is a finitely generated version of the Fukaya-Oh-Ono-Ohta $A_\infty$ algebra, proposed by Cornea-Lalonde. It requires the study of moduli spaces of trees of holomorphic disks, connected by Morse flow lines.
Prerequisites: basic topology, differential geometry, and functional analysis (Previous exposure to moduli spaces of PDE's is useful but not necessary.)

Literature:
Overview (CDM): H.Hofer, A General Fredholm Theory and Applications (download).
Script part 1: H.Hofer,K.Wysocki,E.Zehnder, A General Fredholm Theory I: A Splicing-Based Differential Geometry
A preliminary version of The Book
Preprint on generalized Lagrangian Floer theory via cluster moduli spaces: O.Cornea,F.Lalonde, Cluster Homology

Lecture notes:
I am planning to produce lecture notes on the application to Lagrangian Floer theory.
If you are interested in helping with this project let me know - funding might be available.

Schedule: MWF 11-12 (but will poll on rescheduling after first week)
office hours: MWF 12-1 at lunch

Contact: Katrin Wehrheim ( katrin (guess what) math.mit.edu )