Women in Operator Algebras III (23w5089)

The Banff International Research Station will host the "Women in Operator Algebras III" workshop in Banff from June 25 to June 30, 2023.

The field of Operator Algebras has its origins in the 1930s with the work of Gelfand, Neumark, von Neumann, and others. Since then, it has rapidly evolved due to major breakthroughs in the classifications of simple amenable von Neumann algebras and C*-algebras, the introduction of free probability, and recent developments in quantum information theory. The area has connections with almost every branch of mathematics and a few areas of physics, including number theory, ring theory, algebraic topology, differential geometry, ergodic theory, quantum field theory, mathematical physics, and even quantum computing.

The area of Operator Algebras is overwhelmingly male-dominated: less than 17\% of researchers in Operator Algebras are women. The workshop aims at having women scholars work on collaborative, innovative, cutting-edge research in a supportive and focused environment, and to produce significant scientific results to be published in highly-ranked journals. The proposed projects will have the potential to become fruitful long-term collaborations, to have a profound influence on participants' careers, and to greatly impact the research landscape in Operator Algebras. Following the model of successful previous workshops, the scholars will work on projects of current interest in small groups of 4--6 led by one or two leaders.

The workshop also intends to strengthen the network of women in Operator Algebras by furthering connections and mentoring opportunities between the participants. In particular, there will be formal and informal opportunities for Q\&A, career advice and mentoring.

We thank the Clay Foundation, the Foundation Compositio Mathematica and the Fields Institute for Research in Mathematical Sciences for travel funds to selected participants.

The Banff International Research Station for Mathematical Innovation and Discovery (BIRS) is a collaborative Canada-US-Mexico venture that provides an environment for creative interaction as well as the exchange of ideas, knowledge, and methods within the Mathematical Sciences, with related disciplines and with industry. The research station is located at The Banff Centre in Alberta and is supported by Canada's Natural Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), Alberta's Advanced Education and Technology, and Mexico's Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACYT).