Conference in Honor of Prof. Peter May

About

This IWoAT special international conference celebrates the mathematical contributions of Professor J. Peter May on the occasion of his 85th birthday. It is a five-day event which takes place at Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) in Shenzhen, China from March 3 to March 7, 2025.

Prof. May is a professor at the University of Chicago. He is a world-famous algebraic topologist and a member of the inaugural class of Fellows of the American Mathematical Society. He has made foundational and groundbreaking contributions to many subjects in algebraic topology and homotopy theory, such as computation of the stable homotopy groups of spheres, the May spectral sequences, theory of generalized cohomology operations, infinite loop space theory, equivariant homotopy theory, highly structured ring spectra theory, theory of operads, parametrized homotopy theory, theory of model categories, etc. Prof. May has published more than 100 papers in leading mathematical journals, such as the Annals of Mathematics. He has also written many books in homotopy theory, including a very influential textbook, A concise course in algebraic topology. He had served for many years as the chair of the Department of Mathematics at the University of Chicago, as well as on its graduate admissions and studies committees. Prof. May values education in mathematics very highly. Since 2000, he has been organizing every year the undergraduate summer research program at the University of Chicago, also known as the REU. Until 2024, he has advised more than 60 doctoral students, many of whom have held tenured positions in prestigious universities all over the world. Prof. May has made a significant contribution to the development of algebraic topology in China, especially in educating and influencing a younger generation of Chinese algebraic topologists. This conference provides a wonderful opportunity to honor Prof. May's contributions to mathematics and to engage with colleagues in a vibrant academic environment.

The organizers gratefully acknowledge the support by the Department of Mathematics of SUSTech, Shenzhen International Center for Mathematics, and National Natural Science Foundation of China.

Here is a poster for the conference.

Organizers

Speakers

Schedule and Abstracts

Registration

All are welcome. However, due to space restrictions, we kindly need you to register. Some financial support is available. To register and to apply for funding, please write to the organizers at iwoat.organizers@outlook.com before February 10, 2025.

Information for Visa, Travel, Lodging, and Special Needs

(Please beware of scams!)

Visa-free policies: Citizens from certain countries do not need a visa to enter China (for a short period). Please refer to the following links for details:

• https://english.www.gov.cn/news/202405/07/content_WS663a0d9cc6d0868f4e8e6d10.html
• https://english.www.gov.cn/news/202406/25/content_WS667aa1d4c6d0868f4e8e88a5.html

If you need a Chinese visa, here is the website for application. For us to prepare a visa acceptance letter for you along with the application, please contact Leyuan Shen at shenly@mail.sustech.edu.cn

The SUSTech campus can be reached from the Shenzhen Baoan International Airport (40m taxi) or Shenzhen North Railway Station (10m taxi). Hong Kong is close to Shenzhen (1h shuttle) and has more international flight options. We will arrange pickups at the Hong Kong International Airport to the SUSTech campus on March 2. We will also make arrangements for you to return to that airport after the conference. There is no need for a separate visa for Hong Kong.

For registered participants, we have reserved a block of rooms at discounted rates at Shenzhen Nanshan Genpla Hotel close to SUSTech campus (check in March 2, check out March 8).

If you have any special needs (child care, dietary restrictions, etc.), please contact Leyuan Shen at shenly@mail.sustech.edu.cn

More logistics and local information can be found here.

Participants