Irrationality proofs of zeta values

In this seminar, we will study Brown’s paper “Irrationality proofs for zeta values, moduli spaces and dinner parties” which gives a conceptional approach to many irrationality proofs of zeta values using period integrals on moduli spaces of stable curves. In the first few talks, we will discuss classical irrationality proofs for zeta values. Afterwards, we will give a short introduction to periods and moduli of stable curves. We will mainly focus on stable curves of genus zero and introduce explicit coordinates on these spaces which are useful for explicit computations. Finally, we will show that one can reprove many classical irrationality results on zeta values using period integrals on moduli spaces.

Program: pdf

Time: Thursday at 2:15 pm.
Room: WSC-N-U-3.05.

We will also stream the talks in a zoom meeting. Please get in touch for the coordinates.