The study group “Variations on Character Varieties” is a joint initiative by MPI Leipzig, Leipzig University, and Paderborn University. The study group investigates different definitions and topologies of character varieties, focusing on key subspaces and instructive examples. We contrast “flexible” cases, like discrete and faithful or quasi-Fuchsian representations, with “rigid” ones that may consist of only a few points, and also discuss compactification techniques and their interpretation as group actions on trees or buildings.
Start: October 23, 2025
Organisers: Jacques Audibert, Benjamin Delarue, Guenda Palmirotta, and Tobias Weich
Sessions: Thursdays, 10:50–12:10, online via Zoom or in person at MPI Leipzig, room A3 01 and Paderborn University, room D2-314