Chiralization and QFT

October 20-24, 2025

This workshop brings together mathematicians and physicists to discuss and develop different modern perspectives on "chiralization." The foundational examples of chiralization are vertex algebras, which "chiralize" ordinary associative algebras, and have been a cornerstone of mathematical physics, algebra, and geometry since the late 1980's. We will consider chiralizations of increasingly complex objects, such as moduli spaces, cluster algebras, quantum groups, and categories, which are currently being developed. More so, we will discuss how such chiralization is inspired by (and conversely, helps elucidate) structures in quantum field theory in 3, 4, and higher dimensions.

Organizers: Christopher Beem (University of Oxford), Tudor Dimofte (University of Edinburgh), Alexander Shapiro (University of Edinburgh)

Funding for the workshop includes support from the Simons Foundation, UK Research and Innovation (EPSRC), and the Royal Society.

Participants

Tomoyuki Arakawa (RIMS, Kyoto)
Mikhail Bershtein (SISSA, Trieste)
Dylan Butson (UC Los Angeles)
Ioana Coman (IPMU Tokyo)
Ben Davison (U. of Edinburgh)
Michele del Zotto (Uppsala U.)
Gurbir Dhillon (UC Los Angeles)
Niklas Garner (U. of Oxford)
Nikita Grygoryev (Perimeter Institute)
Lotte Hollands (Heriot-Watt U.)
Leonardo Rastelli (SUNY Stony Brook)
Gus Schraeder (Northwestern U.)
Mykola Semenyakin (Perimeter Institute)
Yegor Zenkevich (U. of Edinburgh)

Schedule (preliminary version)

All group academic activities will take place on the terrace (top floor) of Casa Lunamar, Calle Mariana Pineda, 16, Las Palmas. All talks and discussions are in-person, on whiteboards. Attendance is open to invited workshop participants only. Speakers/titles for the talks will be announced closer to the workshop date.

Monday

9-9:50am gather during breakfast (optional; bring your own breakfast)
9:50-10 welcome to AMSI and the week: Stella Luna (director) and the workshop organizers
10-10:30 talk 1
11-11:30 talk 2
12-12:30 talk 3
1pm catered lunch
2-5pm free
5-5:30 talk 4
6-8pm discussion
8pm dinner in Las Palmas, independently

Tuesday

9-10am gather during breakfast (optional; bring your own breakfast)
10-10:30 talk 5
11-11:30 talk 6
12-12:30 talk 7
1pm catered lunch
2-4pm free
4-4:30 talk 8
4:30-5:30 discussion
6pm public talk @ VENUE: Ben Davison, The continuing unreasonable effectiveness of mathematics
8pm dinner in Las Palmas, independently

Wednesday

9-10am gather during breakfast (optional; bring your own breakfast)
10-10:30 talk 9
11-11:30 talk 10
12-12:30 talk 11
1pm board bus to San Pedro and Agaete for group excursion (see below)
8pm return bus from Agaete to Las Palmas

Thursday

9-10am gather during breakfast (optional; bring your own breakfast)
10-10:30 talk 12
11-11:30 talk 13
12-12:30 talk 14
1pm catered lunch
2-5pm free
5-5:30 talk 15
6-8pm discussion
8pm dinner in Las Palmas, independently

Friday

9-10am gather during breakfast (optional; bring your own breakfast)
10-10:30 talk 16
11-11:30 talk 17
12-12:30 talk 18
1pm catered lunch
2-5pm free
5-8pm solicited talk or discussion
8pm dinner in Las Palmas, independently

Excursion

On Wednesday afternoon, registered workshop participants will take a group excursion to the small town of Agaete and the valley above it, in the northwest of the island. You are welcome to opt out -- but please let us know if you'd like to do so. There are many options on the excursion, including spending time in small groups, or exploring on your own. Our bus leaves Las Palmas at 1pm [instructions will be distributed]. We'll have small sandwiches and fruit on board. Please BRING YOUR OWN WATER and additional snacks, especially if you are planning to hike.

Key bus times

1pm leave Las Palmas
1:45pm bus arrives San Pedro (Bodega Los Berrazales)
3:15pm bus from San Pedro to Puerto de las Nieves (Agaete), arriving 3:30pm
8:00pm bus leaves Puerto de las Nieves (Agaete), arriving Las Palmas around 8:30pm

Possible itineraries

[Coffee/wine and hike]

Take a tour of Bodega los Berrazales, one of Europe's only coffee plantations, as well as a small vineyard, followed by a wine and coffee tasting (accompanied by cheese, chorizo, and jam). Cost: €14, payable (card/cash) at the Bodega.

Then shortly after 3pm, hike from San Pedro to Agaete. The hike takes about 3.5 hours and is of medium difficulty, with about 500 meters of ascent and 650 meters of descent; some of the descent on volcanic gravel can be a bit slippery, so shoes with good traction and/or poles are recommended.

Once in Agaete, relax at a bar or cafe in the town center; or head to the port (Puerto de las Nieves) for bars/cafes, a beach boardwalk, and natural swimming pools. Catch the sunset at 7:30.

[Coffee/wine and swim/relax]

Do the tour and coffee/wine tasting at Bodega los Berrazales. Then catch the bus to Puerto de las Nieves. Swim in the natural pools or rest on the beach. Then get a drink or tapas in a cafe, in the port or the town center.

[Hike and swim]

Begin hiking immediately upon arrival at the Bodega, arriving in Puerto de las Nieves around 5:15, in time for a swim while the sun is higher. Catch a drink before the bus home.

AMSI

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