Mini-Workshop: Symmetric Varieties and Involutions of Algebraic Groups

Abstract

This conference brought together experts from the areas of algebraic groups, Kac–Moody groups, Tits buildings, and symmetric varieties. The main theme presented and discussed during the workshop was the geometry of involutions of algebraic and Kac–Moody groups. In particular, symmetric varieties and the induced action of involutions on buildings. More specific topics that were covered include the Tits centre conjecture, compactifications of locally symmetric spaces and of buildings, Kac-Moody groups over ultrametric fields, and the structure of locally compact groups.