Joaqun Moraga, UCLA

Title: Topology of algebraic singularities

Abstract: Let X be a normal algebraic variety and x be a closed point in X. We can associate a natural topological space, the link of the singularity L(X;x), to (X;x). This object is a manifold whenever x is an isolated singularity of X. 
In this talk, we will discuss the known results about the fundamental groups of L(X;x). Then, we will focus on special classes of singularities motivated by birational geometry and study these links.