Introduction to the Generalized Poincaré Conjecture by Prof. Dr. Markus Banagl

The generalized Poincaré conjecture aims for recognizing a sphere based on certain local and global assumptions on a space: It should locally be modelled on n-dimensional Euclidean space, it should be compact, simply connected and have the homology of an n-dimensional sphere.

We will give a first introduction to these questions and, after sketching the genesis of the conjecture, focus on the influential topological methods that lead to a proof in high dimensions.

The talk is aimed at math students, scientists and the mathematically interested public.