<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">You are cordially invited to the Mathematics Colloquium at <b class="">12:40</b> in the <b class="">FENS building</b> on Sabancı Campus<b class=""> </b>in room <b class="">L035 </b>on <b class="">Tuesday 2 October 2018</b>.<div class=""><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><b class="">Sione Ma'u</b> (University of Auckland, New Zealand)</div><div class="">Title: <b class="">Polynomial degree via pluripotential theory</b></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Abstract: Given a complex polynomial $p$ in one variable, $\log|p|$ is a subharmonic function that grows like $(deg p)\log|z|$ as $|z|\to\infty$. Such functions are studied using complex potential theory, based on the Laplace operator in the complex plane.</div><br class="">Multivariable polynomials can also be studied using potential theory (more precisely, a non-linear version called pluripotential theory, which is based on the complex Monge-Ampere operator). In this talk I will motivate and define a notion of degree of a polynomial on an affine variety using pluripotential theory (Lelong degree). Using this notion, a straightforward calculation yields a version of Bezout's theorem. I will present some examples and describe how to compute Lelong degree explicitly on an algebraic curve. This is joint work with Jesse Hart.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Kind regards,</div><div class="">Michel Lavrauw.</div></div></body></html>