Burt Totaro (Los Angeles): Varieties of general type with small volume
Abstract: In trying to classify algebraic varieties, the fundamental invariant is the "volume", generalizing the genus of a curve. In higher dimensions, the volume need not be an integer, and so it is a fascinating challenge to construct varieties with the smallest possible positive volume. These can be considered the varieties that are hardest to find.
(Joint work with Louis Esser and Chengxi Wang.)