The focus of this conference is the classification of manifolds, including both topological and geometric aspects. The central rigidity conjecture is the Farrell-Jones Conjecture, which generalizes both the Novikov and Borel rigidity conjectures. The conference will bring together researchers who use geometric methods to study topological problems with researchers who use topological methods to study geometric problems. Examples of the former are high-dimensional topologists and examples of the latter are geometric group theorists and differential geometers. The conference will honor the mathematical contribution of F. T. Farrell, on the occasion of his 70th birthday.

This workshop is partially supported by the National Science Foundation (support pending) and by the Department of Mathematics of the University of the Aegean. Co-organized with the Northen Aegean District (section of Samos).

Invited speakers include:

  • Alejandro Adem, University Of British Columbia
  • C. S. Aravinda, TIFR Center for Applicable Mathematics, India
  • Sergio Ardanza-Trevijano, University of Navarra
  • Igor Belegradek, Georgia Tech
  • Michelle Bucher, University of Geneva
  • Chris Connell, University of Indiana
  • James Davis, Indiana University, Bloomington
  • Michael Davis, Ohio State University
  • Wojtek Dorabiala, Penn State, Altoona
  • Steve Ferry, Rutgers University
  • Roberto Frigerio, University of Pisa
  • Ross Geoghegan, Binghamton University
  • Duan Haibao, Inst. Of Math., Chinese Academy of Sciences
  • Lizhen Ji, Michigan University
  • Daniel Juan-Pineda, UNAM, Morelia, Mexico
  • Qayum Khan, University of Notre Dame
  • Peter Linnell, Virginia Tech
  • Brita Nucinkis, University of Southampton
  • Boris Okun, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
  • Ivonne Ortiz, Miami University, Ohio
  • Erik Pedersen, University of Copenhangen
  • Tam Nguyen Phan, University of Chicago
  • Frank Quinn, Virginia Tech
  • S. K. Roushon, Tata Institute, Mumbai, India
  • Ben Schmidt, Michigan State University
  • Wolfrgang Steinle,University of Bonn
  • Alina Vdovina, Newcastle University


The conference will be held at the Department of Mathematics, University of the Aegean, at Karlovassi, at the Island of Samos (birthplace of Pythagoras), Greece.