Participant Testimonials
(1) I learned recent results on descriptive set theory and von Neumann algebras, and I found them quite interesting. Among others it was particularly nice to get to know logicians (Farah, Hart, and others) working on applying model theory to von Neumann algebras. I would like to keep discussing about this topic with them. I enjoyed talking with Andrew Toms on central sequence algebras and feel the different flavor of central sequences in C* context. (2) It was nice for me to have had an opportunity to talk in front of experts. It is definitely good for improving my presentation skills and getting to know experts in the relevant field. (3) I found talks on Polish groups quite interesting, and I would like to know more about them. I did not expect to hear such talks, because the workshop were only for set theory and some directly related analysis.
The conference was not exactly in my field of research (which would be more on the set theory side), but it certainly allowed me to understand better what is currently done in operator algebras, and to meet some people from that field. I appreciated the effort that some of the speakers (not all) from functional analysis put into being understandable from the set theorists. On the other hand, quite a number of pretty close colleagues were also present. That allowed a good balance between discovery and discussions on more precise subject. The latter opened at least three seemingly very interesting research tracks, and will very likely impact my research very soon. All in all, that was a very pleasant stay, and if the results I expect from turn out to be confirmed, it will also have been a very profitable one.
It was my second time attending a BIRS workshop and again I found the experience very enjoyable and extremely mathematically productive. The wide range of expertise of the workshop participants was a particular benefit of this meeting: I found the interactions with specialists in the structure theory of von Neumann algebras particularly useful, as well as learning significantly from experts in model theory and descriptive set theory. With Andrew Toms and Wilhelm Winter, I managed to make progress on the regularity conjecture for nuclear C*-algebras. We are currently preparing a paper on this topic in which it will be a pleasure to record our thanks to BIRS.
