Category Theory

Category theory is a field of mathematics whose development underlies many important mathematical discoveries of the last century. It, like set theory, is both a language used to define and investigate other mathematical objects, as well as an object of study in its own right. However, quite unlike set theory, one will rarely find an introductory course on category theory in the catalogue of their university math department. This talk will be an introduction to the primary definitions of the subject, with an emphasis on how many seemingly disparate ideas in different subjects can all be unified from the categorical perspective. An understanding of basic set theory is all that will be necessary to follow the talk, but some knowledge of abstract algebra and topology are recommended. -Bryce Virgin