The renormalized volume is an invariant of a conformally compact Einstein manifold, which has been studied extensively in several research areas: conformal geometry, global analysis, and mathematical physics. In this coloquium talk, I will explain the basic notion and properties of the renormalized volume of 3-dimensional hyperbolic manifolds of infinite volume, and its relation with the Liouville theory for conformal boundary Riemann surface.

Since Belavin, Polyakov, and Zamolodchikov introduced conformal field theory as an operator algebra formalism which relates some conformally invariant critical clusters in two-dimensional lattice models to the representation theory of Virasoro algebra, it has been applied in string theory and condensed matter physics. In mathematics, it inspired development of algebraic theories such as Virasoro representation theory and the theory of vertex algebras. After reviewing its development and presenting its rigorous model in the context of probability theory and complex analysis, I discuss its application to the theory of Schramm-Loewner evolution. 

In this talk, I will give a general introduction to the geometry and topology of 3-manifolds. I will start with very basic definitions, and cover major theorems and recent developments in the field. 

Let A be an Abelian variety over a field K. The group A(K) of K-rational points on A, known as the Mordell-Weil group of A, is known to be finitely generated if K  is an algebraic number field of finite degree. It is known to be of infinite rank if K is a certain type of algebraic number field of infinite degree. If K  is "too large", then A(K) contains a non-trivial divisible subgroup. I will discuss some reasonable conditions on K which allow A(K) to contain no non-trivial divisible subgroups, and give some examples of such K.