Abstract. The Group Isomorphism Problem is the algorithmic problem of telling whether two seemingly different kinds of symmetry are actually the same. For example, left-right symmetry and top-bottom symmetry have the same abstract structure; but the fourfold rotational symmetry of a four-vaned pinwheel is distinct from the four reflection symmetries of a rectangle. Although these cases are easy to see “by hand,” the symmetries of higher-dimensional or larger objects – such as molecules, differential equations with many variables, the standard model of particle physics, or complex networks with millions of nodes – can be harder to understand without the aid of a computer.
The Group Isomorphism problem also turns out to be related to the more famous problem of Graph Isomorphism. Due to recent breakthroughs, finding better algorithms for Group Isomorphism is a key obstacle to overcome in finding better algorithms for Graph Isomorphism.
This meeting will bring together four experts on Group Isomorphism from two different communities - Mathematics and Theoretical Computer Science – to combine their ideas, take advantage of new, ripe opportunities, and improve the state of the art in algorithms for Group Isomorphism.