Let the vector bundle E be a deformation of the tangent bundle over the Grassmannian G(k, n). We compute the ring structure of sheaf cohomology valued in exterior powers of E, also known as the polymology. This is the first part of a project studying the quantum sheaf cohomology of Grassmannians with deformations of the tangent bundle, a generalization of ordinary quantum cohomology rings of Grassmannians. A companion physics paper [6] describes physical aspects of the theory, including a conjecture for the quantum sheaf cohomology ring, and numerous examples.

We derive an effective recursion for Witten's r-spin intersection numbers, using Witten's conjecture relating r-spin numbers to the Gel'fand-Dikii hierarchy (Theorem 4.1). Consequences include closed-form descriptions of the intersection numbers (for example, in terms of gamma functions: Propositions 5.2 and 5.4, Corollary 5.5). We use these closed-form descriptions to prove Harer-Zagier's formula for the Euler characteristic of M_ {g, 1}. Finally in Section 6, we extend Witten's series expansion formula for the Landau-Ginzburg potential to study r-spin numbers in the small phase space in genus zero. Our key tool is the calculus of formal pseudodifferential operators, and is partially motivated by work of Brezin and Hikami.

We show that the analogue of Hamilton's Ricci flow in the combinatorial setting produces solutions which converge exponentially fast to Thurston's circle packing on surfaces. As a consequence, a new proof of Thurston's existence of circle packing theorem is obtained. As another consequence, Ricci flow suggests a new algorithm to find circle packings.

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This volume contains the written account of the Bonn seminar on arith-metic geometry 2003/2004. It gives a coherent exposition of the theory of intersections of modular correspondences. The focus of the seminar is the formula for the intersection number of arithmetic modular correspondences due to Gross and Keating. Other topics treated are Hurwitz's theorem on the intersection of modular correspondences over the field of complex numbers, and the relation of the arithmetic intersection numbers to Fourier coefficients of Siegel-Eisenstein series. Also included is background material on one-dimensional formal groups and their endomorphisms, and on quadratic forms over the ring of p-adic integers.