Name: Greg Blekherman, Georgia Tech
Title: Sums of Squares and Varieties of Minimal Degree

Abstract: I will explain and draw connections between the following
two theorems: (1) Hilbert's theorem on nonnegative polynomials and
sums of squares, and (2) Classification of varieties of minimal degree
by Del Pezzo and Bertini. This will result in the classification of
all varieties on which nonnegative polynomials are equal to sums of
squares. This is joint work with Greg Smith and Mauricio Velasco.