We study the following real version of the famous Abhyankar-Moh Theorem: Which real rational map from the affine line to the affine plane, whose real part is a non-singular real closed embedding of $\mathbb{R}$ into $\mathbb{R}^2$, is equivalent, up to a birational diffeomorphism of the plane, to the linear one? We show that in contrast with the situation in the categories of smooth manifolds with smooth maps and of real algebraic varieties with regular maps where there is only one equivalence class up to isomorphism, there are plenty of non-equivalent smooth rational closed embeddings up to birational diffeomorphisms. Some of these are simply detected by the non-negativity of the real Kodaira dimension of the complement of their images. But we also introduce finer invariants derived from topological properties of suitable fake real planes associated to certain classes of such embeddings.
(Joint Work with Adrien Dubouloz).[-]

The goal of the Minimal Model Program (MMP) is to provide a framework in which the classification of varieties or foliations can take place. The basic strategy is to use surgery operations to decompose a variety or foliation into "building block” type objects (Fano, Calabi-Yau, or canonically polarized objects).

We first review the basic notions of the MMP in the case of varieties. We then explain work on realizing the MMP for foliations on threefolds (both in the case of codimension =1 and dimension =1 foliations). We explain and pay special attention to results such as the Cone and Contraction theorem, the Flip theorem and a version of the Basepoint free theorem.[-]

The goal of the Minimal Model Program (MMP) is to provide a framework in which the classification of varieties or foliations can take place. The basic strategy is to use surgery operations to decompose a variety or foliation into "building block” type objects (Fano, Calabi-Yau, or canonically polarized objects).

We first review the basic notions of the MMP in the case of varieties. We then explain work on realizing the MMP for foliations on threefolds (both in the case of codimension =1 and dimension =1 foliations). We explain and pay special attention to results such as the Cone and Contraction theorem, the Flip theorem and a version of the Basepoint free theorem.[-]