Najib Idrissi: Configuration spaces and Operads

ABSTRACT: Configuration spaces of manifolds are classical objects in algebraic topology, but studying their homotopy type is a difficult task. In this talk, I will explain how to use ideas coming from the theory of operads (and more precisely Kontsevich's proof of the formality of the little disks operads) to obtain results on the real homotopy type of configuration spaces of compact manifolds. I will also talk about recent applications.