The Springer correspondence and modular representation theory

Abstract:  In recent work on the topology of proper complex algebraic maps de Cataldo and Migliorini have highlighted the role of intersection forms associated to the fibres. I will explain the Springer resolution (an exceptionally interesting proper map) and how it can be used to construct all simple representations of the symmetric group in arbitrary characteristic. The moral of the story is that behaviour of these intersection forms modulo a prime contains important representation theoretic information.