We give a formula for the Chern character on the DG category of global matrix factorizations on a smooth scheme $X$ with superpotential $w\in \Gamma(\O_X)$. Our formula takes values in a Cech model for Hochschild homology. Our methods may also be adapted to get an explicit formula for the Chern character for perfect complexes of sheaves on $X$ taking values in right derived global sections of the De-Rham algebra. Along the way we prove that the DG version of the Chern Character coincides with the classical one for perfect complexes.

The classical discriminant D_n of degree n polynomials detects whether a given univariate polynomial f has a repeated root. It is itself a polynomial in the coefficients of f which, according to several classical results by Bézout, Sylvester, Cayley, and others, may be expressed as the determinant of a matrix whose entries are much simpler polynomials in the coefficients of f. This thesis is concerned with the construction and classification of such determinantal formulae for D_n. In particular, all of the formulae for D_n appearing in the classical literature are equivalent in the sense that the cokernels of their associated matrices are isomorphic as modules over the associated polynomial ring. This begs the question of whether there exist formulae which are not equivalent to the classical formulae and not trivial in the sense of having the same cokernel as the 1 x 1 matrix (D_n). The results of this thesis lie in two directions. First, we construct an explicit non-classical formula: the presentation matrix of the open swallowtail first studied by Arnol'd and Givental. We study the properties of this formula, contrasting them with the properties of the classical formulae. Second, for the discriminant of the polynomial x^4+a_2x^2+a_3x+a_4 we embark on a classification of determinantal formulae which are homogeneous in the sense that the cokernels of their associated matrices are graded modules with respect to the grading deg a_i=i. To this end, we use deformation theory: a moduli space of such modules arises from the base spaces of versal deformations of certain modules over the E_6 singularity {x^4-y^3}. The method developed here can in principle be used to classify determinantal formulae for all discriminants, and, indeed, for all singularities.

The classical discriminant D_n of degree n polynomials detects whether a given univariate polynomial f has a repeated root. It is itself a polynomial in the coefficients of f which, according to several classical results by Bézout, Sylvester, Cayley, and others, may be expressed as the determinant of a matrix whose entries are much simpler polynomials in the coefficients of f. This thesis is concerned with the construction and classification of such determinantal formulae for D_n. In particular, all of the formulae for D_n appearing in the classical literature are equivalent in the sense that the cokernels of their associated matrices are isomorphic as modules over the associated polynomial ring. This begs the question of whether there exist formulae which are not equivalent to the classical formulae and not trivial in the sense of having the same cokernel as the 1 x 1 matrix (D_n). The results of this thesis lie in two directions. First, we construct an explicit non-classical formula: the presentation matrix of the open swallowtail first studied by Arnol'd and Givental. We study the properties of this formula, contrasting them with the properties of the classical formulae. Second, for the discriminant of the polynomial x^4+a_2x^2+a_3x+a_4 we embark on a classification of determinantal formulae which are homogeneous in the sense that the cokernels of their associated matrices are graded modules with respect to the grading deg a_i=i. To this end, we use deformation theory: a moduli space of such modules arises from the base spaces of versal deformations of certain modules over the E_6 singularity {x^4-y^3}. The method developed here can in principle be used to classify determinantal formulae for all discriminants, and, indeed, for all singularities.

An n × n matrix factorization of a polynomial f is a pair of n × n matrices (P, Q) such that PQ = f In, where In is the n × n identity matrix. In this dissertation, we study matrix factorizations of an arbitrary element in a given unital ring. This study is motivated on the one hand by the construction of the unit object in the bicategory LGK of Landau-Ginzburg models (of great utility in quantum physics) whose 1−cells are matrix factorizations of polynomials over a commutative ring K, and on the other hand by the existing tensor product of matrix factorizations b⊗. We observe that the pair of n × n matrices that appear in the matrix factorization of an element in a unital ring is not unique. Next, we propose a new operation on matrix factorizations denoted e⊗ which is such that if X is a matrix factorization of an element f in a unital ring (e.g. the power series ring K[[x1, ..., xr]] f) and Y is a matrix factorization of an element g in a unital ring (e.g. g ∈ K[[y1, ..., ys]]), then Xe⊗Y is a matrix factorization of f g in a certain unital ring (e.g. in case f ∈ K[[x1, ..., xr]] and g ∈ K[[y1, ..., ys]], then f g ∈ K[[x1, ..., xr , y1, ..., ys]]). e⊗ is called the multiplicative tensor product of X and Y. After proving that this product is bifunctorial, many of its properties are also stated and proved. Furthermore, if MF(1) denotes the category of matrix factorizations of the constant power series 1, we define the concept of one-step connected category and prove that there is a one-step connected subcategory of (MF(1),e⊗) which is semi-unital semi-monoidal. We also define the concept of right pseudo-monoidal category which generalizes the notion of monoidal category and we prove that (MF(1),e⊗) is an example of this concept. Furthermore, we define a summand-reducible polynomial to be one that can be written in the form f = t1 + · · · + ts + g11 · · · g1m1 + · · · + gl1 · · · glml under some specified conditions where each tk is a monomial and each gji is a sum of monomials. We then use b⊗ and e⊗ to improve the standard method for matrix factorization of polynomials on this class and we prove that if pji is the number of monomials in gji, then there is an improved version of the standard method for factoring f which produces factorizations of size 2 Qm1 i=1 p1i+···+ Qml i=1 pli−( Pm1 i=1 p1i+···+ Pml i=1 pli) times smaller than the size one would normally obtain with the standard method. Moreover, details are given to elucidate the intricate construction of the unit object of LGK. Thereafter, a proof of the naturality of the right and left unit maps of LGK with respect to 2−morphisms is presented. We also prove that there is no direct inverse for these (right and left) unit maps, thereby justifying the fact that their inverses are found only up to homotopy. Finally, some properties of matrix factorizations are exploited to state and prove a necessary condition to obtain a Morita context in LGK.