Symplectic quotient singularities

If a finite group G acts on a complex vector space V then the set of orbits V/G is naturally an affine variety. It is almost always singular. Beginning with my PhD work, I've always been interested in resolutions of these singular spaces. I'll explain what a "symplectic resolution" is, when these exist and why you might care about them. The main point of the talk is to use this example to illustrate some of the things that you'll typically encounter, or require, in your research career e.g., luck, bad luck, hard work, mistakes... In other words, I'll use this example to tell you some of the things that have happened to me during the almost 20 years spent thinking about the problem.