Questions tagged [topological-quantum-field-theory]
Topological quantum field theory.
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Different modular data with same T-matrix
Modular data (MD) is an invariant of a modular fusion category $\mathcal{C}$. It is a couple of symmetric matrices $S, T \in M_r(\mathbb{C})$ with:
$r$ the rank of $\mathcal{C}$,
$S$ invertible,
$T$ ...
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Relationship between the TQFTs in Kapustin-Witten and Ben-Zvi-Sakellaridis-Venkatesh
In upcoming work of Ben-Zvi-Sakellaridis-Venkatesh, (see for instance these notes or this lecture) some important aspects of the Langlands correspondence are stated in the language of topological ...
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Sensitivity of topological field theories
I am struggling to find references or studies that explore the overall sensitivity of topological field theories as an invariant of smooth manifolds. There is the paper by Davis that explores how ...
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Original reference for generators and relations of 2-dimensional TQFT
What is the original reference where it was first proven that the generators and relations of the 2-dimensional cobordism category are those of commutative Frobenius algebras?
I've seen this article ...
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Riemann-Hilbert-type correspondence for locally constant factorization algebras
This is related to a previous post, but a bit softer and should probably stand on its own.
In Appendix A of "Higher Algebra", Lurie shows that for a reasonably good topological space, there ...
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$\mathbb{E}_M$ as colimit of little cubes operads
In Lurie's "Higher Algebra", Remark 5.4.5.2 towards the end, there is the following statement: "It follows that $\mathbb{E}_M$ can be identified with the colimit of a diagram of $\infty$...
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Summary of different types of TQFT?
For the purposes of this question, a TQFT comprises the following data:
An "upper dimenison" $n \in \mathbb N$.
A "lower dimension" $0 \leq l \leq n$.
A choice of structure ...
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Two vague questions about TFT
Question 1. Take a smooth projective Calabi-Yau $X$. Then $D^b(X)$ is a fully-dualizable category and there's an associated 2d TFT. This the usual 2d B-model with target $X$.
But $D^b(X)$ is actually ...
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On the "integrality condition" of the bilinear form in the Chern-Simons action
Let $G$ be a Lie group with Lie algebra $\mathfrak{g}$ and let $\pi:P\to\mathcal{M}$ be a principal $G$-bundle over a smooth orientable manifold $\mathcal{M}$. Furthermore, let $\langle\cdot,\cdot\...
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Undergraduate research in Topological Quantum Field Theory
I'm really interested in Topological Quantum Field Theory (TQFT) and am currently planning to focus on it in my undergraduate thesis. My university, unfortunately, does not allow double majors in ...
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Does a factorization of a modular fusion category imply some "factorization" of TFTs?
Mueger showed in this paper that if $C$ is a modular fusion category and $D$ is a modular fusion subcategory of $C$, then $C$ is equivalent to $D \boxtimes M_C(D)$ as ribbon categories, where $M_C(D)$ ...
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Closed-form expressions for the Kashaev invariant via surgery
For a knot $K$, let $J_N(K)$ denote the $N$th Kashaev invariant of $K$. This is the same as the $N$th colored Jones polynomial evaluated at an $N$th root of unity (or $2N$th depending on your ...
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What are the generators and relations of the conformal cobordism category?
According to a definition by Segal, a $2$-dimensional CFT is a symmetric monoidal functor from the category of oriented conformal cobordisms to the cateogry of projective complex vectorspaces. Coming ...
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Non-cyclotomic modular fusion categories
In a recent talk (see [1]) Richard Ng asks whether the invariants of 3-manifolds derived from any modular fusion category are cyclotomic integers. In tqft, such an invariant is computed from the F-...
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Reference on the Chern-Simons theory and WZW models for mathematicians
I would like to ask if there are any beginner friendly references for learning CS theory and WZW models. It seems that most mathematical texts on the subjects begin with convenient definitions that ...
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Factorization homology and topological conformal field theories
My question concerns some of the results of Costello's "Topological conformal field theories and Calabi-Yau categories" and how they are related/ can be rederived via the description of (...
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Infinite dimensional topological quantum field theories?
A topological quantum field theory is a functor $Z:Cob(n) \to Hilb$ mapping from the $n$-dimensional cobordisms to $Hilb$, the category of Hilbert spaces with morphisms being bounded linear operators. ...
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Are there 4d state sum models, extended TQFTs or chain mail invariant that detect smooth structures?
A state sum model is a smooth invariant defined on smooth triangulated, or PL manifolds, by summing a local partition function over labels attached to the elements of the triangulation.
Typical ...
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Reading list recommendation for a hep-ph student to start studying QFT at a more mathematically rigorous level?
Edition
On July 15 2021, the description of the question has been considerably modified to meet the requirement of making this question more OP-independent and thus more useful for general readers. ...
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Are there non-homeomorphic 3-manifolds with the same Turaev-Viro-Barrett-Westbury invariants?
The Turaev-Viro-Barrett-Westbury invariant of a closed oriented topological $3$-manifold $M$ for a spherical fusion category $\mathcal{C}$ is a number denoted $|M|_{\mathcal{C}}$ computed from (but ...
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Non-extendable 3D TQFTs
Non-extendable 2D TQFTs correspond to finite dimensional Frobenius algebras [1].
How about 3D TQFTs? While the answer is clear for the extended ones (e.g. (3,2,1) TQFTs almost correspond to modular ...
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Formula for the anomalies of spin Chern-Simons theories?
$\newcommand{\SH}{\mathit{SH}}\newcommand{\Z}{\mathbb Z}$Let $G$ be a compact Lie group and $\lambda\in
H^4(BG;\Z)$. The data $(G, \lambda)$ determine a 3d topological field theory called Chern-Simons ...
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Lifting in String Theory and QFT
I'm posting this here instead of Physics Stack as my question is on the precise mathematical meaning of a word which is often used in the physics literature.
In theoretical physics (especially string ...
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Endofunctors of the surface category
Let $\mathrm{Cob}_2$ be the symmetric monoidal $(\infty,1)$-category whose objects are closed oriented $1$-manifolds and whose morphisms are compact oriented surface bordisms. (Higher morphisms are ...
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Uses for (Framed) E2 algebras twisted by braided monoidal structure
$\newcommand{\C}{\mathcal{C}}$ $\newcommand{\g}{\mathfrak{g}}$
If $\C$ is a monoidal category (not necessarily a symmetric monoidal category), it's possible to define the notion of an algebra object $...
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Are there examples of finite-dimensional complex non-semisimple non-commutative symmetric Frobenius algebras?
Are there any examples of finite-dimensional complex non-semisimple non-commutative symmetric Frobenius algebras? Or can one show that none exist?
I went through this list of all complex associative ...
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Ordering in Cobordism Category
Let $Cob^{3}$ denote the cobordism category of $1$ dimensional manifolds i.e the objects are finite disjoint union of circles and morphisms are represented by surfaces.
Is it possible to treat the ...
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Alternative approaches to topological QFTs
A while ago I read the paper 'Quantum Field Theory and the Jones Polynomial' by Edward Witten. This article uses a lot of concepts from physics like BRST symmetry and the Chern-Simons action which ...
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Lagrangian of Reshetikhin-Turaev TFT's
One of the results from the Reshetikhin-Turaev package is that given a modular tensor category $\mathscr{C}$ one can construct a TFT $Z$. In the case where $\mathscr{C}$ is the category of positive ...
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References for computing $n$-point correlations in Chern-Simons theory
I am interested in learning how to compute $n$-point correlation functions in Chern-Simons theory, thought of as a TQFT (similar to Witten's work linking that theory to knot theory). I am mostly ...
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Are there attempts to numerically finding algebraic structures over finite-dimensional vector spaces?
By "algebraic structure" I mean a finite set of linear operators between tensor products of copies of one (or more) finite-dimensional (complex or real) vector spaces, fulfilling a set of ...
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Classification of special symmetric Frobenius algebras over real vector spaces
Is there a general classification of special symmetric Frobenius algebras over real vector spaces? I know that $n\times n$ matrix algebras, the quaternions, the complex numbers, the trivial algebra, ...
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How aggressive is the fibrant replacement of $\mathrm{Bord}_n$?
Lurie (On the Classification of Topological Field Theories), with some corrections by Calaque and Scheimbauer (A note on the $(\infty,n)$-category of cobordisms), famously constructed a symmetric ...
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Can one show corbordism invariance of the Crane-Yetter state-sum using simplicial methods / are there 'Pachner-like' moves for cobordisms?
Let $\mathcal{C}$ denote some Unitary Braided Modular Fusion Category. It is well known that the Crane-Yetter state-sum, $Z_{CY}(\bullet|\mathcal{C})$ is an oriented-cobordism invariant. In other ...
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Grothendieck group of the category of boundary conditions of topological field theory
In this paper also the journal front page, eq. 2.14, it introduces
the Grothendieck group $K^0$ of the category of boundary conditions of topological field theory.
My question is that
what exactly ...
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$e^{2\pi ic_{-}/8}$ and $e^{2\pi ic_{-}/24}$ in unitary modular category (UMC)
Background
Unitary modular categories (UMC) do not capture the central charge $c_{-}$ of the topological quantum field theory (TQFT). However, there is a relation that fixes,
$c_{-}\bmod
8$:
\begin{...
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Is there a bestiary of "derived 2-vector spaces"?
The appendix "A bestiary of 2–vector spaces" of Bartlett, Douglas, Schommer-Pries, Vicary, "Modular categories as representations of the 3-dimensional bordism 2-category" analyzes ...
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Are algebras with invertible linear duals always Frobenius?
Let $A$ be a finite dimensional algebra over a ground field $k$. The linear dual $A^* = Hom_k(A,k)$ is naturally an $A$-$A$ bimodule. I am interested in those algebras such that $A^*$ is an invertible ...
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An explicit expression for the naturality of the Serre automorphism in the bicategory of algebras
By the cobordism hypothesis, there is an $O(2)$-action on the maximal subgroupoid $\hat{\mathcal{C}}$ of the subcategory of fully dualizable objects in a bicategory $\mathcal{C}$. The $SO(2)$-part of ...
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2d TQFTs with values in simplicial sets and Reedy categories
Let $Cob$ be the category such that
$Obj(Cob)$ is $\emptyset\sqcup\mathbb{N}$, with $n$ seen as the union of $(n+1)$ circles numbered from $0$ to $n$,
morphisms are (homeomorphism classes of ...
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What is the motivation for a Frobenius manifold?
A Frobenius manifold is a type of manifolds with extra structure.
The main examples are quantum cohomology (viewed as a space itself), GBV algebras, the ``Saito'' examples arising from singularities (...
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Stacks for a string theory student
First, I'm a string theory student hoping to grasp some math involved in some physics developments.
I'm hoping to read the famous Kapustin-Witten Paper "Electric-magnetic duality and the ...
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References for superhomology
This question concerns topological string theory.
It was known sice its outset, that the BRST-cohomology ("observables") of the weakly coupled topological string B-model on a Calabi-Yau ...
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Does every special $C^*$-Frobenius algebra have a unit?
I have a rather basic question about $C^*$-Frobenius algebras (also called Q-systems). Any pointers or references will be most helpful!
We are given a finite-dimensional complex Hilbert space $\mathbb{...
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How does the scalar TV invariant of a 3-manifold with boundary fit into the TQFT picture?
Chen and Yang have a more general version of the volume conjecture that they state for all hyperbolic $3$-manifolds (Conjecture 1.1 of [2]) including those with boundary. To do this, they have to ...
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Physical and mathematical significance of the NS-2 brane
This question is about topological string theory and it was also posted in Physics Stack Exchange.
The existence of a new brane called "an NS-2 brane" is predicted in (the second paragraph ...
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Can triangulations (or some related combinatorial structure) distinguish smooth structures on $RP^4$?
There are exotic versions of $RP^4$, constructed by Cappell-Shaneson, which are homeomorphic but not diffeomorphic to the standard $RP^4$. One way to distinguish them is via the $\eta$ invariant of $...
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What is the current state of research in Chern-Simons theory?
I'm a PhD student in mathematical physics looking for some orientation. As asked in the title, I would like to know the current state of research in Chern-Simons theory. More specifically, what are ...
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A computation in a commutative Frobenius algebra
This is already posted here https://math.stackexchange.com/questions/3695584/a-computation-in-a-commutative-frobenius-algebra but I didn't get any answers.
Given a commutative Frobenius algebra (in ...
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1d TQFT minus connection =?
Correct me if I am wrong but I believe at least conceptually (maybe even rigorously) data of a 1-dimensional TQFT and of a vector bundle with connection are equivalent.
Going into more detail (and ...
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