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Sebastien Palcoux
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Is there an integral simple fusion ring rank<6, FPdim>60 and Frobenius type?

A fusion ring is a finite dimensional complex space $\mathbb{C}\mathcal{B}$ together with a distinguished basis $\mathcal{B} = \{ h_1,...,h_r\}$ and fusion rules $ h_i \cdot h_j = \sum_k n_{ij}^kh_k $, with $n_{ij}^k \in \mathbb{N}_{\geq 0}$ satisfying:

  • Neutral: $n_{1i}^j = n_{i1}^j = \delta_{ij}$
  • Dual: $\forall i \ \exists!j $ (noted $i^*$) such that $n_{ij}^1>0$
  • Associativity: $\sum_s n_{ij}^sn_{sk}^t = \sum_s n_{jk}^sn_{is}^t$
  • Frobenius-Perron reciprocity: $n_{ij}^k = n_{i^*k}^j = n_{kj^*}^i$

Remark: $\mathbb{C}\mathcal{B}$ admits a structure of finite dimensional ${\rm C}^*$-algebra (take $h_i^* = h_{i^*}$).
Frobenius-Perron theorem: $\exists!$ $*$-homomorphism $d:\mathbb{C}\mathcal{B} \to \mathbb{C}$ with $d(\mathcal{B}) \subset (0,\infty)$.

The rank $r$ of the fusion ring $\mathbb{C}\mathcal{B}$ is the cardinal of $\mathcal{B}$.
It is is called integral if every $d(h_i)$ is an integer.
Its Frobenius-Perron dimension (FPdim) is $\sum d(h_i)^2$.
It is of Frobenius type if every $d(h_i)$ divides FPdim$(\mathbb{C}\mathcal{B})$.
It is simple if $r>1$ and for any fusion subring $\mathbb{C}\mathcal{S} \subseteq \mathbb{C}\mathcal{B}$ with $\mathcal{S} \subseteq \mathcal{B}$, then $\mathcal{S} = \{ h_1 \}$ or $\mathcal{B}$.

Open problem: Every fusion ring is of Frobenius type.

Remark: The Grothendieck ring of a finite group $G$ is the ring generated by the irreducible complex representations of $G$ (up to equiv.) for $\oplus$ and $\otimes$. It is a fusion ring, and it is simple iff $G$ is simple. So the notion of simple fusion ring generalizes the notion of simple group; it does not correspond to the usual notion of simple ring.

The fusion ring $\mathcal{G}_p$ is the Grothendieck ring of the cyclic group of prime order $p$.

We have checked by SAGE (by using this code) that the only integral simple fusion ring of Frobenius type, rank $\leq 5$ and FPdim $< 28470$ (except $\mathcal{G}_p$) is the Grothendieck ring of the simple group $A_5$. It is of rank $5$ and FPdim $60$.

Question: Is there an integral simple fusion ring of rank $ \leq 5$, FPdim $>60$ and Frobenius type?


Bonus for rank $6$:

We have checked by SAGE that the only integral simple fusion ring of Frobenius type, rank $6$ and FPdim $< 3360$ (except $\mathcal{G}_p$) is the Grothendieck ring of the simple group ${\rm PSL}(2,7)$, of order $168$.

Bonus question: Is there an integral simple fusion ring of rank $6$, FPdim $>168$ and Frobenius type?


Digression: a fusion ring is called non-trivial if it is not the Grothendieck ring of a finite group. The first non-trivial integral simple fusion ring found by SAGE is of rank $7$ and FPdim $210$ (see here).

Sebastien Palcoux
  • 27k
  • 5
  • 74
  • 186