10–14 Mar 2025
Kyushu University Institute for Advanced Study
Asia/Tokyo timezone

Topological symmetries and their gaugings in 2dCFT and 3dTFT

12 Mar 2025, 10:00
1h
Inamori Center (Kyushu University Institute for Advanced Study)

Inamori Center

Kyushu University Institute for Advanced Study

744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395 Japan

Speaker

Ingo Runkel (Hamburg U.)

Description

The study of topological defects in quantum field theory has seen a wealth of activity recently leading to many interesting insights, for example the explicit realisation of non-invertible topological defects in higher dimensional QFTs via the gauging of higher form symmetries, or the description of the higher algebraic structures inherent in these topological defects.

In this talk, I would like to focus on low-dimensional examples, where such defects and their properties have been investigated for some time already. I would like to exhibit some of the properties of topological defects in two-dimensional conformal field theory and in three-dimensional topological field theory, and show some of the structural insights into 2dCFT and 3dTFT one can gain with the help of defects. In this way, the well-understood low-dimensional case might serve as a source of ideas and as a test-case for higher dimensional constructions.

Presentation materials