arXiv research

Constructs a representation of the string 2-group on a von Neumann algebra.

Constructs 2-representations and 2-vector bundles for Lie 2-groups.

We give a complete and explicit description of the kinematical data of higher gauge theory on principal 2-bundles with the string 2-group model of Schommer-Pries as structure 2-group. We start with a self-contained review of the weak 2-category Bibun of Lie groupoids, bibundles and bibundle morphisms. We then construct…

We construct a model for the string group as an infinite-dimensional Lie group. In a second step we extend this model by a contractible Lie group to a Lie 2-group model. To this end we need to establish some facts on the homotopy theory of Lie 2-groups. Moreover, we provide an explicit comparison of string structures f…

In this paper we address the question of the existence of a model for the string 2-group as a strict Lie-2-group using the free loop group $LSpin$ (or more generally $LG$ for compact simple simply-connected Lie groups $G$). Baez-Crans-Stevenson-Schreiber constructed a model for the string 2-group using a based loop gro…

New smooth 2-group extensions from bundle gerbes on manifolds.

Defines non-Abelian gerbes with connections for physical applications.

Method constructs 2-bundles over homogeneous spaces.

In this easy introduction to higher gauge theory, we describe parallel transport for particles and strings in terms of 2-connections on 2-bundles. Just as ordinary gauge theory involves a gauge group, this generalization involves a gauge '2-group'. We focus on 6 examples. First, every abelian Lie group gives a Lie 2-gr…

We argue that the relevant higher gauge group for the non-abelian generalization of the self-dual string equation is the string 2-group. We then derive the corresponding equations of motion and discuss their properties. The underlying geometric picture is a string structure, i.e. a categorified principal bundle with co…

In this note we present a new construction of the string group that ends optionally in two different contexts: strict diffeological 2-groups or finite-dimensional Lie 2-groups. It is canonical in the sense that no choices are involved; all the data is written down and can be looked up (at least somewhere). The basis of…

Simple construction of Lie 2-groups from loop group extensions.

In this paper we study the cohomology of (strict) Lie 2-groups. We obtain an explicit Bott-Shulman type map in the case of a Lie 2-group corresponding to the crossed module $A\to 1$. The cohomology of the Lie 2-groups corresponding to the universal crossed modules $G\to \Aut(G)$ and $G\to \Aut^+(G)$ is the abutment of …

We describe an interesting relation between Lie 2-algebras, the Kac-Moody central extensions of loop groups, and the group $\mathrm{String}(n)$. A Lie 2-algebra is a categorified version of a Lie algebra where the Jacobi identity holds up to a natural isomorphism called the "Jacobiator". Similarly, a Lie 2-group is a c…

We discuss various lifting and reduction problems for bundles and gerbes in the context of a strict Lie 2-group. We obtain a geometrical formulation (and a new proof) for the exactness of Breen's long exact sequence in non-abelian cohomology. We use our geometrical formulation in order to define a transgression map in …

Establishes a framework for stringor bundles, proving their canonical isomorphism to Stolz-Teichner's.

We develop the theory of simplicial extensions for bundle gerbes and their characteristic classes with a view towards studying descent problems and equivariance for bundle gerbes. Equivariant bundle gerbes are important in the study of orbifold sigma models. We consider in detail two examples: the basic bundle gerbe on…

Many physical theories, including notably string theory, require non-abelian higher gauge fields defining higher holonomy. Previous approaches to such higher connections on categorified principal bundles require these to be fake flat. This condition, however, renders them locally gauge equivalent to connections on abel…

We construct a flat (and fake-flat) 2-connection in the configuration space of $n$ indistinguishable particles in the complex plane, which categorifies the $sl(2,C)$-Knizhnik-Zamolodchikov connection obtained from the adjoint representation of $sl(2,C)$. This will be done by considering the adjoint categorical represen…

In this paper we study unitary braid group representations associated with Majorana Fermions. Majorana Fermions are represented by Majorana operators, elements of a Clifford algebra. The paper recalls and proves a general result about braid group representations associated with Clifford algebras, and compares this resu…

Lie's third theorem proven for Lie ∞-algebras.

Maps Lie 2-groups to Weil algebras, showing cohomology isomorphisms.

We prove a 2-categorical analogue of a classical result of Drinfeld: there is a one-to-one correspondence between connected, simply-connected Poisson Lie 2-groups and Lie 2-bialgebras. In fact, we also prove that there is a one-to-one correspondence between connected, simply connected quasi-Poisson 2-groups and quasi-L…

We show that general relativity can be viewed as a higher gauge theory involving a categorical group, or 2-group, called the teleparallel 2-group. On any semi-Riemannian manifold M, we first construct a principal 2-bundle with the Poincare 2-group as its structure 2-group. Any flat metric-preserving connection on M giv…

In this paper we introduce principal 2-bundles and show how they are classified by non-abelian Cech cohomology. Moreover, we show that their gauge 2-groups can be described by 2-group-valued functors, much like in classical bundle theory. Using this, we show that, under some mild requirements, these gauge 2-groups poss…

The paper constructs automorphisms of Lie groupoids and applies them to symplectic reductions on orbifolds.

In this paper, we show that an infinite 2-group of bounded exponent cannot act faithfully and smoothly on compact manifolds.

Study Lie 2-group actions on Riemannian groupoids, proving existence and developing geometric Killing vector fields.

We give an explicit handy (and cocycle-free) description of the groupoid of weak maps between two crossed-modules in terms of certain digrams of groups which we we call a {\em butterflies}. We define composition of butterflies and this way find a bicategory that is naturally biequivalent to the 2-category of pointed ho…

Study on SU(2) group's Lorentzian problem, focusing on controllability and extremals.

Lie's Third Theorem, asserting that each finite-dimensional Lie algebra is the Lie algebra of a Lie group, fails in infinite dimensions. The modern account on this phenomenon is the integration problem for central extensions of infinite-dimensional Lie algebras, which in turn is phrased in terms of an integration proce…

A Lie 2-group $G$ is a category internal to the category of Lie groups. Consequently it is a monoidal category and a Lie groupoid. The Lie groupoid structure on $G$ gives rise to the Lie 2-algebra $\mathbb{X}(G)$ of multiplicative vector fields, see (Berwick-Evans -- Lerman). The monoidal structure on $G$ gives rise to…

Researchers derive $q$-series for $SO(3)$ and $OSp(1|2)$ groups.

Just as gauge theory describes the parallel transport of point particles using connections on bundles, higher gauge theory describes the parallel transport of 1-dimensional objects (e.g. strings) using 2-connections on 2-bundles. A 2-bundle is a categorified version of a bundle: that is, one where the fiber is not a ma…

We provide a new perspective on parallel 2-transport and principal 2-group bundles with 2-connection. We define parallel 2-transport as a 2-functor from the thin fundamental 2-groupoid to the 2-category of 2-group torsors. The definition of the 2-category of 2-group torsors is new, and we develop the tools necessary fo…

In this brief sequel to a previous article, we recall the notion of a cut cellular surface (CCS), being a surface with boundary, which is cut in a specified way to be represented in the plane, and is composed of 0-, 1- and 2-cells. We obtain invariants of CCS's under Pachner-like moves on the cellular structure, by cou…

There are few known computable examples of non-abelian surface holonomy. In this paper, we give several examples whose structure 2-groups are covering 2-groups and show that the surface holonomies can be computed via a simple formula in terms of paths of 1-dimensional holonomies inspired by earlier work of Chan Hong-Mo…

In this thesis, we introduce a new cohomology theory associated to a Lie 2-algebras and a new cohomology theory associated to a Lie 2-group. These cohomology theories are shown to extend the classical cohomology theories of Lie algebras and Lie groups in that their second groups classify extensions. We use this fact to…

In the first part of this paper, we work out a perturbative Lagrangian formulation of semistrict higher gauge theory, that avoids the subtleties of the relationship between Lie 2-groups and algebras by relying exclusively on the structure semistrict Lie 2-algebra v and its automorphism 2-group Aut(v). Gauge transformat…

We show how to integrate a weak morphism of Lie algebra crossed-modules to a weak morphism of Lie 2-groups. To do so we develop a theory of butterflies for 2-term L_infty algebras. In particular, we obtain a new description of the bicategory of 2-term L_infty algebras. We use butterflies to give a functorial constructi…

We investigate a family of (reducible) representations of Artin's braid groups corresponding to a specific solution to the Yang-Baxter equation. The images of the braid groups under these representations are finite groups, and we identify them precisely as extensions of extra-special 2-groups. The decompositions of the…

Every singular foliation has an associated topological groupoid, called holonomy groupoid (see arXiv:math/0612370). In this note we exhibit some functorial properties of this assignment: if a foliated manifold $(M,\mathcal{F}_M)$ is the quotient of a foliated manifold $(P,\mathcal{F}_P)$ along a surjective submersion w…

We define a 3-loop group $Ω^3G$ as a subgroup of smooth maps from a 3-ball to a Lie group $G$, and then construct a 2-group based on an automorphic action on the Mickelsson-Faddeev extension of $Ω^3G$. In this we follow the strategy of Murray et al., who earlier described a similar construction in one dimension. The th…

We introduce an axiomatic framework for the parallel transport of connections on gerbes. It incorporates parallel transport along curves and along surfaces, and is formulated in terms of gluing axioms and smoothness conditions. The smoothness conditions are imposed with respect to a strict Lie 2-group, which plays the …

The purpose of this paper is to show how central extensions of (possibly infinite-dimensional) Lie algebras integrate to central extensions of étale Lie 2-groups. In finite dimensions, central extensions of Lie algebras integrate to central extensions of Lie groups, a fact which is due to the vanishing of π_2 for each …

Parallel transport defined for 2-bundles over Lie groupoids.

Let $G$ be a Lie group and $G\to\Aut(G)$ be the canonical group homomorphism induced by the adjoint action of a group on itself. We give an explicit description of a 1-1 correspondence between Morita equivalence classes of, on the one hand, principal 2-group $[G\to\Aut(G)]$-bundles over Lie groupoids and, on the other …

Study of gauge theory and parallel transport in Lie 2-group bundles over Lie groupoids.