arXiv research

A modular functor is constructed from non-semisimple 3d TFTs.

New monoids tied to symmetric group and Jones/Brauer monoids discovered.

We develop the general theory for the construction of Extended Topological Quantum Field Theories (ETQFTs) associated with the Costantino-Geer-Patureau quantum invariants of closed 3-manifolds. In order to do so, we introduce relative modular categories, a class of ribbon categories which are modeled on representations…

We study a variation of Turaev's homotopy quantum field theories using 2-categories of surfaces. We define the homotopy surface 2-category of a space $X$ and define an $\cS_X$-structure to be a monoidal 2-functor from this to the 2-category of idempotent-complete additive $k$-linear categories. We initiate the study of…

We study the algebraic structures of the virtual singular braid monoid, $VSB_n$, and the virtual singular pure braid monoid, $VSP_n$. The monoid $VSB_n$ is the splittable extension of $VSP_n$ by the symmetric group $S_n$. We also construct a representation of $VSB_n$.

The paper studies submonoids of singular twisted virtual braids and their properties.

In this paper I define certain interesting 2-functors from the Khovanov-Lauda 2-category which categorifies quantum sl(k), for any k>1, to a 2-category of universal sl(3) foams with corners. For want of a better name I use the term "foamation" to indicate those 2-functors. I conjecture the existence of similar 2-functo…

Abstract TQFT for sutured manifolds using Floer homology.

Involutive Hopf monoids yield surface invariants.

A modular object in a symmetric monoidal bicategory is a Frobenius algebra object whose product and coproduct are biadjoint, equipped with a braided structure and a compatible twist, satisfying rigidity, ribbon, pivotality, and modularity conditions. We prove that the oriented 3-dimensional bordism bicategory of 1-, 2-…

Good atlases are defined for effective orbifolds, and a spark complex is constructed on each good atlas. It is proved that this process is 2-functorial with compatible systems playing as morphisms between good atlases, and that the spark character 2-functor factors through this 2-functor.

We construct a weak 2-functor from the bicategory of oriented tangles to a bicategory of Lagrangian cospans. This functor simultaneously extends the Burau representation of the braid groups, its generalization to tangles due to Turaev and the first-named author, and the Alexander module of 1 and 2-dimensional links.

We define a symmetric monoidal (4,3)-category with duals whose objects are certain enriched multi-fusion categories. For every modular tensor category $\mathcal{C}$, there is a self enriched multi-fusion category $\mathfrak{C}$ giving rise to an object of this symmetric monoidal (4,3)-category. We conjecture that the e…

It is shown that the multiplicative monoids of Brauer's centralizer algebras generated out of the basis are isomorphic to monoids of endomorphisms in categories where an endofunctor is adjoint to itself, and where, moreover, a kind of symmetry involving the self-adjoint functor is satisfied. As in a previous paper, of …

We introduce the category of singular 2-dimensional cobordisms and show that it admits a completely algebraic description as the free symmetric monoidal category on a twin Frobenius algebra, by providing a description of this category in terms of generators and relations. A twin Frobenius algebra (C, W, z, z^*) consist…

Extends six operations to sheaves in any symmetric monoidal category.

Defines extended TQFTs using handle attachments.

A bicategory approach to differential cohomology is presented. Based on the axioms of Bunke-Schick, a symmetric monoidal groupoid is associated to differential refinements of cohomology theories. It is proven that such differential refinements are unique up to equivalence of the corresponding symmetric monoidal groupoi…

The paper studies posets from decompositions in symmetric monoidal categories.

It is well known that the opposite F^{op} of the category F of finitely generated free groups is a Lawvere theory for groups, and also that F is a free symmetric monoidal category on a commutative Hopf monoid, or, in other words, a PROP for commutative Hopf algebras. In this paper, we give a direct, combinatorial proof…

We study Question 7.9 in the paper "Monoids in the mapping class group" by Etnyre and Van Horn-Morris; whether a symmetric mapping class admitting a positive factorization is a lift of a quasi-positive braid. We answer affirmatively for mapping classes satisfying certain cyclic conditions.

Study of equivariant Poisson 2-algebra bundles over configuration spaces.

We establish a relation between smooth 2-functors defined on the path 2-groupoid of a smooth manifold and differential forms on this manifold. This relation can be understood as a part of a dictionary between fundamental notions from category theory and differential geometry. We show that smooth 2-functors appear in se…

Study shows $S^1$ algebraic structure in 2-dimensional CW-complex cobordisms.

We construct a categorification of the maximal commutative subalgebra of the type $A$ Hecke algebra. Specifically, we propose a monoidal functor from the (symmetric) monoidal category of coherent sheaves on the flag Hilbert scheme to the (non-symmetric) monoidal category of Soergel bimodules. The adjoint of this functo…

Internalizes Turaev's construction for TQFTs using ribbon categories.

New geometric variant of factorization homology for conformally flat manifolds.

Given a representation up to homotopy of a Lie algebroid on a 2-term complex of vector bundles, we define the corresponding holonomy as a strict 2-functor from a Weinstein path 2-groupoid to the gauge 2-groupoid of the underlying 2-term complex. We construct a corresponding transformation 2-groupoid and we prove that t…

We define and study the category of symmetric $\mathfrak{sl}_2$-webs. This category is a combinatorial description of the category of all finite dimensional quantum $\mathfrak{sl}_2$-modules. Explicitly, we show that (the additive closure of) the symmetric $\mathfrak{sl}_2$-spider is (braided monoidally) equivalent to …

We categorify the notion of an infinitesimal braiding in a linear strict symmetric monoidal category, leading to the notion of a (strict) infinitesimal 2-braiding in a linear symmetric strict monoidal 2-category. We describe the associated categorification of the 4-term relation, leading to six categorified relations. …

Theory of 2-vector bundles for smooth manifolds developed.

Polytopes in R^n with integral vertices form a monoid under the Minkowski sum, and the Grothendieck construction gives rise to a group. We show that every symmetric polytope is a norm in this group for every n.

Study of generalized Legendrian racks and their GL-structures.

We give a simple sufficient condition for Quinn's "bordism-type spectra" to be weakly equivalent to strictly associative ring spectra. We also show that Poincare bordism and symmetric L-theory are naturally weakly equivalent to monoidal functors. Part of the proof of these statements involves showing that Quinn's funct…

The conformal Laplacian's algebraic structure is explored in 2D, revealing a central charge.

New mapping class group actions on Hochschild complexes for modular categories.

Cube category simplifies set modeling.

Open 2D TFTs extend to closed theories with circle value as Hochschild homology.

Motivated by the Moore-Segal axioms for an open-closed topological field theory, we consider planar open string topological field theories. We rigorously define a category 2Thick whose objects and morphisms can be thought of as open strings and diffeomorphism classes of planar open string worldsheets. Just as the categ…

We describe the universal target of annular Khovanov-Rozansky link homology functors as the homotopy category of a free symmetric monoidal category generated by one object and one endomorphism. This categorifies the ring of symmetric functions and admits categorical analogues of plethystic transformations, which we use…

We define an extended field theory in dimensions $1+1+1$, that takes the form of a `quasi 2-functor' with values in a strict 2-category $\widehat{\mathcal{H}am}$, defined as the `completion of a partial 2-category' $\mathcal{H}am$, notions which we define. Our construction extends Wehrheim and Woodward's Floer Field th…

Develops a new framework for anomaly description in quantum field theories.

We study monoids generated by Zariski-van Kampen generators in the 17 fundamental groups of the complement of logarithmic free divisors in C^3 listed by Sekiguchi (Theorem 1). Five of them are Artin monoids and eight of them are free abelian monoids. The remaining four monoids are not Gaussian and, hence, are neither G…

In this paper we define a monoid of pseudo braids and prove that this monoid is isomorphic to a singular braid monoid. We also prove an analogue of Markov's theorem for pseudo braids.

We define a category $v\mathcal{T}$ of tangles diagrams drawn on surfaces with boundaries. On the one hand we show that there is a natural functor from the category of virtual tangles to $v\mathcal{T}$ which induces an equivalence of categories. On the other hand, we show that $v\mathcal{T}$ is universal among ribbon c…

Heaps are para-associative ternary operations bijectively exemplified by groups via the operation $(x,y,z) \mapsto x y^{-1} z$. They are also ternary self-distributive, and have a diagrammatic interpretation in terms of framed links. Motivated by these properties, we define para-associative and heap cohomology theories…

The paper introduces a Deligne complex for Artin monoids and studies its properties.

Given a family of groups admitting a braided monoidal structure (satisfying mild assumptions) we construct a family of spaces on which the groups act and whose connectivity yields, via a classical argument of Quillen, homological stability for the family of groups. We show that stability also holds with both polynomial…