Rutgers University Department of Physics and Astronomy

Ingo Runkel
(University of Hamburg)

Title: Topological symmetries and their gaugings in 2dCFT and 3dTFT

Abstract: The study of topological defects in quantum field theory as seen a wealth of activity recently leading to many interesting insights, for example the explicit realization 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 serves as a source of ideas and as a test-case for higher dimensional constructions.

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