English

Quantum invariants of flat 2-bundles over 3-manifolds

Geometric Topology 2026-05-22 v1 Quantum Algebra

Abstract

We construct a scalar invariant of flat principal 2-bundles over 3-manifolds, with structure 2-group G\mathcal{G}, from an involutory Hopf algebra graded by G\mathcal{G}. Expressing G\mathcal{G} in terms of a crossed module χ\chi and using the classification of such 2-bundles via the classifying space BχB\chi, this amounts to constructing a homotopy invariant of maps from 3-manifolds to BχB\chi. The construction of the invariant relies on a combinatorial description of such maps by χ\chi-colored Heegaard diagrams. When the corresponding map to BχB\chi is nullhomotopic or, equivalently, when the associated flat principal G\mathcal{G}-bundle is trivializable, the invariant reduces to the Kuperberg invariant of the underlying 3-manifold.

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Cite

@article{arxiv.2605.22405,
  title  = {Quantum invariants of flat 2-bundles over 3-manifolds},
  author = {Kursat Sozer and Alexis Virelizier},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2605.22405},
  year   = {2026}
}

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44 pages