English

The classifying algebra for defects

High Energy Physics - Theory 2010-11-23 v3 Quantum Algebra

Abstract

We demonstrate that topological defects in a rational conformal field theory can be described by a classifying algebra for defects - a finite-dimensional semisimple unital commutative associative algebra whose irreducible representations give the defect transmission coefficients. We show in particular that the structure constants of the classifying algebra are traces of operators on spaces of conformal blocks and that the defect transmission coefficients determine the defect partition functions.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1007.0401,
  title  = {The classifying algebra for defects},
  author = {Jurgen Fuchs and Christoph Schweigert and Carl Stigner},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1007.0401},
  year   = {2010}
}

Comments

47 pages, several figures. v2: ref. [13] added; comparison of results with those of ref. [18] added (pages 15 and 34) v3: comment on the folding trick added at the end of section 2, typos corrected

R2 v1 2026-06-21T15:43:56.928Z