English

The Physical Mathematics of Segal Topoi and Strings

Category Theory 2025-04-15 v3 Algebraic Geometry

Abstract

We introduce a notion of dynamics in the setting of Segal topos, by considering the Segal category of stacks X=dAffC,τ\mathcal{X} = \text{dAff}_{\mathcal{C}}^{\, \sim, \tau} on a Segal category dAffC=\text{dAff}_{\mathcal{C}}= L(Comm(C)op)\mathcal{C})^{op}) as our system, and by regarding objects of RHom(X,X)\mathbb{R}\underline{\text{Hom}}(\mathcal{X}, \mathcal{X}) as its states. We develop the notion of quantum state in this setting and construct local and global flows of such states. In this formalism, strings are given by equivalences between elements of commutative monoids of C\mathcal{C}, a base symmetric monoidal model category. The connection with standard string theory is made, and with M-theory in particular.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2204.13786,
  title  = {The Physical Mathematics of Segal Topoi and Strings},
  author = {Renaud Gauthier},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2204.13786},
  year   = {2025}
}

Comments

35 pages. The notation for higher states has been streamlined. The discussion of states has been clarified with a more formal development. The section on generalized categories has been extended. v3: flows are defined by colimits, not limits, an obvious mistake. Appropriate modifications are made whenever needed. This changes in no way the main results