Related papers: Higher Gauge Theory with String 2-Groups

Higher gauge theory for non-abelian structure 2-groups faces significant challenges when extending beyond the fake-flat sector, which suffers from limited applicability in physical models. A promising resolution involves equipping 2-groups…

We analyze the gauge structure of a recently proposed superconformal field theory in six dimensions. We find that this structure amounts to a weak Courant-Dorfman algebra, which, in turn, can be interpreted as a strong homotopy Lie algebra.…

For a weak 2-group, we construct a bicategory of flat 2-group bundles over differentiable stacks as a localization of a functor bicategory. This description is amenable to explicit geometric constructions. For example, we show that flat…

We show that general relativity can be viewed as a higher gauge theory involving a categorical group, or 2-group, called the teleparallel 2-group. On any semi-Riemannian manifold M, we first construct a principal 2-bundle with the Poincare…

Electromagnetism can be generalized to Yang-Mills theory by replacing the group U(1)$ by a nonabelian Lie group. This raises the question of whether one can similarly generalize 2-form electromagnetism to a kind of "higher-dimensional…

We study a generalization of higher gauge theory which makes use of generalized geometry and seems to be closely related to double field theory. The local kinematical data of this theory is captured by morphisms of graded manifolds between…

A gauge group is the topological group of automorphisms of a principal bundle. We compute the integral cohomology ring of the classifying spaces of gauge groups of principal U(n)-bundles over the 2-sphere by generalizing the operation for…

A framework for higher gauge theory based on a 2-group is presented, by constructing a groupoid of connections on a manifold acted on by a 2-group of gauge transformations, following previous work by the authors where the general notion of…

The geometry of the total space of a principal bundle with regard to the action of the bundle's structure group is elegantly described by the bundle's operation, a collection of derivations consisting of the de Rham differential and the…

The term higher gauge theory refers to the generalization of gauge theory to a theory of connections at two levels, essentially given by 1- and 2-forms. So far, there have been two approaches to this subject. The differential picture uses…

We construct a cycle in higher Hochschild homology associated to the 2-dimensional torus which represents 2-holonomy of a non-abelian gerbe in the same way the ordinary holonomy of a principal G-bundle gives rise to a cycle in ordinary…

Many physical theories, including notably string theory, require non-abelian higher gauge fields defining higher holonomy. Previous approaches to such higher connections on categorified principal bundles require these to be fake flat. This…

We discuss various lifting and reduction problems for bundles and gerbes in the context of a strict Lie 2-group. We obtain a geometrical formulation (and a new proof) for the exactness of Breen's long exact sequence in non-abelian…

In this note we present a new construction of the string group that ends optionally in two different contexts: strict diffeological 2-groups or finite-dimensional Lie 2-groups. It is canonical in the sense that no choices are involved; all…

We present the most general gauge-invariant action functional for coupled 1- and 2-form gauge fields with kinetic terms in generic dimensions, i.e. dropping eventual contributions that can be added in particular space-time dimensions only…

Lifting supersymmetric quantum mechanics to loop space yields the superstring. A particle charged under a fiber bundle thereby turns into a string charged under a 2-bundle, or gerbe. This stringification is nothing but categorification. We…

Motivated by the problem of constructing explicit geometric string structures, we give a rigid model for bundle 2-gerbes, and define connective structures thereon. This model is designed to make explicit calculations easier in applications…

The general purpose bitensorially gauge-covariant differentiation procedure set up in the preceding article is specialised to the particular case of bundles with nonlinear fibres that are endowed with a torsion free Riemannian or…

Murray, Roberts and Wockel showed that there is no strict model of the string 2-group using the free loop group. Instead, they construct the next best thing, a coherent model for the string 2-group using the free loop group, with explicit…

Categorifying the concept of topological group, one obtains the notion of a 'topological 2-group'. This in turn allows a theory of 'principal 2-bundles' generalizing the usual theory of principal bundles. It is well-known that under mild…