Related papers: Parallel Transport of Higher Flat Gerbes as an Ext…
We present a precise definition of extended homotopy quantum field theories and develop an orbifold construction for these theories when the target space is the classifying space of a finite group $G$, i.e. for $G$-equivariant topological…
Given a finite $\mathbb{Z}_2$-graded group $\hat{\mathsf{G}}$ with ungraded subgroup $\mathsf{G}$ and a twisted cocycle $\hat{\lambda} \in Z^n(B \hat{\mathsf{G}}; \mathsf{U}(1)_{\pi})$ which restricts to $\lambda \in Z^n(B \mathsf{G};…
We generalize the notion of parallel transport along paths for abelian bundles to parallel transport along surfaces for abelian gerbes using an embedded Topological Quantum Field Theory (TQFT) approach. We show both for bundles and gerbes…
We construct a version of Dijkgraaf-Witten theory based on a compact abelian Lie group within the formalism of Turaev's homotopy quantum field theory. As an application we show that the 2+1-dimensional theory based on U(1) classifies lens…
The goal of this paper is to introduce some of the major ideas behind extended topological quantum field theories with an emphasis on explicit examples and calculations. The statement of the Cobordism Hypothesis is explained and immediately…
We define Homotopy quantum field theories (HQFT) as Topological quantum field theories (TQFT) for manifolds endowed with extra structure in the form of a map into some background space X. We also build the category of homotopy cobordisms…
We introduce homotopy lattice gauge fields (HLGFs), a version of gauge fields over a discretized base, based on a notion of higher parallel transport that enriches the usual parallel transport along paths on a lattice to also consider…
We give another definition of two-dimensional extended homotopy field theories (E-HFTs) with aspherical targets and classify them. When the target of E-HFT is chosen to be a $K(G,1)$-space, we classify E-HFTs taking values in the symmetric…
For smooth finite dimensional manifolds, we characterise gerbes with connection as functors on a certain surface cobordism category. This allows us to relate gerbes with connection to Turaev's 1+1-dimensional homotopy quantum field…
The study of topological quantum field theories increasingly relies upon concepts from higher-dimensional algebra such as n-categories and n-vector spaces. We review progress towards a definition of n-category suited for this purpose, and…
Based on a weak action of a finite group J on a finite group G, we present a geometric construction of J-equivariant Dijkgraaf-Witten theory as an extended topological field theory. The construction yields an explicitly accessible class of…
The aim of this talk is to explain how symmetry breaking in a quantum field theory problem leads to a study of projective bundles, Dixmier-Douady classes, and associated gerbes. A gerbe manifests itself in different equivalent ways. Besides…
We prove a version of Quillen's stratification theorem in equivariant homotopy theory for a finite group $G$, generalizing the classical theorem in two directions. Firstly, we work with arbitrary commutative equivariant ring spectra as…
The aim of this article is to explain a philosophy for applying higher dimensional Seifert-van Kampen Theorems, and how the use of groupoids and strict higher groupoids resolves some foundational anomalies in algebraic topology at the…
We introduce and compare two approaches to equivariant homotopy theory in a topological or ordinary Quillen model category. For the topological model category of spaces, we generalize Piacenza's result that the categories of topological…
We apply the idea of a topological quantum field theory (TQFT) to maps from manifolds into topological spaces. This leads to a notion of a (d+1)-dimensional homotopy quantum field theory (HQFT) which may be described as a TQFT for closed…
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 study bundle gerbes on manifolds $M$ that carry an action of a connected Lie group $G$. We show that these data give rise to a smooth 2-group extension of $G$ by the smooth 2-group of hermitean line bundles on $M$. This 2-group extension…
Homotopy Quantum Field Theories (HQFTs) were introduced by the second author to extend the ideas and methods of Topological Quantum Field Theories to closed $d$-manifolds endowed with extra structure in the form of homotopy classes of maps…
We prove a decomposition formula for the dimensional reduction of an extended topological field theory that arises as an orbifold of an equivariant topological field theory. Our decomposition formula can be expressed in terms of a…