Related papers: Smooth generalized symmetries of quantum field the…
Generalized global symmetries, in particular non-invertible and categorical symmetries, have become a focal point in the recent study of quantum field theory (QFT). In this paper, we investigate aspects of symmetry topological field…
This paper proposes a refinement of the usual concept of algebraic quantum field theories (AQFTs) to theories that are smooth in the sense that they assign to every smooth family of spacetimes a smooth family of observable algebras. Using…
In general quantum field theories (QFTs), ordinary (0-form) global symmetries and 1-form symmetries can combine into 2-group global symmetries. We describe this phenomenon in detail using the language of symmetry defects. We exhibit a…
We study generalized symmetries in a simplified arena in which the usual quantum field theories of physics are replaced with topological field theories and the smooth structure with which the symmetry groups of physics are usually endowed…
It was recently argued that quantum field theories possess one-form and higher-form symmetries, labelled `generalized global symmetries.' In this paper, we describe how those higher-form symmetries can be understood mathematically as…
In this paper we use the AdS/CFT correspondence to refine and then establish a set of old conjectures about symmetries in quantum gravity. We first show that any global symmetry, discrete or continuous, in a bulk quantum gravity theory with…
Generalized symmetries (also known as categorical symmetries) is a newly developing technique for studying quantum field theories. It has given us new insights into the structure of QFT and many new powerful tools that can be applied to the…
We describe a method to implement finite group global and gauged $q$-form symmetries into the axiomatic structure of $d$-dimensional Topological Quantum Field Theory (TQFT) in terms of bordisms decorated by cohomology classes. Namely, on a…
Symmetry topological field theory (SymTFT) is a convenient tool for studying finite generalized symmetries of a given quantum field theory (QFT). In particular, SymTFTs encode all the symmetry structures and properties, including anomalies.…
We review a notion of completeness in QFT arising from the analysis of basic properties of the set of operator algebras attached to regions. In words, this completeness asserts that the physical observable algebras produced by local degrees…
Quantum field theory has various projective characteristics which are captured by what are called anomalies. This paper explores this idea in the context of fully-extended three-dimensional topological quantum field theories (TQFTs). Given…
Non-invertible symmetries of a quantum field theory (QFT) are a natural generalization of unitary symmetries, but in which the product of operators does not satisfy a group multiplication law. We show that such symmetry operations on states…
These are a set of lecture notes on generalized global symmetries in quantum field theory. The focus is on invertible symmetries with a few comments regarding non-invertible symmetries. The main topics covered are the basics of higher-form…
Symmetry is a powerful tool for studying dynamics in QFT: it provides selection rules, constrains RG flows, and often simplifies analysis. Currently, our understanding is that the most general form of symmetry is described by categorical…
Consider a d-dimensional quantum field theory (QFT) $\mathfrak{T}$, with a generalized symmetry $\mathcal{S}$, which may or may not be invertible. We study the action of $\mathcal{S}$ on generalized or $q$-charges, i.e. $q$-dimensional…
We study the action of space-time symmetries on quantum fields in the presence of small departures from locality determined by dynamical gravity. It is shown that, under such relaxation of locality, the symmetries of the theory cannot be…
The modern approach to $m$-form global symmetries in a $d$-dimensional quantum field theory (QFT) entails specifying dimension $d-m-1$ topological generalized symmetry operators which non-trivially link with $m$-dimensional defect…
We determine the $d+1$ dimensional topological field theory, which encodes the higher-form symmetries and their 't Hooft anomalies for $d$-dimensional QFTs obtained by compactifying M-theory on a non-compact space $X$. The resulting theory,…
Over the last two decades, many unexpected relations between exotic smoothness, e.g. exotic $\mathbb{R}^{4}$, and quantum field theory were found. Some of these relations are rooted in a relation to superstring theory and quantum gravity.…
Symmetries play an essential role in the construction and phenomenology of quantum field theories (QFTs). We discuss how to construct symmetries of QFTs by extending minimal "seed" symmetry groups to larger groups that contain the seed(s)…