Related papers: 4-Dimensional BF Theory as a Topological Quantum F…
We define a four-dimensional spin-foam perturbation theory for the ${\rm BF}$-theory with a $B\wedge B$ potential term defined for a compact semi-simple Lie group $G$ on a compact orientable 4-manifold $M$. This is done by using the formal…
To each local field (including the real or complex numbers) we associate a quantum dilogarithm and show that it satisfies a pentagon identity and some symmetries. Using an angled version of these quantum dilogarithms, we construct three…
We introduce the notion of $n$-dimensional topological quantum field theory (TQFT) with defects as a symmetric monoidal functor on decorated stratified bordisms of dimension $n$. The familiar closed or open-closed TQFTs are special cases of…
In this paper we investigate the problem of constructing Topological Quantum Field Theories (TQFTs) to quantize algebraic invariants. We exhibit necessary conditions for quantizability based on Euler characteristics. In the case of…
Recently, a topological field theory of membrane-matter coupled to BF theory in arbitrary spacetime dimensions was proposed [1]. In this paper, we discuss various aspects of the four-dimensional theory. Firstly, we study classical solutions…
Higher gauge theories play a prominent role in the construction of 4d topological invariants and have been long ago proposed as a tool for 4d quantum gravity. The Yetter lattice model and its continuum counterpart, the BFCG theory,…
In this paper, we use a topological quantum field theory (TQFT) to define families of new homology theories of a $2$-dimensional CW complex of a smooth closed surface. The dimensions of these homology groups can be used to count the number…
We lay down a general framework for how to construct a Topological Quantum Field Theory $Z_A$ defined on shaped triangulations of orientable 3-manifolds from any Pontryagin self-dual locally compact abelian group $A$. The partition function…
We construct a new family of exact quantum field theories modeled on hyperbolic geometry, called {\it quantum hyperbolic field theories} (QHFTs). The QHFTs are defined for a $(2+1)$-bordism category based on the set of compact oriented…
In 4 dimensions, general relativity can be formulated as a constrained $BF$ theory; we show that the same is true in 2 dimensions. We describe a spinfoam quantization of this constrained BF-formulation of 2d riemannian general relativity,…
We study generalizations of 3- and 4-dimensional BF-theory in the context of higher gauge theory. First, we construct topological higher gauge theories as discrete state sum models and explain how they are related to the state sums of…
The $(D+1)$-dimensional symmetry topological field theory (SymTFT$_{D+1}$) of a $D$-dimensional absolute quantum field theory (QFT$_D$) provides a topological characterization of symmetry data. In this framework, the SymTFT comes equipped…
We consider a toy model of a 3-dimensional topological quantum gravity. In this model, a contribution of a given 3-manifold is given by the partition function of an abelian Topological Quantum Field Theory (TQFT), with a topological…
Gluing two manifolds M_1 and M_2 with a common boundary S yields a closed manifold M. Extending to formal linear combinations x=Sum_i(a_i M_i) yields a sesquilinear pairing p=<,> with values in (formal linear combinations of) closed…
A direct relation between two types of topological field theories, Chern-Simons theory and BF theory, is presented by using ``Generalized Differential Calculus'', which extends an ordinary p-form to an ordered pair of p and (p+1)-form. We…
Topological duality defects arise as codimension one generalized symmetry operators in quantum field theories (QFTs) with a duality symmetry. Recent investigations have shown that in the case of 4D $\mathcal{N} = 4$ Super Yang-Mills (SYM)…
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.…
In this Letter, we demonstrate that the Symmetry Topological Field Theory (SymTFT) associated to a Quantum Field Theory (QFT) with continuous non-abelian $G$-flavor symmetry is a $BF$-theory with gauge group $G$. We show that gauging…
Based on a family of indefinite unitary representations of the diffeomorphism group of an oriented smooth $4$-manifold, a manifestly covariant $4$ dimensional and non-perturbative algebraic quantum field theory formulation of gravity is…
In this work we discuss the simplicial program for topological field theories for the case of non-abelian BF theory. Discrete BF theory with finite-dimensional space of fields is constructed for a triangulated manifold (or for a manifold…