English

Rational RG flow, extension, and Witt class

High Energy Physics - Theory 2026-01-16 v3 Strongly Correlated Electrons Mathematical Physics Category Theory math.MP Quantum Algebra

Abstract

Consider a renormalization group flow preserving a pre-modular fusion category S1\mathcal S_1. If it flows to a rational conformal field theory, the surviving symmetry S1\mathcal S_1 flows to a pre-modular fusion category S2\mathcal S_2 with monoidal functor F:S1S2F:\mathcal S_1\to\mathcal S_2. By clarifying mathematical (especially category theoretical) meaning of renormalization group domain wall/interface or boundary condition, we find the hidden extended vertex operator (super)algebra gives a unique (up to braided equivalence) completely (S1S2)(\mathcal S_1\boxtimes\mathcal S_2)'-anisotropic representative of the Witt equivalence class [S1S2][\mathcal S_1\boxtimes\mathcal S_2]. The mathematical conjecture is supported physically, and passes various tests in concrete examples including non/unitary minimal models, and Wess-Zumino-Witten models. In particular, the conjecture holds beyond diagonal cosets. The picture also establishes the conjectured half-integer condition, which fixes infrared conformal dimensions mod 12\frac12. It further leads to the double braiding relation, namely braiding structures jump at conformal fixed points. As an application, we solve the flow from the EE-type minimal model (A10,E6)M(4,3)(A_{10},E_6)\to M(4,3).

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2412.08935,
  title  = {Rational RG flow, extension, and Witt class},
  author = {Ken Kikuchi},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2412.08935},
  year   = {2026}
}

Comments

31 pages; v2: typos fixed, minor modification of the proof, statement of the theorem unchanged; v3: added conjectures on signs of the relevant coupling

R2 v1 2026-06-28T20:31:54.268Z