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Field theories with defects and the centre functor

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arxiv 1107.0495 v1 pith:YPCNYFHQ submitted 2011-07-03 math.QA hep-thmath.CT

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keywords defectsfieldtheoriesalgebracentredimensionfunctorialsome
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This note is intended as an introduction to the functorial formulation of quantum field theories with defects. After some remarks about models in general dimension, we restrict ourselves to two dimensions - the lowest dimension in which interesting field theories with defects exist. We study in some detail the simplest example of such a model, namely a topological field theory with defects which we describe via lattice TFT. Finally, we give an application in algebra, where the defect TFT provides us with a functorial definition of the centre of an algebra. This involves changing the target category of commutative algebras into a bicategory. Throughout this paper, we emphasise the role of higher categories - in our case bicategories - in the description of field theories with defects.

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Cited by 3 Pith papers

Reviewed papers in the Pith corpus that reference this work. Sorted by Pith novelty score. Full citation record

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    String order parameters in 1D gapped phases with invertible or non-invertible symmetries organize into Lagrangian algebras in the Drinfel'd centre via tensor-network module categories.

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    cond-mat.str-el 2024-12 conditional novelty 6.0 of 10

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  3. Topological defects in reflection positive topological field theories

    math-ph 2026-08 conditional novelty 5.0 of 10

    A reflection-positive two-dimensional defect TQFT gives its defect bicategory an O(2)-dagger structure, and with positivity a structure close to a 3-Hilbert space.

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