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Motivated by the dagger category of Hilbert spaces, we explore the mathematical axiomatization of unitary topological field theory (TFT) using dagger categories. Recent advancements have elucidated the structure of higher dagger categories, paving the way for a precise definition of extended unitary TFTs. I will present an explicit formulation of once extended TFTs utilizing various versions of dagger bicategories. This framework enables a complete classification of unitary extended two-dimensional TFTs with arbitrary symmetry groups in terms of their unitary 2-representations. This is joint work in progress with Lukas Muller.

An *open-closed tqft* is a tqft with a choice of boundary condition. Example: the sigma model for a sufficiently finite space, with its Neumann boundary. Slogan: every open-closed tqft is (sigma model, Neumann boundary) for some “quantum space”. In this talk, I will construct homotopy groups for every such “quantum space” (and recover usual homotopy groups). More precisely, these “groups” are Hopf in some category. Given a “quantum fibre bundle” (a relative open-closed tqft), I will construct a Puppe long exact sequence. Retracts in 3-categories and a higher Beck-Chevalley condition will make appearances. This project is joint work in progress with David Reutter.

In this talk we explore the symmetry in 1+1d fermionic systems from a category theory perspective. We argue that It requires additional structure than a tensor category over sVect, and rather captured by a fusion category equipped with a braided central functor from a specific braided fusion category, dependent on the chiral central charge. The same data defines a 1-morphism in the 4-category of braided tensor categories, which lead us to a 4d-3d-2d picture via cobordism hypothesis. This talk is based on an ongoing work with K. Inamura.

The braiding statistics of point particles in 2-dimensional topological phases are given by representations of the braid groups. One approach to the study of generalised particles in topological phases, loop particles in 3-dimensions for example, is to generalise (some of) the several different realisations of the braid group. In this talk I will construct for each manifold M its motion groupoid $Mot_M$, whose object class is the power set of M. I will discuss several different, but equivalent, quotients on motions leading to the motion groupoid. In particular that the quotient used in the construction $Mot_M$ can be formulated entirely in terms of a level preserving isotopy relation on the trajectories of objects under flows -- worldlines (e.g. monotonic `tangles'). I will also give a construction of a mapping class groupoid $MCG_M$ associated to a manifold M with the same object class. For each manifold M I will construct a functor $F \colon Mot_M \to MCG_M$, and prove that this is an isomorphism if $\pi_0$ and $\pi_1$ of the appropriate space of self-homeomorphisms of M is trivial. In particular there is an isomorphism in the physically important case $M=[0,1]^n$ with fixed boundary, for any $n\in\mathbb{N}$. I will discuss several examples throughout.

Zesting is a construction that takes a (2+1)D topological order and produces a new one by changing the fusion rules of its anyons. We'll discuss properties of zesting from a physical and computational point of view and explain how the theory produces some closely related families of topological orders, like Kitaev's 16-fold way and modular isotopes. Time permitting we'll cover a generalization of zesting to symmetry-enriched topological order and comment on connections to fusion 2-categories.

The state-sum invariants of 4d manifolds obtained from spherical fusion 2-categories due to Douglas-Reutter offer an exciting entrypoint to the study of 4d TQFTs. In this talk we will argue that these invariants arise from a TQFT, obtained by filling the trivial 4d TQFT with a defect foam. Such construction is known as a generalised orbifold, the Turaev-Viro-Barrett-Westbury (i.e. 3d state-sum) models are also known to arise in this way from the defects in the trivial 3d TQFT (a result by Carqueville-Runkel-Schaumann). Advantages of this point of view offer e.g. realisations of state-spaces, examples of domain walls and commuting-projector realisations of (3+1)-dimensional topological phases. Based on a joint project with Nils Carqueville and Lukas Müller.

In this presentation, I will discuss our latest efforts to classify and characterize insulators in two spatial dimensions in the presence of interactions. I will focus on two examples, both on the square lattice. The first example is of bosonic insulators with symmetry G = p4m x K, where K is an internal symmetry group taken to be U(1), SO(3) or Z_N. The second example is of fermionic insulators with G= p4 x U(1)^f. In both scenarios, we propose a set of invariants that reproduce the classification anticipated through real space constructions and topological field theory (TFT). In doing so, we relate these invariants to coefficients appearing in the response action obtained from TFT. For the fermionic case, we propose a map from the non-interacting classification to the interacting classification.

This talk is based on work done with Naren Manjunath and Maissam Barkeshli.

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