Topological Quantum Field Theory Spring School

Topological Quantum Field Theory lives at the intersection of category theory, algebraic topology, representation theory, and theoretical physics. Physically, TQFTs describe and control the symmetries of quantum systems, including quantum symmetries, anomalous symmetries, and higher-form symmetries. Mathematically, TQFTs provide a dictionary between manifold topology and structures in representation theory, and as such allow computations and results to move between these separate fields. This school, aimed at math PhD students from Atlantic Canada, will consist of three 5-hour minicourses related to TQFTs, plus problem sessions and discussion time; students are expected to be familiar with the basic language of category theory, but are not expected to have any specialized knowledge in the field. The minicourses will be: Factorization Algebras (Araminta Amabel); Spectral Sequences (Arun Debray); Fusion Categories (Colleen Delaney).