Quantum Mathematics Seminar: Daniel Grady (Texas Tech)

Quantum Maths Seminar, external speaker

Speaker: Daniel Gardy (Texas Tech)

Title:  Applications of the geometric cobordism hypothesis

Abstract:  In this talk, I will discuss several applications of recent work with Dmitri Pavlov, which proves a geometric version of the cobordism hypothesis. Starting from the differential refinement of a characteristic class, the result implies that there exists a fully extended functorial field theory whose value on the moduli of points recovers this class. In particular, this can be used to show the existence of Chern--Simons theory as a fully extended prequantum field theory, starting from just the Chern--Simons form. Specializing to invertible field theories, the result can also be used to prove a conjecture of Freed and Hopkins on reflection positive invertible field theories. 

One hour talk followed by informal discussion.