CMSA Quantum Matter in Mathematics and Physics Seminar: Small Bosonic CFTs, Chiral Fermionization, and Symmetry/Subalgebra Duality

Conformal field theories in (1+1)D are key actors in many dramas of physics and mathematics. Their classification has therefore been an important and long-standing problem. In this talk, I will explain the main ideas behind the classification of (most) "small" bosonic CFTs. Here, I use the adjective "small" informally to refer to theories with low central charge (less than 24) and few primary operators (less than 5). Time and attention permitting, I will highlight two applications of this result. First, I will describe how it can be used in tandem with bosonization and fermionization techniques to establish the classification of chiral fermionic CFTs with central charge less than 23. Second, I will showcase how it can be used to bootstrap generalized global symmetries using the concept of "symmetry/subalgebra duality."

Talk based on arXiv:2208.05486 [hep-th] (joint work with Sunil Mukhi) and arXiv:2303.16921 [hep-th].

Zoom: https://harvard.zoom.us/j/977347126

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