Special Lecture: Symmetry in quantum field theory

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Speaker:

Daniel S. Freed - Harvard University

The notion of an abstract group encapsulates and illuminates concrete manifestations of symmetry. Recently in quantum field theory there have been discussions of "higher symmetry" and "noninvertiblesymmetry" and their applications.  In joint work with Greg Moore and Constantin Teleman, we propose a conceptual framework for symmetry in quantum field theory, built on the ongoing developments in topological field theory.  It incorporates these newer forms of symmetry, at least with sufficient finiteness conditions.