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We develop representation theoretic techniques to construct three dimensional non-semisimple topological quantum field theories which model homologically truncated topological B-twists of abelian Gaiotto--Witten theory with linear matter. Our constructions are based on relative modular structures on the category of weight modules over an unrolled quantization of a Lie superalgebra. The Lie superalgebra, originally defined by Gaiotto and Witten, is associated to a complex symplectic representation of a metric abelian Lie algebra. The physical theories we model admit alternative realizations as Chern--Simons-Rozansky--Witten theories and supergroup Chern--Simons theories and include as particular examples global forms of gl(1,1)-Chern--Simons theory and toral Chern--Simons theory. Fundamental to our approach is the systematic incorporation of non-genuine line operators which source flat connections for the topological flavour symmetry of the theory.
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This content will become publicly available on November 26, 2025
Three dimensional topological quantum field theory from U_q(gl(1,1)) and U(1,1) Chern–Simons theory
We introduce an unrolled quantization U_q^E(gl(1,1)) of the complex Lie superalgebra gl(1,1) and use its categories of weight modules to construct and study new three dimensional non-semisimple topological quantum field theories. These theories are defined on categories of cobordisms which are decorated by ribbon graphs and cohomology classes and take values in categories of graded super vector spaces. Computations in these theories are enabled by a detailed study of the representation theory of U_q^E(gl(1,1)). We argue that by restricting to subcategories of integral weight modules we obtain topological quantum field theories which are mathematical models of Chern--Simons theories with gauge supergroups psl(1,1,) and U(1,1) coupled to background flat \mathbb{C}^{\times}-connections, as studied in the physics literature by Rozansky--Saleur and Mikhaylov. In particular, we match Verlinde formulae and mapping class group actions on state spaces of non-generic tori with results in the physics literature. We also obtain explicit descriptions of state spaces of generic surfaces, including their graded dimensions, which go beyond results in the physics literature.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2302363
- PAR ID:
- 10612031
- Publisher / Repository:
- Elsevier
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Advances in Mathematics
- Volume:
- 460
- Issue:
- C
- ISSN:
- 0001-8708
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 110044
- Subject(s) / Keyword(s):
- Topological quantum field theory Chern–Simons theory Representation theory of quantum supergroups.
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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