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Abstract We show that the Levin-Wen model of a unitary fusion category$${\mathcal {C}}$$ $C$is a gauge theory with gauge symmetry given by the tube algebra$${\text {Tube}}({\mathcal {C}})$$ $\text{Tube}\left(C\right)$. In particular, we define a model corresponding to a$${\text {Tube}}({\mathcal {C}})$$ $\text{Tube}\left(C\right)$symmetry protected topological phase, and we provide a gauging procedure which results in the corresponding Levin-Wen model. In the case$${\mathcal {C}}=\textsf{Hilb}(G,\omega )$$ $C=\mathrm{Hilb}(G,\omega )$, we show how our procedure reduces to the twisted gauging of a trivalG-SPT to produce the Twisted Quantum Double. We further provide an example which is outside the bounds of the current literature, the trivial Fibbonacci SPT, whose gauge theory results in the doubled Fibonacci string-net. Our formalism has a natural topological interpretation with string diagrams living on a punctured sphere. We provide diagrams to supplement our mathematical proofs and to give the reader an intuitive understanding of the subject matter. 

Boundaries of Walker-Wang models have been used to construct commuting projector models which realize chiral unitary modular tensor categories (UMTCs) as boundary excitations. Given a UMTC $\mathcal{A}$representing the Witt class of an anomaly, the article \cite{MR4640433} gave a commuting projector model associated to an $\mathcal{A}$-enriched unitary fusion category $\mathcal{X}$on a 2D boundary of the 3D Walker-Wang model associated to $\mathcal{A}$. That article claimed that the boundary excitations were given by the enriched center/Müger centralizer $Z^{\mathcal{A}}\left(\mathcal{X}\right)$of $\mathcal{A}$in $Z\left(\mathcal{X}\right)$.In this article, we give a rigorous treatment of this 2D boundary model, and we verify this assertion using topological quantum field theory (TQFT) techniques, including skein modules and a certain semisimple algebra whose representation category describes boundary excitations. We also use TQFT techniques to show the 3D bulk point excitations of the Walker-Wang bulk are given by the Müger center $Z_2\left(\mathcal{A}\right)$, and we construct bulk-to-boundary hopping operators $Z_2\left(\mathcal{A}\right)\to Z^{\mathcal{A}}\left(\mathcal{X}\right)$reflecting how the UMTC of boundary excitations $Z^{\mathcal{A}}\left(\mathcal{X}\right)$is symmetric-braided enriched in $Z_2\left(\mathcal{A}\right)$.This article also includes a self-contained comprehensive review of the Levin-Wen string net model from a unitary tensor category viewpoint, as opposed to the skeletal $6j$symbol viewpoint.