Topological phases of matter are remarkable both for their richness of physical phenomena, and for their mathematical description by topological quantum field theories (TQFTs). Recently, the prediction and experimental discovery of topological insulators has spurred physicists to explore the role of symmetry in topological phases, leading to the identification of new classes of phases of matter, and new insights into their classification, properties, and potential physical realizations. This is an area with a history of strong connections between physics and mathematics, and the time is ripe for the emerging understanding of symmetric topological phases to benefit from new mathematical ideas in TQFTs, and vice versa.
This interdisciplinary workshop will bring together theoretical physicists and mathematicians to discuss symmetric topological phases and TQFTs, with a goal of forging productive new interactions between these communities.
This workshop will include a poster session; a request for posters will be sent to registered participants in advance of the workshop.
Daniel Freed
(University of Texas at Austin)
Michael Hermele
(University of Colorado Boulder)
Anton Kapustin
(California Institute of Technology)
Victor Ostrik
(University of Oregon)
Ashvin Vishwanath
(University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley))