Date/Time
15 June 2025 - 27 June 2025
Organized by
Jennifer Brown (University Edinburgh), Alberto Cattaneo (UZH), Michele Del Zotto (Uppsala University), Julia Plavnik (University Indiana Blumington), Constantin Teleman (UC Berkeley)
Event page & registration
Description
Quantum field theory (QFT) is the universal language of modern theoretical physics. Originally developed to describe the interaction of light and matter, QFT has since found spectacular applications in particle, condensed matter, and statistical physics, as well as in cosmology and string theory. Some of the most profound open problems about the physics of non-topological QFTs especially at strong coupling, beyond the reach of conventional techniques – are newly accessible thanks to recent developments in the mathematics of topological quantum field theory (TQFT). This insight comes with a dramatic evolution of the notion of symmetries in QFT: symmetries can be characterized via topological defects of various codimensions whose multidimensional fusion generalizes wildly the notion of groups to what are called categorical symmetries. This event at Les Diablerets is the fourth in a series of meetings hosted at various institutes worldwide devoted to the exploration of these aspects of symmetries and their physical applications organised by the Simons Collaboration on Global Categorical Symmetries. World-class experts in the subject from several areas of physcis and mathematics will gather in Les Diablerets in an interactive setting alternating lectures and seminars aiming at nourishing collaborations and stimulate further this rapidly evolving interdisciplinary field.
More information soon
Location
SwissMAP Research Station, Les Diablerets, Switzerland
