Causality in Schwinger’s Picture of Quantum Mechanics

This paper begins the study of the relation between causality and quantum mechanics, taking advantage of the groupoidal description of quantum mechanical systems inspired by Schwinger’s picture of quantum mechanics. After identifying causal structures on groupoids with a particular class of subcategories, called causal categories accordingly, it will be shown that causal structures can be recovered from a particular class of non-selfadjoint class of algebras, known as triangular operator algebras, contained in the von Neumann algebra of the groupoid of the quantum system. As a consequence of this, Sorkin’s incidence theorem will be proved and some illustrative examples will be discussed.

On completeness and generalized symmetries in quantum field theory

We review a notion of completeness in QFT arising from the analysis of basic properties of the set of operator algebras attached to regions. In words, this completeness asserts that the physical observable algebras produced by local degrees of freedom are the maximal ones compatible with causality. We elaborate on equivalent statements to this completeness principle such as the non-existence of generalized symmetries and the uniqueness of the net of algebras. We clarify that for non-complete theories, the existence of generalized symmetries is unavoidable and further that they always come in dual pairs with precisely the same “size”. Moreover, the dual symmetries are always broken together, be it explicitly or effectively. Finally, we comment on several issues raised in recent literature, such as the relationship between completeness and modular invariance, dense sets of charges, and absence of generalized symmetries in the bulk of holographic theories.

Correlator correspondences for Gaiotto-Rapčák dualities and first order formulation of coset models

We derive correspondences of correlation functions among dual conformal field theories in two dimensions by developing a “first order formulation” of coset models. We examine several examples, and the most fundamental one may be a conjectural equivalence between a coset (SL(n)k ⊗SL(n)−1)/SL(n)k−1 and $$ \mathfrak{sl}(n) $$ sl n Toda field theory with generic level k. Among others, we also complete the derivation of higher rank FZZ-duality involving a coset SL(n + 1)k /(SL(n)k ⊗ U(1)), which could be done only for n = 2, 3 in our previous paper. One obstacle in the previous work was our poor understanding of a first order formulation of coset models. In this paper, we establish such a formulation using the BRST formalism. With our better understanding, we successfully derive correlator correspondences of dual models including the examples mentioned above. The dualities may be regarded as conformal field theory realizations of some of the Gaiotto-Rapčák dualities of corner vertex operator algebras.

MIP* = RE

Note from the Research Highlights Co-Chairs: A Research Highlights paper appearing in Communications is usually peer-reviewed prior to publication. The following paper is unusual in that it is still under review. However, the result has generated enormous excitement in the research community, and came strongly nominated by SIGACT, a nomination seconded by external reviewers. The complexity class NP characterizes the collection of computational problems that have efficiently verifiable solutions. With the goal of classifying computational problems that seem to lie beyond NP, starting in the 1980s complexity theorists have considered extensions of the notion of efficient verification that allow for the use of randomness (the class MA), interaction (the class IP), and the possibility to interact with multiple proofs, or provers (the class MIP). The study of these extensions led to the celebrated PCP theorem and its applications to hardness of approximation and the design of cryptographic protocols. In this work, we study a fourth modification to the notion of efficient verification that originates in the study of quantum entanglement. We prove the surprising result that every problem that is recursively enumerable, including the Halting problem, can be efficiently verified by a classical probabilistic polynomial-time verifier interacting with two all-powerful but noncommunicating provers sharing entanglement. The result resolves long-standing open problems in the foundations of quantum mechanics (Tsirelson's problem) and operator algebras (Connes' embedding problem).

Classifying three-character RCFTs with Wronskian index equalling 0 or 2

In the modular linear differential equation (MLDE) approach to classifying rational conformal field theories (RCFTs) both the MLDE and the RCFT are identified by a pair of non-negative integers [n,l]. n is the number of characters of the RCFT as well as the order of the MLDE that the characters solve and l, the Wronskian index, is associated to the structure of the zeroes of the Wronskian of the characters. In this paper, we study [3,0] and [3,2] MLDEs in order to classify the corresponding CFTs. We reduce the problem to a “finite” problem: to classify CFTs with central charge 0 < c ≤ 96, we need to perform 6, 720 computations for the former and 20, 160 for the latter. Each computation involves (i) first finding a simultaneous solution to a pair of Diophantine equations and (ii) computing Fourier coefficients to a high order and checking for positivity.In the [3,0] case, for 0 < c ≤ 96, we obtain many character-like solutions: two infinite classes and a discrete set of 303. After accounting for various categories of known solutions, including Virasoro minimal models, WZW CFTs, Franc-Mason vertex operator algebras and Gaberdiel-Hampapura-Mukhi novel coset CFTs, we seem to have seven hitherto unknown character-like solutions which could potentially give new CFTs. We also classify [3,2] CFTs for 0 < c ≤ 96: each CFT in this case is obtained by adjoining a constant character to a [2,0] CFT, whose classification was achieved by Mathur-Mukhi-Sen three decades ago.

Foliation of a space associated to vertex operator algebra

In this paper, we construct the foliation of a space associated to correlation functions of vertex operator algebras, considered on Riemann surfaces. We prove that the computation of general genus g correlation functions determines a foliation on the space associated to these correlation functions a sewn Riemann surface. Certain further applications of the definition are proposed.

Operator and Graph Theoretic Techniques for Distinguishing Quantum States via One-Way LOCC

We bring together in one place some of the main results and applications from our recent work on quantum information theory, in which we have brought techniques from operator theory, operator algebras, and graph theory for the first time to investigate the topic of distinguishability of sets of quantum states in quantum communication, with particular reference to the framework of one-way local quantum operations and classical communication (LOCC). We also derive a new graph-theoretic description of distinguishability in the case of a single-qubit sender.

Correlator correspondences for subregular $$ \mathcal{W} $$-algebras and principal $$ \mathcal{W} $$-superalgebras

We examine a strong/weak duality between a Heisenberg coset of a theory with $$ \mathfrak{sl} $$ sl n subregular $$ \mathcal{W} $$ W -algebra symmetry and a theory with a $$ \mathfrak{sl} $$ sl n|1-structure. In a previous work, two of the current authors provided a path integral derivation of correlator correspondences for a series of generalized Fateev-Zamolodchikov-Zamolodchikov (FZZ-)duality. In this paper, we derive correlator correspondences in a similar way but for a different series of generalized duality. This work is a part of the project to realize the duality of corner vertex operator algebras proposed by Gaiotto and Rapčák and partly proven by Linshaw and one of us in terms of two dimensional conformal field theory. We also examine another type of duality involving an additional pair of fermions, which is a natural generalization of the fermionic FZZ-duality. The generalization should be important since a principal $$ \mathcal{W} $$ W -superalgebra appears as its symmetry and the properties of the superalgebra are less understood than bosonic counterparts.