On quantum Galois theory (Q677550)

The authors initiate a program to systematically study the vertex operator subalgebra \(V^G\) of \(G\)-invariants for a given simple vertex operator algebra \(V\) with a finite and faithful group \(G\) of automorphisms of \(V\), a structure that a physicist might refer to as the ``operator content of orbifold models'' [cf. \textit{R. Dijkgraaf, C. Vafa, E. Verlinde} and \textit{H. Verlinde}, Commun. Math. Phys. 123, 485-526 (1989; Zbl 0674.46051)]. The authors show that \(V^G\) is also simple and that, under the assumption that \(G\) is either abelian or dihedral, the map \(H\mapsto V^H\) is a bijection between the subgroups of \(G\) and the vertex operator subalgebras of \(V\) which contain \(V^G\). This Galois correspondence is a consequence of results concerning a direct sum decomposition \(V=\oplus_{\chi\in\text{Irr}(G)} V^\chi\), where \( V^\chi\) is a graded subspace on which \(G\) acts according to the simple character \(\chi\). It is shown that each \(V^\chi\) is nonzero and, under the assumption that \(G\) is solvable, the main result is a description \(V^\chi=M_\chi\otimes V_\chi\) in terms of simple \(G\)-modules \(M_\chi\) and simple \(V^G\)-modules \(V_\chi\) which are contained in \(V\), with \(M_\chi\mapsto V_\chi\) being a bijection.