Annular representation theory for rigid \(C^{\ast}\)-tensor categories (Q907758)

In this 40-pages paper, the authors introduce \textit{annular algebras} \({\mathcal{A}\Lambda}\), with weight set \({\Lambda}\subseteq [Obj({\mathcal{C}})]\). Choosing \({\Lambda}:={\text{Irr}({\mathcal{C}})}\) yields the tube algebra of Ocneanu, denoted \({\mathcal{A}}\), while choosing \({\Lambda}\) based on a planar algebra description yields the affine annular category \({\mathcal{AP}}\) of Jones. The authors show that all sufficiently large (full) annular algebras are isomorphic after tensoring with the \(*\)-algebra of matrix units with countable index set, hence have equivalent representation theories, unifying the two perspectives and providing a means of translating results from planar algebras to the tube algebra in a direct way. The authors also investigate annular algebras of a \(C^{*}\)-tensor category. For each object \(k\in {\Lambda}\), there is a corner of the annular algebra denoted \({\mathcal{A}\Lambda}_{k,k}\) which is a unital \(*\)-algebra. If the identity object will be denoted by \(0\), then \({\mathcal{A}\Lambda}_{0,0}\) is canonically \(*\)-isomorphic to the fusion algebra of \({\mathcal{C}}\). The authors show that admissible representations of the fusion algebra in the sense of Popa and Vaes are precisely representations of the fusion algebra which are restrictions of \(*\)-representations of the tube algebra (or any full annular algebra). This allows them the approximation and rigidity properties defined for categories by Popa and Vaes to interpret in the context of annular representation theory. This perspective also allows the authors to define ``higher weight'' approximation properties based on other centralizer algebras of an annular algebra. Using the analysis of annular representations due to Jones and Reznikoff, they identify all centralizer algebras for the Temperley-Lieb-Jones categories \(TLJ(\delta)\) for \(\delta\geq 2\) too.