On invariants of modular categories beyond modular data

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Abstract: We study novel invariants of modular categories that are beyond the modular data, with an eye towards a simple set of complete invariants for modular categories. Our focus is on the W-matrix--the quantum invariant of a colored framed Whitehead link from the associated TQFT of a modular category. We prove that the W-matrix and the set of punctured S-matrices are strictly beyond the modular data (S,T). Whether or not the triple (S,T,W) constitutes a complete invariant of modular categories remains an open question.


A modular fusion category $C$ is a non-degenerate spherical fusion category. With the help of spherical structure of $C$, one can define modular data $(S,T)$ of $C$, that is the $S$-matrix and $T$-matrix, whose coefficients are traces of squared braiding of simple objects and ribbon structure(or twist) of simple objects of $C$. Modular data are important, for example they can provide formula about Frobenius-Schur indicators. It was conjectured that modular data is a complete set of invariant of modular tensor equivalence. However, this is not case, some counterexamples were provided by \textit{M. Mignard} and \textit{P. Schauenburg} [``Modular categories are not determined by their modular data, Preprint, \url{arXiv:1708.02796}]. In the paper under review, the author provided another invariant, the $W$-matrix obtained from links. They proved that the $W$-matrix can be used to distinguish some modular fusion categories with the same modular data. However, it is still an open question whether $(S,T,W)$ are a complete set of invariants of modular equivalence.











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