A prehistory of n-categorical physics

zbMATH Open1236.81006arXiv0908.2469MaRDI QIDQ3100017FDOQ3100017

Authors: John Baez, Aaron D. Lauda 

Publication date: 22 November 2011

Abstract: This paper traces the growing role of categories and n-categories in physics, starting with groups and their role in relativity, and leading up to more sophisticated concepts which manifest themselves in Feynman diagrams, spin networks, string theory, loop quantum gravity, and topological quantum field theory. Our chronology ends around 2000, with just a taste of later developments such as open-closed topological string theory, the categorification of quantum groups, Khovanov homology, and Lurie's work on the classification of topological quantum field theories.

Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/0908.2469

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zbMATH Keywords

conformal field theoryelectromagnetismquantum groupstring theorycategory theoryJones polynomialbicategoryFrobenius algebraloop quantum gravityYang-Mills theorylow-dimensional topologymonoidal categoryquantum theorytopological quantum field theorycanonical basisFeynman diagramspin network\(n\)-categorysemisimple algebrabraided monoidal bicategoryDonaldson theoryfunctorial semanticsEckman-Hilton argument

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Physics (00A79) History of mathematics in the 20th century (01A60) General and philosophical questions in quantum theory (81P05) History of mathematics in the 21st century (01A61) History of quantum theory (81-03)

Cited In (8)

• Proof diagrams for multiplicative linear logic
• Quantum GestART: identifying and applying correlations between mathematics, art, and perceptual organization
• Proof diagrams for multiplicative linear logic: syntax and semantics
• A categorical view on the principle of relativity
• Orbifolds of Reshetikhin-Turaev TQFTs
• Truth diagrams for some non-classical and modal logics
• Semientwining structures and their applications.
• A 2-categorical state sum model

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