Events for 02/01/2022 from all calendars

Colloquium - Colleen Delaney

Time: 4:00PM - 5:00PM

Location: BLOC 117

Speaker: Colleen Delaney, Indiana University

Description:
Title: Tensor Categories, knots, and quantum matter in 2d
Abstract: Tensor categories provide elegant yet practical descriptions of topological phases of matter in addition to being an increasingly important subject in modern algebra in their own right. In this talk I will give a physically motivated introduction to the study of modular tensor categories and explain how natural questions about topological phases translate into problems about their classification and invariants. I will highlight some recent progress understanding how examples called ``modular isotopes” fit into a periodic table of quantum matter and discuss ongoing work aimed at characterizing the intrinsic quantum computational complexity of topological phases.