Speaker: Ben Gripaios (Cambridge)
Title: Generalized symmetries of topological field theories
Abstract: I describe joint work, with Oscar Randal-Williams and Joseph Tooby-Smith, studying generalized symmetries in a simplified arena in which the usual quantum field theories of physics are replaced with topological field theories and the smooth structure with which the symmetry groups of physics are usually endowed is forgotten. Doing so allows many questions of physical interest to be answered using the tools of homotopy theory. We study both global and gauge symmetries, as well as two types of `t Hooft anomaly. Our approach also allows some insight into earlier work on symmetries (generalized or not) of topological field theories.