Title: Classifying Extended Topological Field Theories in Low Dimensions
Speaker: Christopher Schommer-Pries
Speaker Info:
Brief Description:
Special Note: There will be an expository seminar "pre-talk" from 3pm to 4pm
Abstract:
Following Atiyah and Segal, a topological field theory can be defined as a symmetric monoidal functor from a bordism category to a target category. An extended TFT is a higher categorical analog of this notion. In this talk we will explain a classification of extended topological field theories in low dimensions (D = 2 and 3). This approach is based on using Cerf theory to obtain an explicit generators and relations presentation, and highlights the connection between singularity theory and duality in (higher) category theory.Date: Tuesday, October 20, 2009