Chengming Bai - Böcker

The present volume is a collection of seven papers that are either based on the talks presented at the workshop "Conformal field theories and tensor categories" held June 13 to June 17, 2011 at theBeijing International Center for Mathematical Research, Peking University,  or are extensions of the material presented in the talks at the workshop. These papers present new developments beyond rational conformal field theories and modular tensor categories and new applications in mathematics and physics. The topics covered include tensor categories from representation categories of Hopf algebras, applications of conformal field theories and tensor categories to topological phases and gapped systems, logarithmic conformal field theories and the corresponding non-semisimple tensor categories, and new developments in the representation theory of vertex operator algebras. Some of the papers contain detailed introductory material that is helpful for graduate students and researcherslooking for an introduction to these research directions. The papers also discuss exciting recent developments in the area of conformal field theories, tensor categories and their applications and will be extremely useful for researchers working in these areas.

The present volume is a collection of seven papers that are either based on the talks presented at the workshop "Conformal field theories and tensor categories" held June 13 to June 17, 2011 at theBeijing International Center for Mathematical Research, Peking University,  or are extensions of the material presented in the talks at the workshop. These papers present new developments beyond rational conformal field theories and modular tensor categories and new applications in mathematics and physics. The topics covered include tensor categories from representation categories of Hopf algebras, applications of conformal field theories and tensor categories to topological phases and gapped systems, logarithmic conformal field theories and the corresponding non-semisimple tensor categories, and new developments in the representation theory of vertex operator algebras. Some of the papers contain detailed introductory material that is helpful for graduate students and researcherslooking for an introduction to these research directions. The papers also discuss exciting recent developments in the area of conformal field theories, tensor categories and their applications and will be extremely useful for researchers working in these areas.

The book aims to survey recent developments in quantum algebras and related topics. Quantum groups were introduced by Drinfeld and Jimbo in 1985 in their work on Yang-Baxter equations. The subject from the very beginning has been an interesting one for both mathematics and theoretical physics. For example, Yangian is a special example of quantum group, corresponding to rational solution of Yang-Baxter equation. Viewed as a generalization of the symmetric group, Yangians also have close connections to algebraic combinatorics. This is the proceeding for the International Workshop on Quantized Algebra and Physics. The workshop aims to gather experts and young investigators from China and abroad to discuss research problems in integrable systems, conformal field theory, string theory, Lie theory, quantum groups including Yangians and their representations.

The book aims to exemplify the recent developments in operad theory, in universal algebra and related topics in algebraic topology and theoretical physics. The conference has established a better connection between mathematicians working on operads (mainly the French team) and mathematicians working in universal algebra (primarily the Chinese team), and to exchange problems, methods and techniques from these two subject areas.