We study the finite dimensional modules on the half-quantum group u_q^+ at a root of unity q, whose action can be extended to u_q (quotient of the quantized enveloping algebra of sl_2). We derive decomposition formulas of the tensor product of indecomposable u_q^+-modules, which includes the cases of the universal and the quantized universal enveloping algebra of sl_2 for q not a root of unity. We also prove that simple modules on u_q correspond exactly to the extendable non projective u_q^+-modules. We thus establish decomposition formulas for the tensor product of simple u_q-modules.
In this expository paper, we discuss and compare the notions of braided and coboundary monoidal categories. Coboundary monoidal categories are analogues of braided monoidal categories in which the role of the braid group is replaced by the cactus group. We focus on the categories of representations of quantum groups and crystals and explain how while the former is a braided monoidal category, this structure does not pass to the crystal limit. However, the categories of representations of quantum groups of finite type also possess the structure of a coboundary category which does behave well in…
An interesting open question is to determine the group of monoidal autoequivalences of the category of Yetter-Drinfeld modules over a finite group $G$, or equivalently the group of Bigalois objects over the dual of the Drinfeld double $DG$. In particular one would hope to decompose this group into terms related to monoidal autoequivalences for the group algebra, the dual group algebra and interaction terms. We report on our progress in this question: We first prove a decomposition of the group of Hopf algebra automorphisms of the Drinfeld double into three subgroups, which reduces in the case …
Monoidal categories enriched in a braided monoidal category $\mathcal{V}$ are classified by braided oplax monoidal functors from $\mathcal{V}$ to the Drinfeld centers of ordinary monoidal categories. In this article, we prove that this classifying functor is strongly monoidal if and only if the original $\mathcal{V}$-monoidal category is tensored over $\mathcal{V}$. We then define a completion operation which produces a tensored $\mathcal{V}$-monoidal category $\overline{\mathcal{C}}$ from an arbitrary $\mathcal{V}$-monoidal category $\mathcal{C}$, and we determine many equivalent conditions w…
G-equivariant modular categories provide the input for a standard method to construct 3d homotopy field theories. Virelizier constructed a G-equivariant category from the action of a group G on a Hopf algebra H by Hopf algebra automorphisms. The neutral component of his category is the Drinfeld center of the category of H-modules. We generalize this construction to weak actions of a group G on an arbitrary monoidal category C by (possibly non-strict) monoidal auto-equivalences and obtain a G-equivariant category with neutral component the Drinfeld center of C.
We introduce the notion of a monoidal category enriched in a braided monoidal category $\mathcal V$. We set up the basic theory, and prove a classification result in terms of braided oplax monoidal functors to the Drinfeld center of some monoidal category $\mathcal T$. Even the basic theory is interesting; it shares many characteristics with the theory of monoidal categories enriched in a symmetric monoidal category, but lacks some features. Of particular note, there is no cartesian product of braided-enriched categories, and the natural transformations do not form a 2-category, but rather sat…
In this paper we introduce the notion of weak operator and the theory of Yetter-Drinfeld modules over a weak braided Hopf algebra with invertible antipode in a strict monoidal category. We prove that the class of such objects constitutes a non strict monoidal category. It is also shown that this category is not trivial, that is to say that it admits objects generated by the adjoint action (coaction) associated to the weak braided Hopf algebra.
We show that the Drinfeld centre of a symmetric fusion category is a bilax 2-fold monoidal category. That is, it carries two monoidal structures, the convolution and symmetric tensor products, that are bilax monoidal functors with respect to each other. We additionally show that the braiding and symmetry for the convolution and symmetric tensor products are compatible with this bilax structure. We establish these properties without referring to Tannaka duality for the symmetric fusion category. This has the advantage that all constructions are done purely in terms of the fusion category struct…
We define a notion of category enriched over an oplax monoidal category $V$, extending the usual definition of category enriched over a monoidal category. Even though oplax monoidal structures involve infinitely many functors $V^n\to V$, defining categories enriched over $V$ only requires the lower arity maps $(n \leq 3)$, similarly to the monoidal case. The focal point of the enrichment theory shifts, in the oplax case, from the notion of $V$-category (given by collections of objects and hom-objects together with composition and unit maps) to the one of categories enriched over $V$ (genuine c…
Skew-monoidal categories arise when the associator and the left and right units of a monoidal category are, in a specific way, not invertible. We prove that the closed skew-monoidal structures on the category of right R-modules are precisely the right bialgebroids over the ring R. These skew-monoidal structures induce quotient skew-monoidal structures on the category of R-R-bimodules and this leads to the following generalization: Opmonoidal monads on a monoidal category correspond to skew-monoidal structures with the same unit object which are compatible with the ordinary monoidal structure b…
Given a monoidal category C, an ordinary category M, and a monad T in M, the lifts in a strict sense of a fixed action of C on M to an action of C on the Eilenberg-Moore category of T-modules in M are in a bijective correspondence with certain families of natural transformations, indexed by the objects in the monoidal category C. These families are analogues of distributive laws between monads.
We begin with a brief sketch of what is known and conjectured concerning braided monoidal 2-categories and their applications to 4d topological quantum field theories and 2-tangles (surfaces embedded in 4-dimensional space). Then we give concise definitions of semistrict monoidal 2-categories and braided monoidal 2-categories, and show how these may be unpacked to give long explicit definitions similar to, but not quite the same as, those given by Kapranov and Voevodsky. Finally, we describe how to construct a semistrict braided monoidal 2-category Z(C) as the `center' of a semistrict monoidal…
We study the basic monoidal properties of the category of Hopf modules for a coquasi Hopf algebra. In particular we discuss the so called fundamental theorem that establishes a monoidal equivalence between the category of comodules and the category of Hopf modules. We present a categorical proof of Radford's $S^4$ formula for the case of a finite dimensional coquasi Hopf algebra, by establishing a monoidal isomorphism between certain double dual functors.
We characterize in terms of bicategories actions of monoidal categories to representation categories of algebras. For that purpose we introduce cocycles in any 2-category $\K$ and the category of Tambara modules over a monad $B$ in $\K$. We show that in an appropriate setting the above action of categories is given by a 2-cocycle in the Eilenberg-Moore category for the monad $B$. Furthermore, we introduce (co)quasi-bimonads in $\K$ and their respective 2-categories. We show that the categories of Tambara (co)modules over a (co)quasi-bimonad in $\K$ are monoidal, and how the 2-cocycles in the E…
Let $F, G: \mathcal{I} \to \mathcal{C}$ be strong monoidal functors from a skeletally small monoidal category $\mathcal{I}$ to a tensor category $\mathcal{C}$ over an algebraically closed field $k$. The set $Nat(F, G)$ of natural transformations $F \to G$ is naturally a vector space over $k$. We show that the set $Nat_\otimes(F, G)$ of monoidal natural transformations $F \to G$ is linearly independent as a subset of $Nat(F, G)$. As a corollary, we can show that the group of monoidal natural automorphisms on the identity functor on a finite tensor category is finite. We can also show that the s…
Kornel Szlachányi recently used the term skew-monoidal category for a particular laxified version of monoidal category. He showed that bialgebroids $H$ with base ring $R$ could be characterized in terms of skew-monoidal structures on the category of one-sided $R$-modules for which the lax unit was $R$ itself. We define skew monoidales (or skew pseudo-monoids) in any monoidal bicategory $\mathscr M$. These are skew-monoidal categories when $\mathscr M$ is $\mathrm{Cat}$. Our main results are presented at the level of monoidal bicategories. However, a consequence is that quantum categories in th…
Monoidal functors U:C --> M with left adjoints determine, in a universal way, monoids T in the category of oplax monoidal endofunctors on M. Such monads will be called bimonads. Treating bimonads as abstract "quantum groupoids" we derive Tannaka duality between left adjointable monoidal functors and bimonads. Bialgebroids, i.e., Takeuchi's x_R-bialgebras, appear as the special case when T has also a right adjoint. Street's 2-category of monads then leads to a natural definition of the 2-category of bialgebroids.
We describe a class of examples of braided monoidal categories which are built from Hopf algebras in symmetric categories. The construction is motivated by a calculation in two-dimensional conformal field theory and is tailored to contain the braided monoidal categories occurring in the study of the Ising model, their generalisation to Tamabara-Yamagami categories, and categories occurring for symplectic fermions.
We construct an equivalence between the 2-categories VMonCat of rigid V-monoidal categories for a braided monoidal category V and VModTens of oplax braided functors from V into the Drinfeld centers of ordinary rigid monoidal categories. The 1-cells in each are the respective lax monoidal functors, and the 2-cells are the respective monoidal natural transformations. Our proof also gives an equivalence in the case that we consider only strong monoidal 1-cells on both sides. The 2-categories VMonCat and VModTens have G-graded analogues. We also get an equivalence of 2-categories between G-extensi…
Let $k$ be a field, $k^*=k\setminus\{0\}$ and $C_2$ the cyclic group of order 2. In this note we compute all the braided monoidal structures on the category of $k$-vector spaces graded by the Klein group $C_2\times C_2$. Actually, for the monoidal structures we will compute the explicit form of the 3-cocycles on $C_2\times C_2$ with coefficients in $k^*$, while for the braided monoidal structures we will compute the explicit form of the abelian 3-cocycles on $C_2\times C_2$ with coefficients in $k^*$. In particular, this will allow us to produce examples of quasi-Hopf algebras and weak braided…
Let $A$ be an algebra over a commutative ring $k$. It is known that the categories of non-commutative descent data, of comodules over the Sweedler canonical coring, of right $A$-modules with a flat connection are isomorphic as braided monoidal categories to the center of the category of $A$-bimodules. We prove that the braiding on these categories is unique if there exists a $k$-linear unitary map $E : A \to Z(A)$. This condition is satisfied if $k$ is a field or $A$ is a commutative or a separable algebra.
An object $P$ in a monoidal category $\mathcal{C}$ is called pivotal if its left dual and right dual objects are isomorphic. Given such an object and a choice of dual $Q$, we construct the category $\mathcal{C}(P,Q)$, of objects which intertwine with $P$ and $Q$ in a compatible manner. We show that this category lifts the monoidal structure of $\mathcal{C}$ and the closed structure of $\mathcal{C}$, when $\mathcal{C}$ is closed. If $\mathcal{C}$ has suitable colimits we show that $\mathcal{C}(P,Q)$ is monadic and thereby construct a family of Hopf monads on arbitrary closed monoidal categories…
Based on the novel notion of `weakly counital fusion morphism', regular weak multiplier bimonoids in braided monoidal categories are introduced. They generalize weak multiplier bialgebras over fields and multiplier bimonoids in braided monoidal categories. Under some assumptions the so-called base object of a regular weak multiplier bimonoid is shown to carry a coseparable comonoid structure; hence to possess a monoidal category of bicomodules. In this case, appropriately defined modules over a regular weak multiplier bimonoid are proven to constitute a monoidal category with a strict monoidal…
We define a notion of tensor product of bimodule categories and prove that with this product the 2-category of C-bimodule categories for fixed tensor C is a monoidal 2-category in the sense of Kapranov and Voevodsky. We then provide a monoidal-structure preserving 2-equivalence between the 2-category of C-bimodule categories and Z(C)-module categories (module categories over the center). For finite group G we show that de-equivariantization is equivalent to tensor product over category Rep(G) of finite dimensional representations. We derive Rep(G)-module fusion rules and determine the group of…
We show that, with some technical conditions, an abelian category can be embedded into the category of bimodules over a ring. The case of semisimple rigid monoidal categories is studied in more detail.
The 2-category V-Cat of categories enriched over a braided monoidal category V is not itself braided in any way that is based upon the braiding of V. The exception is the case in which V is symmetric, which leads to V-Cat being symmetric as well. This paper describes how these facts are related to a categorical analogue of topological delooping. It seems that the analogy of loop spaces is a good guide for how to define the concept of enrichment over various types of monoidal objects, including k-fold monoidal categories and their higher dimensional counterparts. The main result is that for V a…
A linear Gr-category is a category of finite-dimensional vector spaces graded by a finite group together with natural tensor product. We classify the braided monoidal structures of a class of linear Gr-categories via explicit computations of the 3-cocycles and quasi-bicharacters of finite abelian groups which are direct product of two cyclic groups.
Quantum categories have been recently studied because of their relation to bialgebroids, small categories, and skew monoidales. This is the first of a series of papers based on the author's PhD thesis in which we examine the theory of quantum categories developed by Day, Lack, and Street. A quantum category is an opmonoidal monad on the monoidale associated to a biduality $R\dashv R^{\circ}$, or enveloping monoidale, in a monoidal bicategory of modules $\mathsf{Mod}(\mathcal{V})$ for a monoidal category $\mathcal{V}$. Lack and Street proved that quantum categories are in equivalence with right…
This preprint contains a part of the results of our earlier preprint arXiv:0907.3335v2 presented in a form suitable for journal publication. It covers a construction of a 2-fold monoidal structure on the category of tetramodules, with all necessary definitions, and an overview of the results of R.Taillefer [Tai1,2] on tetramodules and the Gerstenhaber-Schack cohomology [GS] (formerly served as Appendix in arXiv:0907.3335v2), as well as a computation of the Gerstenhaber-Schack cohomology for the free commutative cocommutative bialgebra S(V), for a V is a vector space.
This article is devoted to the investigation of the deformation (twisting) of monoidal structures, such as the associativity constraint of the monoidal category and the monoidal structure of monoidal functor. The sets of twistings have a (non-abelian) c ohomological nature. Using this fact the maps from the sets of twistings to some cohomology groups (Hochschild cohomology of K-theory) are constructed. The examples of monoidal categories of bimodules over some algebra, modules and comodules over bialgeb ra are examined. We specially concentrate on the case of free tensor category.
This paper clarifies basic definitions in the universal construction of topological theories and monoidal categories. The definition of the universal construction is given for various types of monoidal categories, including rigid and symmetric. It is also explained how to set up the universal construction for non-monoidal categories. The second part of the paper explains how to associate a rigid symmetric monoidal category to a small category, a sort of the Brauer envelope of a category. The universal construction for the Brauer envelopes generalizes some earlier work of the first two authors …
Covariant Hom-bimodules are introduced and the structure theory of them in the Hom-setting is studied in a detailed way. The category of bicovariant Hom-bimodules is proved to be a (pre)braided monoidal category and its structure theory is also provided in coordinate form. The notion of Hom-Yetter-Drinfel'd modules is presented and it is shown that the category of Hom-Yetter-Drinfel'd modules is a (pre)braided tensor category as well. As one of the main results, a (pre)braided monoidal equivalence between these tensor categories is verified, which extends the fundamental theorem of Hom-Hopf mo…
We show that a left-rigid monoidal C^*-category with irreducible monoidal unit is also a sovereign and spherical category. Defining a Frobenius-Schur type indicator we obtain selection rules for the fusion coefficients of irreducible objects. As a main result we prove S_4-invariance of 6j-symbols in such a category.
Let $A$ be an algebra in a monoidal category $\Cc$, and let $X$ be an object in $\Cc$. We study $A$-(co)ring structures on the left $A$-module $A\ot X$. These correspond to (co)algebra structures in $EM(\Cc)(A)$, the Eilenberg-Moore category associated to $\Cc$ and $A$. The ring structures are in bijective correspondence to wreaths in $\Cc$, and their category of representations is the category of representations over the induced wreath product. The coring structures are in bijective correspondence to cowreaths in $\Cc$, and their category of corepresentations is the category of generalized en…
We define Hopf monads on an arbitrary monoidal category, extending the definition given previously for monoidal categories with duals. A Hopf monad is a bimonad (or opmonoidal monad) whose fusion operators are invertible. This definition can be formulated in terms of Hopf adjunctions, which are comonoidal adjunctions with an invertibility condition. On a monoidal category with internal Homs, a Hopf monad is a bimonad admitting a left and a right antipode. Hopf monads generalize Hopf algebras to the non-braided setting. They also generalize Hopf algebroids (which are linear Hopf monads on a cat…
Starting from an abelian rigid braided monoidal category C we define an abelian rigid monoidal category C_F which captures some aspects of perturbed conformal defects in two-dimensional conformal field theory. Namely, for V a rational vertex operator algebra we consider the charge-conjugation CFT constructed from V (the Cardy case). Then C = Rep(V) and an object in C_F corresponds to a conformal defect condition together with a direction of perturbation. We assign to each object in C_F an operator on the space of states of the CFT, the perturbed defect operator, and show that the assignment fa…
A PROP is a symmetric monoidal category, whose set of objects is the set of natural numbers and on objects the monoidal structure is given by the addition. An algebra over a PROP is a symmetric strict monoidal functor to the tensor category of vector spaces. We give an explicite construction of the PROP whose category of algebras is equivalent to the category of bialgebras (= associative and coassociative bialgebras).
We define notions of pivotal and ribbon objects in a monoidal category. These constructions give pivotal or ribbon monoidal categories from a monoidal category which is not necessarily with duals. We apply this construction to the braided monoidal category of Yetter--Drinfeld modules over a Hopf algebra. This gives rise to the notion of ribbon Yetter--Drinfeld modules over a Hopf algebra, which form ribbon categories. This gives an invariant of tangles.
Alain Bruguieres, in his talk [1], announced his work [2] with Alexis Virelizier and the second author which dealt with lifting closed structure on a monoidal category to the category of Eilenberg-Moore algebras for an opmonoidal monad. Our purpose here is to generalize that work to the context internal to an autonomous monoidal bicategory. The result then applies to quantum categories and bialgebroids.
This paper is about skew monoidal tensored V-categories (= skew monoidal hommed V-actegories) and their categories of modules. A module over <M,*,R> is an algebra for the monad T = R * _ on M. We study in detail the skew monoidal structure of M^T and construct a skew monoidal forgetful functor from M^T to the category of E-objects in M where E=M(R,R) is the endomorphism monoid of the unit object R. Then we give conditions for the forgetful functor to be strong monoidal and for the category M^T of modules to be monoidal. In formulating these conditions a notion of `self-cocomplete' subcategorie…
A concrete model of the free skew-monoidal category Fsk on a single generating object is obtained. The situation is clubbable in the sense of G.M. Kelly, so this allows a description of the free skew-monoidal category on any category. As the objects of Fsk are meaningfully bracketed words in the skew unit I and the generating object X, it is necessary to examine bracketings and to find the appropriate kinds of morphisms between them. This leads us to relationships between triangulations of polygons, the Tamari lattice, left and right bracketing functions, and the orientals. A consequence of ou…
Given a Hopf algebra in a symmetric monoidal category with duals, the category of modules inherits the structure of a monoidal category with duals. If the notion of algebra is replaced with that of monad on a monoidal category with duals then Bruguieres and Virelizier showed when the category of modules inherits this structure of being monoidal with duals, and this gave rise to what they called a Hopf monad. In this paper it is shown that there are good diagrammatic descriptions of dinatural transformations which allows the three-dimensional, object-free nature of their constructions to become…
Hopf (bi-)modules and crossed modules over a bialgebra B in a braided monoidal category C are considered. The (braided) monoidal equivalence of both categories is proved provided B is a Hopf algebra (with invertible antipode). Bialgebra projections and Hopf bimodule bialgebras over a Hopf algebra in C are found to be isomorphic categories. As a consequence a generalization of the Radford-Majid criterion for a braided Hopf algebra to be a cross product is obtained. The results of this paper turn out to be fundamental for the construction of (bicovariant) differential calculi on braided Hopf alg…
The analogy between Yetter's deformation theory form (lax) monoidal functors and Gerstenahaber's deformation theory for associative algebras is solidified by shown that under reasonable conditions the category of functors with an action of a lax monoidal functor is abelian, that an analogue of the Hochschild cohomology of an algebra with coefficients in a bimodule exists for monoidal functors, and is given by right derived functors. The deformation cohmology of a monoidal natural transformation is shown to be a special case.
We investigate tensor products of matrix factorisations. This is most naturally done by formulating matrix factorisations in terms of bimodules instead of modules. If the underlying ring is C[x_1,...,x_N] we show that bimodule matrix factorisations form a monoidal category. This monoidal category has a physical interpretation in terms of defect lines in a two-dimensional Landau-Ginzburg model. There is a dual description via conformal field theory, which in the special case of W=x^d is an N=2 minimal model, and which also gives rise to a monoidal category describing defect lines. We carry out …
