Frobenius-Schur Indicators and Exponents of Spherical Categories
Siu-Hung Ng, Peter Schauenburg
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32p. LaTex file with macros and figures. Some typos and Thm 8.4 in v2 have been corrected. The current Thm 8.4 is a combined result of Thms 8.4 and 8.5 in version 2
We obtain two formulae for the higher Frobenius-Schur indicators: one for a spherical fusion category in terms of the twist of its center and the other one for a modular tensor category in terms of its twist. The first one is a categorical generalization of an analogous result by Kashina, Sommerhauser, and Zhu for Hopf algebras, and the second one extends Bantay's 2nd indicator formula for a conformal field theory to higher degree. These formulae imply the sequence of higher indicators of an object in these categories is periodic. We define the notion of Frobenius-Schur (FS-)exponent of a pivotal category to be the global period of all these sequences of higher indicators, and we prove that the FS-exponent of a spherical fusion category is equal to the order of the twist of its center. Consequently, the FS-exponent of a spherical fusion category is a multiple of its exponent, in the sense of Etingof, by a factor not greater than 2. As applications of these results, we prove that the exponent and the dimension of a semisimple quasi-Hopf algebra H have the same prime divisors, which answers two questions of Etingof and Gelaki affirmatively for quasi-Hopf algebras. Moreover, we prove that the FS-exponent of H divides dim(H)^4. In addition, if H is a group-theoretic quasi-Hopf algebra, the FS-exponent of H divides dim(H)^2, and this upper bound is shown to be tight.
We define higher Frobenius-Schur indicators for objects in linear pivotal monoidal categories. We prove that they are category invariants, and take values in the cyclotomic integers. We also define a family of natural endomorphisms of the identity endofunctor on a $k$-linear semisimple rigid monoidal category, which we call the Frobenius-Schur endomorphisms. For a $k$-linear semisimple pivotal monoidal category -- where both notions are defined --, the Frobenius-Schur indicators can be computed as traces of the Frobenius-Schur endomorphisms.
We give an explicit description, up to gauge equivalence, of group-theoretical quasi-Hopf algebras. We use this description to compute the Frobenius-Schur indicators for group-theoretical fusion categories.
In this paper, we propose a new approach towards the classification of spherical fusion categories by their Frobenius-Schur exponents. We classify spherical fusion categories of Frobenius-Schur exponent 2 up to monoidal equivalence. We also classify modular categories of Frobenius-Schur exponent 2 up to braided monoidal equivalence. It turns out that the Gauss sum is a complete invariant for modular categories of Frobenius-Schur exponent 2. This result can be viewed as a categorical analog of Arf's theorem on the classification of non-degenerate quadratic forms over fields of characteristic 2.
Group-theoretical fusion categories are defined by data concerning finite groups and their cohomology: A finite group $G$ endowed with a three-cocycle $ω$, and a subgroup $H\subset G$ endowed with a two-cochain whose coboundary is the restriction of $ω$. The objects of the category are $G$-graded vector spaces with suitably twisted $H$-actions; the associativity of tensor products is controlled by $ω$. Simple objects are parametrized in terms of projective representations of finite groups, namely of the stabilizers in $H$ of right $H$-cosets in $G$, with respect to two-cocycles defined by the …
We study Frobenius-Schur indicators of the regular representations of finite-dimensional semisimple Hopf algebras, especially group-theoretical ones. Those of various Hopf algebras are computed explicitly. In view of our computational results, we formulate the theorem of Frobenius for semisimple Hopf algebras and give some partial results on this problem.
In this paper, we introduce the notion of the pivotal cover $\mathcal{C}^{\mathsf{piv}}$ of a left rigid monoidal category $\mathcal{C}$ to develop a theoretical foundation for the theory of Frobenius-Schur (FS) indicators in "non-pivotal" settings. For an object $\mathbf{V} \in \mathcal{C}^{\mathsf{piv}}$, the $(n, r)$-th FS indicator $ν_{n, r}(\mathbf{V})$ is defined by generalizing that of an object of a pivotal monoidal category. This notion gives a categorical viewpoint to some recent results on generalizations of FS indicators. Based on our framework, we also study the FS indicators of t…
The Turaev-Viro state sum invariant can be extended to 3-manifolds with free boundaries. We use this fact to describe generalized Frobenius-Schur indicators as Turaev-Viro invariants of solid tori. This provides a geometric understanding of the $\mathrm{SL}(2,\mathbb{Z})$-equivariance of these indicators.
We consider a subclass of the class of group-theoretical fusion categories: To every finite group $G$ and subgroup $H$ one can associate the category of $G$-graded vector spaces with a two-sided $H$-action compatible with the grading. We derive a formula that computes higher Frobenius-Schur indicators for the objects in such a category using the combinatorics and representation theory of the groups involved in their construction. We calculate some explicit examples for inclusions of symmetric groups.
We introduce formulae of Frobenius-Schur indicators of simple objects of Tambara-Yamagami categories. By using techniques of the Fourier transform on finite abelian groups, we study some arithmetic properties of indicators.
The quantum Frobenius map and it splitting are shown to descend to corresponding maps for generalized $q$-Schur algebras at a root of unity. We also define analogs of $q$-Schur algebras for any affine algebra, and prove the corresponding results for them.
Ng and Schauenburg generalized higher Frobenius-Schur indicators to pivotal fusion categories and showed that these indicators may be computed utilizing the modular data of the Drinfel'd center of the given category. We consider two classes of fusion categories generated by a single non-invertible simple object: near groups, those fusion categories with one non-invertible simple object, and Haagerup-Izumi categories, those with one non-invertible simple object for every invertible object. Examples of both types arise as representations of finite or quantum groups or as Jones standard invariant…
Mason and Ng have given a generalization to semisimple quasi-Hopf algebras of Linchenko and Montgomery's generalization to semisimple Hopf algebras of the classical Frobenius-Schur theorem for group representations. We give a simplified proof, in particular a somewhat conceptual derivation of the appropriate form of the Frobenius-Schur indicator that indicates if and in which of two possible fashions a given simple module is self-dual.
The classical Frobenius-Schur indicators for finite groups are character sums defined for any representation and any integer m greater or equal to 2. In the familiar case m=2, the Frobenius-Schur indicator partitions the irreducible representations over the complex numbers into real, complex, and quaternionic representations. In recent years, several generalizations of these invariants have been introduced. Bump and Ginzburg, building on earlier work of Mackey, have defined versions of these indicators which are twisted by an automorphism of the group. In another direction, Linchenko and Montg…
Classically, the exponent of a group is the least common multiple of the orders of its elements. This notion was generalized by Etingof and Gelaki to the context of Hopf algebras. Kashina, Sommerhauser and Zhu later observed that there is a strong connection between exponents and Frobenius-Schur indicators. In this paper, we introduce the notion of twisted exponents and show that there is a similar relationship between the twisted exponent and the twisted Frobenius-Schur indicators defined in previous work of the authors. In particular, we exhibit a new formula for the twisted Frobenius-Schur …
We define total Frobenius-Schur indicator for each object in a spherical fusion category $C$ as a certain canonical sum of its higher indicators. The total indicators are invariants of spherical fusion categories. If $C$ is the representation category of a semisimple quasi-Hopf algebra $H$, we prove that the total indicators are non-negative integers which satisfy a certain divisibility condition. In addition, if $H$ is a Hopf algebra, then all the total indicators are positive. Consequently, the positivity of total indicators is a necessary condition for a quasi-Hopf algebra being gauge equiv…
We generalize the Frobenius-Schur theorem to $C^*$-categories. From this category-theoretical point of view, we introduce the notions of real, complex and quaternionic representations of Hopf $C^*$-algebras. Based on these definitions, we give another type of the Hopf-algebraic analogue of the Frobenius-Schur theorem, originally due to Linchenko and Montgomery. Also given are similar results for weak Hopf $C^*$-algebras, table algebras and compact quantum groups.
We calculate Frobenius-Schur indicator values for some fusion categories obtained from inclusions of finite groups $H\subset G$, where more concretely $G$ is symmetric or alternating, and $H$ is a symmetric, alternating or cyclic group. Our work is strongly related to earlier results by Kashina-Mason-Montgomery, Jedwab-Montgomery, and Timmer for bismash product Hopf algebras obtained from exact factorizations of groups. We can generalize some of their results, settle some open questions and offer shorter proofs; this already pertains to the Hopf algebra case, while our results also cover fusio…
We study the higher Frobenius-Schur indicators of the representations of the Drinfel'd double of a finite group G, in particular the question as to when all the indicators are integers. This turns out to be an interesting group-theoretic question. We show that many groups have this property, such as alternating and symmetric groups, PSL_2(q), M_{11}, M_{12} and regular nilpotent groups. However we show there is an irregular nilpotent group of order 5^6 with non-integer indicators.
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.
We introduce generalized Frobenius-Schur indicators for pivotal categories. In a spherical fusion category C, an equivariant indicator of an object in C is defined as a functional on the Grothendieck algebra of the quantum double Z(C) via generalized Frobenius-Schur indicators. The set of all equivariant indicators admits a natural action of the modular group. Using the properties of equivariant indicators, we prove a congruence subgroup theorem for modular categories. As a consequence, all modular representations of a modular category have finite images, and they satisfy a conjecture of Eholz…
Let g be a finite dimensional complex semisimple Lie algebra, and let V be a finite dimensional represenation of g. We give a closed formula for the mth Frobenius-Schur indicator, m>1, of V in representation-theoretic terms. We deduce that the indicators take integer values, and that for a large enough m, the mth indicator of V equals the dimension of the zero weight space of V. For the classical Lie algebras sl(n), so(2n), so(2n+1) and sp(2n), this is the case for m greater or equal to 2n-1, 4n-5, 4n-3 and 2n+1, respectively.
We study the higher Frobenius-Schur indicators of modules over semisimple Hopf algebras, and relate them to other invariants as the exponent, the order, and the index. We prove various divisibility and integrality results for these invariants. In particular, we prove a version of Cauchy's theorem for semisimple Hopf algebras. Furthermore, we give some examples that illustrate the general theory.
We present a new approach to calculating the higher Frobenius-Schur indicators for the simple modules over the Drinfeld double of a finite group. In contrast to the formula by Kashina-Sommerh{ä}user-Zhu that involves a sum over all group elements satisfying a certain condition, our formula operates on the level of conjugacy classes and character tables. It can be implemented in the computer algebra system GAP, efficiently enough to deal, on a laptop, with symmetric groups up to $S_{18}$ (providing further evidence that indicators are non-negative in this case) or simple groups of order up to $…
If G is a finite group and k is a field, there is a natural construction of a Hopf algebra over k associated to G, the Drinfel'd double D(G). We prove that if G is any finite real reflection group with Drinfel'd double D(G) over an algebraically closed field k of characteristic not 2, then every simple D(G)-module has Frobenius-Schur indicator +1. This generalizes the classical results for modules over the group itself. We also prove some new results about Weyl groups. In particular, we prove that any abelian subgroup is inverted by some involution. Also, if E is any elementary abelian 2-subgr…
In this paper, we obtain a canonical central element $ν_H$ for each semi-simple quasi-Hopf algebra $H$ over any field $k$ and prove that $ν_H$ is invariant under gauge transformations. We show that if $k$ is algebraically closed of characteristic zero then for any irreducible representation of $H$ which affords the character $χ$, $χ(ν_H)$ takes only the values 0, 1 or -1, moreover if $H$ is a Hopf algebra or a twisted quantum double of a finite group then $χ(ν_H)$ is the corresponding Frobenius-Schur Indicator. We also prove an analog of a Theorem of Larson-Radford for split semi-simple quasi-…
In this paper we show that for an important class of non-trivial Hopf algebras, the Schur indicator is a computable invariant. The Hopf algebras we consider are all abelian extensions; as a special case, they include the Drinfeld double of a group algebra. In addition to finding a general formula for the indicator, we also study when it is always positive. In particular we prove that the indicator is always positive for the Drinfeld double of the symmetric group, generalizing the classical result for the symmetric group itself.
In this paper, we introduce Frobenius von Neumann algebras and study quantum convolution inequalities. In this framework, we unify quantum Young's inequality on quantum symmetries such as subfactors, and fusion bi-algebras studied in quantum Fourier analysis. Moreover, we prove quantum entropic convolution inequalities and characterize the extremizers in the subfactor case. We also prove quantum smooth entropic convolution inequalities. We obtain the positivity of comultiplications of subfactor planar algebras, which is stronger than the quantum Schur product theorem. All these inequalities pr…
We give some applications of a Hopf algebra constructed from a group acting on another Hopf algebra A as Hopf automorphisms, namely Molnar's smash coproduct Hopf algebra. We find connections between the exponent and Frobenius-Schur indicators of a smash coproduct and the twisted exponents and twisted Frobenius-Schur indicators of the original Hopf algebra A. We study the category of modules of the smash coproduct.
We classify pointed fusion categories C(G, $ω$) up to Morita equivalence for 1 < |G| < 32. Among them, the cases |G| = 2 3 , 2 4 and 3 3 are emphasized. Although the equivalence classes of such categories are not distinguished by their Frobenius-Schur indicators, their categorical Morita equivalence classes are distinguished by the set of the indicators and ribbon twists of their Drinfeld centers. In particular, the modular data are a complete invariant for the modular categories Z(C(G, $ω$)) for |G[< 32. We use the computer algebra package GAP and present codes for treating complex-valued gro…
We prove a super Frobenius formula for the characters of the cyclotomic Hecke algebras by applying the super Schur-Weyl reciprocity between the quantum superalgebras and cyclotomic Hecke algebras, which is a super analogue of the Frobenius formula in (T. Shoji, J. Algebra 226: 2000, 818--856) and a cyclotomic analogue of the super Frobeinus formula in (H. Mitsuhashi, Linear Multilinear Algebra 58: 2010, 941--955).
We study the representations and their Frobenius-Schur indicators of two semisimple Hopf algebras related to the symmetric group $S_n$, namely the bismash products $H_n = k^{C_n}# kS_{n-1}$ and its dual $J_n = k^{S_{n-1}}# kC_n = (H_n)^*,$ where $k$ is an algebraically closed field of characteristic 0. Both algebras are constructed using the standard representation of $S_n$ as a factorizable group, that is $S_n = S_{n-1}C_n = C_nS_{n-1}$. We prove that for $H_n$, the indicators of all simple modules are +1. For the dual Hopf algebra $J_n = k^{S_{n_1}}# kC_n$, the indicator can have values eith…
We compute higher Frobenius-Schur indicators of pq-dimensional pointed Hopf algebras in characteristic p through their associated graded Hopf algebras. These indicators are gauge invariants for the monoidal categories of representations of these algebras.
In this paper, we define the higher Frobenius-Schur (FS-)indicators for finite-dimensional modules $V$ of a semisimple quasi-Hopf algebra $H$ via the categorical counterpart developed in \cite{NS05}. We prove that this definition of higher FS-indicators coincides with the higher indicators introduced by Kashina, Sommerhäuser, and Zhu when $H$ is a Hopf algebra. We also obtain a sequence of canonical central elements of $H$, which is invariant under gauge transformations, whose values, when evaluated by the character of an $H$-module $V$, are the higher Frobenius-Schur indicators of $V$. As an …
We show that certain tensor product multiplicities in semisimple braided sovereign tensor categories must be even. The quantity governing this behavior is the Frobenius-Schur indicator. The result applies in particular to the representation categories of large classes of groups, Lie algebras, Hopf algebras and vertex algebras.
By computing Frobenius-Schur indicators of modules of certain weak Hopf algebras, we give a formula for the number of involutions in symmetric groups, which are contained in a given coset with respect to a given Young subgroup.
We show the existence of a finite group $G$ having an irreducible character $χ$ with Frobenius-Schur indicator $ν_2(χ){=}{+}1$ such that $χ^2$ has an irreducible constituent $φ$ with $ν_2(φ){=}{-}1$. This provides counterexamples to the positivity conjecture in rational CFT and a conjecture of Zhenghan Wang about pivotal fusion categories.
We introduce two kinds of gauge invariants for any finite-dimensional Hopf algebra H. When H is semisimple over C, these invariants are respectively, the trace of the map induced by the antipode on the endomorphism ring of a self-dual simple module, and the higher Frobenius-Schur indicators of the regular representation. We further study the values of these higher indicators in the context of complex semisimple quasi-Hopf algebras H. We prove that these indicators are non-negative provided the module category over H is modular, and that for a prime p, the p-th indicator is equal to 1 if, and o…
We study properties of the category of modules of an algebra object A in a tensor category C. We show that the module category inherits various structures from C, provided that A is a Frobenius algebra with certain additional properties. As a by-product we obtain results about the Frobenius-Schur indicator in sovereign tensor categories. A braiding on C is not needed, nor is semisimplicity. We apply our results to the description of boundary conditions in two-dimensional conformal field theory and present illustrative examples. We show that when the module category is tensor, then it gives ris…
It is well-known that the commutant algebra of the $U_q(\mathfrak{sl}_2)$-action on the $n$-fold tensor product of its fundamental module is isomorphic to the Temperley-Lieb algebra TL$_n(ν)$ with fugacity parameter $ν= -q - q^{-1}$ (at least in the generic case, i.e., when $q$ is not a root of unity, or $n$ is small enough). Furthermore, the simple $U_q(\mathfrak{sl}_2)$-modules appearing in the direct-sum decomposition of the $n$-fold tensor product module are in one-to-one correspondence with those of the Temperley-Lieb algebra. This double-commutant property is referred to as quantum Schur…
We prove that the higher Frobenius-Schur indicators, introduced by Ng and Schauenburg, give a strong enough invariant to distinguish between any two Tambara-Yamagami fusion categories. Our proofs are based on computation of the higher indicators as quadratic Gauss sums for certain quadratic forms on finite abelian groups and relies on the classification of quadratic forms on finite abelian groups, due to Wall. As a corollary to our work, we show that the state-sum invariants of a Tambara-Yamagami category determine the category as long as we restrict to Tambara-Yamagami categories coming from …
In this note we give an account of recent progress on the construction of holomorphic vertex algebras as cyclic orbifolds as well as related topics in lattices and modular categories. We present a novel computation of the Schur indicator of a lattice involution orbifold using finite Heisenberg groups and discriminant forms.
We prove that the kernel of the natural action of the modular group on the center of the Drinfel'd double of a semisimple Hopf algebra is a congruence subgroup. To do this, we introduce a class of generalized Frobenius-Schur indicators and endow it with an action of the modular group that is compatible with the original one.
For a finite-dimensional Hopf algebra $A$ with a nonzero left integral $Λ$, we investigate a relationship between $P_n(Λ)$ and $P_n^J(Λ)$, where $P_n$ and $P_n^J$ are respectively the $n$-th Sweedler power maps of $A$ and the twisted Hopf algebra $A^J$. We use this relation to give several invariants of the representation category Rep$(A)$ considered as a tensor category. As applications, we distinguish the representation categories of 12-dimensional pointed nonsemisimple Hopf algebras. Also, these invariants are sufficient to distinguish the representation categories Rep$(K_8)$, Rep$(\kk Q_8)…
The generic Hecke algebra for the hyperoctahedral group, i.e. the Weyl group of type B, contains the generic Hecke algebra for the symmetric group, i.e. the Weyl group of type A, as a subalgebra. Inducing the index representation of the subalgebra gives a Hecke algebra module, which splits multiplicity free. The corresponding zonal spherical functions are calculated in terms of q-Krawtchouk polynomials. The result covers a number of previously established interpretations of (q-)Krawtchouk polynomials on the hyperoctahedral group, finite groups of Lie type, hypergroups and the quantum SU(2) gro…
We classify Hopf actions of Taft algebras T(n) on path algebras of quivers, in the setting where the quiver is loopless, finite, and Schurian. As a corollary, we see that every quiver admitting a faithful Z_n-action (by directed graph automorphisms) also admits inner faithful actions of a Taft algebra. Several examples for actions of the Sweedler algebra T(2) and for actions of T(3) are presented in detail. We then extend the results on Taft algebra actions on path algebras to actions of the Frobenius-Lusztig kernel u_q(sl_2), and to actions of the Drinfeld double of T(n).
We give formulae for the multiplicities of eigenvalues of generalized rotation operators in terms of generalized Frobenius-Schur indicators in a semisimple spherical tensor category $\mathcal{C}$. In particular, this implies that the entire collection of rotation eigenvalues for a fusion category can be computed from the fusion rules and the traces of rotation at finitely many tensor powers. We also establish a rigidity property for FS indicators of fusion categories with a given fusion ring via Jones's theory of planar algebras. If $\mathcal{C}$ is also braided, these formulae yield the multi…
