We describe the structure of the inclusions of factors A(E) contained in A(E')' associated with multi-intervals E of R for a local irreducible net A of von Neumann algebras on the real line satisfying the split property and Haag duality. In particular, if the net is conformal and the subfactor has finite index, the inclusion associated with two separated intervals is isomorphic to the Longo-Rehren inclusion, which provides a quantum double construction of the tensor category of superselection sectors of A. As a consequence, the index of A(E) in A(E')' coincides with the global index associated with all irreducible sectors, the braiding symmetry associated with all sectors is non-degenerate, namely the representations of A form a modular tensor category, and every sector is a direct sum of sectors with finite dimension. The superselection structure is generated by local data. The same results hold true if conformal invariance is replaced by strong additivity and there exists a modular PCT symmetry.
Conformal field theory (CFT) in two dimensions provide a rich source of subfactors. The fact that there are so many subfactors coming from CFT have led people to conjecture that perhaps all finite depth subfactors are related to CFT. In this paper we examine classes of subfactors from known CFT. In particular we identify the so called $3^{\Z_2\times \Z_2}$ subfactor with an intermediate subfactor from conformal inclusion, and construct new subfactors from recent work on holomorphic CFT with central charge $24$.
We give a precise definition for when a subfactor arises from a conformal net which can be motivated by classification of defects. We show that a subfactor $N \subset M$ arises from a conformal net if there is a conformal net whose representation category is the quantum double of $N\subset M$.
Surprisingly Richard Thompson's groups have recently appeared in Jones' subfactor theory. Vaughan Jones is famous for linking theories that are a priori completely disconnected; for instance, his celebrated polynomial for links emanating from subfactor theory. This note is about a new beautiful story in mathematics which results from a fortunate accident in the land of quantum field theory.
Braided subfactors of von Neumann algebras provide a framework for studying two dimensional conformal field theories and their modular invariants. We review this in the context of SU(3) conformal field theories through corresponding SU(3) braided subfactors and various subfactor invariants including spectral measures for the nimrep graphs, A_2-planar algebras and almost Calabi-Yau algebras.
In these lectures we explain the intimate relationship between modular invariants in conformal field theory and braided subfactors in operator algebras. A subfactor with a braiding determines a matrix $Z$ which is obtained as a coupling matrix comparing two kinds of braided sector induction ("alpha-induction"). It has non-negative integer entries, is normalized and commutes with the S- and T-matrices arising from the braiding. Thus it is a physical modular invariant in the usual sense of rational conformal field theory. The algebraic treatment of conformal field theory models, e.g. $SU(n)_k$ m…
Given an irreducible local conformal net A of von Neumann algebras on the circle and a finite-index conformal subnet B of A, we show that A is completely rational iff B is completely rational. In particular this extends a result of F. Xu for the orbifold construction. By applying previous results of Xu, many coset models turn out to be completely rational and the structure results in [KLM] hold. Our proofs are based on an analysis of the net inclusion B in A; among other things we show that, for a fixed interval I, every von Neumann algebra R intermediate between B(I) and A(I) comes from an in…
Motivated by our subfactor generalization of Wall's conjecture, in this paper we determine all intermediate subfactors for conformal subnets corresponding to four infinite series of conformal inclusions, and as a consequence we verify that these series of subfactors verify our conjecture. Our results can be stated in the framework of Vertex Operator Algebras. We also verify our conjecture for Jones-Wassermann subfactors from representations of Loop groups extending our earlier results.
In this lecture we explain the intimate relationship between modular invariants in conformal field theory and braided subfactors in operator algebras. Our analysis is based on an approach to modular invariants using braided sector induction ("$α$-induction") arising from the treatment of conformal field theory in the Doplicher-Haag-Roberts framework. Many properties of modular invariants which have so far been noticed empirically and considered mysterious can be rigorously derived in a very general setting in the subfactor context. For example, the connection between modular invariants and gra…
It is well-known that the quantum double $D(N\subset M)$ of a finite depth subfactor $N\subset M$, or equivalently the Drinfeld center of the even part fusion category, is a unitary modular tensor category. Thus should arise in conformal field theory. We show that for every subfactor $N\subset M$ with index $[M:N]<4$ the quantum double $D(N\subset M)$ is realized as the representation category of a completely rational conformal net. In particular, the quantum double of $E_6$ can be realized as a $\mathbb Z_2$-simple current extension of $\mathrm{SU}(2)_{10}\times \mathrm{Spin}(11)_1$ and thus …
Conformal inclusions of chiral conformal field theories, or more generally inclusions of quantum field theories, are described in the von Neumann algebraic setting by nets of subfactors, possibly with infinite Jones index if one takes non-rational theories into account. With this situation in mind, we study in a purely subfactor theoretical context a certain class of braided discrete subfactors with an additional commutativity constraint, that we call locality, and which corresponds to the commutation relations between field operators at space-like distance in quantum field theory. Examples of…
In this paper we further analyze modular invariants for subfactors, in particular the structure of the chiral induced systems of M-M morphisms. The relative braiding between the chiral systems restricts to a proper braiding on their ``ambichiral'' intersection, and we show that the ambichiral braiding is non-degenerate if the original braiding of the N-N morphisms is. Moreover, in this case the dimensions of the irreducible representations of the chiral fusion rule algebras are given by the chiral branching coefficients which describe the ambichiral contribution in the irreducible decompositio…
We make a review on the recent progress in the operator algebraic approach to (super)conformal field theory. We discuss representation theory, classification results, full and boundary conformal field theories, relations to supervertex operator algebras and Moonshine, connections to subfactor theory and noncommutative geometry.
We consider a type III subfactor $N\subset M$ of finite index with a finite system of braided $N$-$N$ morphisms which includes the irreducible constituents of the dual canonical endomorphism. We apply $α$-induction and, developing further some ideas of Ocneanu, we define chiral generators for the double triangle algebra. Using a new concept of intertwining braiding fusion relations, we show that the chiral generators can be naturally identified with the $α$-induced sectors. A matrix $Z$ is defined and shown to commute with the S- and T-matrices arising from the braiding. If the braiding is non…
We give an exposition on the current status of classification of operator algebraic conformal field theories. We explain roles of complete rationality and alpha-induction for nets of subfactors in such a classification and present the current classification result, a joint work with R. Longo, for the case with central charge less than 1, where we have a complete classification list consisting of the Virasoro nets, their simple current extensions of index 2, and four exceptionals. Two of the four exceptionals appear to be new.
Let $\mathcal{A}$ be a completely rational local Möbius covariant net on $S^1$, which describes a set of chiral observables. We show that local Möbius covariant nets $\mathcal{B}_2$ on 2D Minkowski space which contains $\mathcal{A}$ as chiral left-right symmetry are in one-to-one correspondence with Morita equivalence classes of Q-systems in the unitary modular tensor category $\mathrm{DHR}(\mathcal{A})$. The Möbius covariant boundary conditions with symmetry $\mathcal{A}$ of such a net $\mathcal{B}_2$ are given by the Q-systems in the Morita equivalence class or by simple objects in the modul…
We completely classify diffeomorphism covariant local nets of von Neumann algebras on the circle with central charge c less than 1. The irreducible ones are in bijective correspondence with the pairs of A-D_{2n}-E_{6,8} Dynkin diagrams such that the difference of their Coxeter numbers is equal to 1. We first identify the nets generated by irreducible representations of the Virasoro algebra for c<1 with certain coset nets. Then, by using the classification of modular invariants for the minimal models by Cappelli-Itzykson-Zuber and the method of alpha-induction in subfactor theory, we classify a…
Certain duality of relative entropy can fail for chiral conformal net with nontrivial representations. In this paper we quantify such statement by defining a quantity which measures the failure of such duality, and identify this quantity with relative entropy and global index associated with multi-interval subfactors for a large class of conformal nets. In particular we show that the duality holds for a large class of conformal nets if and only if they are holomorphic. The same argument also applies to CFT in two dimensions. In particular we show that the duality holds for a large class of CFT…
All unitary Rational Conformal Field Theories (RCFT) are conjectured to be related to unitary coset Conformal Field Theories, i.e., gauged Wess-Zumino-Witten (WZW) models with compact gauge groups. In this paper we use subfactor theory and ideas of algebraic quantum field theory to approach coset Conformal Field Theories. Two conjectures are formulated and their consequences are discussed. Some results are presented which prove the conjectures in special cases. In particular, one of the results states that a class of representations of coset $W_N$ ($N\geq 3$) algebras with critical parameters …
Conformal nets provide a mathematical formalism for conformal field theory. Associated to a conformal net with finite index, we give a construction of the `bundle of conformal blocks', a representation of the mapping class groupoid of closed topological surfaces into the category of finite-dimensional projective Hilbert spaces. We also construct infinite-dimensional spaces of conformal blocks for topological surfaces with smooth boundary. We prove that the conformal blocks satisfy a factorization formula for gluing surfaces along circles, and an analogous formula for gluing surfaces along inte…
We consider an intrinsic entropy associated with a local conformal net A by the coefficients in the expansion of the logarithm of the trace of the ``heat kernel'' semigroup. In analogy with Weyl theorem on the asymptotic density distribution of the Laplacian eigenvalues, passing to a quantum system with infinitely many degrees of freedom, we regard these coefficients as noncommutative geometric invariants. Under a natural modularity assumption, the leading term of the entropy (noncommutative area) is proportional to the central charge c, the first order correction (noncommutative Euler charact…
