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We study quantum field theories which have quantum groups as global internal symmetries. We show that in such theories operators are generically non-local, and should be thought as living at the ends of topological lines. We describe the general constraints of the quantum group symmetry, given by Ward identities, that correlation functions of the theory should satisfy. We also show that generators of the symmetry can be represented by topological lines with some novel properties. We then discuss a particular example of $U_q(sl_2)$ symmetric CFT, which we solve using the bootstrap techniques and relying on the symmetry. We finally show strong evidence that for a special value of $q$ a subsector of this theory reproduces the fermionic formulation of the Ising model. This suggests that a quantum group can act on local operators as well, however, it generically transforms them into non-local ones., Comment: 59 pages, 15 figures

We study a conformal field theory that arises in the infinite-volume limit of a spin chain with $U_q(sl_2)$ global symmetry. Most operators in the theory are defect-ending operators which allows $U_q(sl_2)$ symmetry transformations to act on them in a consistent way. We use Coulomb gas techniques to construct correlation functions and compute all OPE coefficients of the model, as well as to prove that the properties imposed by the quantum group symmetry are indeed satisfied by the correlation functions. In particular, we treat the non-chiral operators present in the theory. Free boson realization elucidates the origin of the defects attached to the operators. We also comment on the role of quantum group in generalized minimal models., Comment: 53 pages, 23 figures

We implement a bootstrap method that combines Schwinger-Dyson equations, thermal inequalities, and semidefinite relaxations of matrix logarithm in the ungauged one-matrix quantum mechanics, at finite rank N as well as in the large N limit, and determine finite temperature observables that interpolate between available analytic results in the low and high temperature limits respectively. We also obtain bootstrap bounds on thermal phase transition as well as preliminary results in the ungauged two-matrix quantum mechanics., Comment: 31 pages, 8 figures

The expectation value of a smooth conformal line defect in a CFT is a conformal invariant functional of its path in space-time. For example, in large $N$ holographic theories, these fundamental observables are dual to the open string partition function in AdS. In this paper, we develop a bootstrap method for studying them and apply it to conformal line defects in Chern-Simons matter theories. In these cases, the line bootstrap is based on three minimal assumptions -- conformal invariance of the line defect, large $N$ factorization, and the spectrum of the two lowest-lying operators at the end of the line. On the basis of these assumptions, we solve the one-dimensional CFT on the line and systematically compute the defect expectation value in an expansion around the straight line. We find that the conformal symmetry of a straight defect is insufficient to fix the answer. Instead, imposing the conformal symmetry of the defect along an arbitrary curved line leads to a functional bootstrap constraint. The solution to this constraint is found to be unique., Comment: 33 pages. v2: Typos corrected. JHEP version

Perron and Quinn gave independent proofs in 1986 that every topological pseudo-isotopy of a simply-connected, compact topological 4-manifold is isotopic to the identity. Another result of Quinn is that every smooth pseudo-isotopy of a simply-connected, compact, smooth 4-manifold is smoothly stably isotopic to the identity. From this he deduced that $\pi_4(\operatorname{TOP}(4)/\operatorname{O}(4)) =0$. A replacement criterion is used at a key juncture in Quinn's proofs, but the justification given for it is incorrect. We provide different arguments that bypass the replacement criterion, thus completing Quinn's proofs of both the topological and the stable smooth pseudo-isotopy theorems. We discuss the replacement criterion and state it as an open problem., Comment: 22 pages, 18 figures

Using a 5-dimensional perspective, we balance algebraic and geometric handle cancellation to show that doubles of Gluck twists of certain 2-spheres with two minima are standard. This includes all 2-spheres which are unions of ribbon discs, one of which has undisking number one. As an application, we produce new examples of Schoenflies balls not known to be standard., Comment: 24 pages, 21 figures. Comments welcome!

Let Diff(N) and Homeo(N) denote the smooth and topological group of automorphisms respectively that fix the boundary of the n-manifold N, pointwise. We show that the (n-4)-th homotopy group of Homeo(S^1 \times D^{n-1}) is not finitely-generated for n >= 4 and in particular the topological mapping-class group of S^1\times D^3 is infinitely generated. We apply this to show that the smooth and topological automorphism groups of finite-volume hyperbolic n-manifolds (when n >= 4) do not have the homotopy-type of finite CW-complexes, results previously known for n >= 11 by Farrell and Jones. In particular, we show that if N is a closed hyperbolic n-manifold, and if Diff_0(N) represents the subgroup of diffeomorphisms that are homotopic to the identity, then the (n-4)-th homotopy group of Diff_0(N) is infinitely generated and hence if n=4, then \pi_0\Diff_0(N) is infinitely generated with similar results holding topologically., Comment: 32 pages, 17 figures

We study mesonic line operators in Chern-Simons theories with bosonic or fermionic matter in the fundamental representation. In this paper, we elaborate on the classification and properties of these operators using all loop resummation of large $N$ perturbation theory. We show that these theories possess two conformal line operators in the fundamental representation. One is a stable renormalization group fixed point, while the other is unstable. They satisfy first-order chiral evolution equations, in which a smooth variation of the path is given by a factorized product of two mesonic line operators. The boundary operators on which the lines can end are classified by their conformal dimension and transverse spin, which we compute explicitly at finite 't Hooft coupling. We match the operators in the bosonic and fermionic theories., Comment: 105 pages, 17 figures. v2: extended to mass deformed CS-matter theories, (section 8). Some details about anomalous spin moved to appendix. Typos corrected. JHEP version

We offer an approach to the smooth 4-dimensional Schoenflies conjecture via pseudo-isotopy theory.

We study the statistical Ising model of spins on the infinite lattice using a bootstrap method that combines spin-flip identities with positivity conditions, including reflection positivity and Griffiths inequalities, to derive rigorous two-sided bounds on spin correlators through semi-definite programming. For the 2D Ising model on the square lattice, the bootstrap bounds based on correlators supported in a 13-site diamond-shaped region determine the nearest-spin correlator to within a small window, which for a wide range of coupling and magnetic field is narrower than the precision attainable with Monte Carlo methods. We also report preliminary results of the bootstrap bounds for the 3D Ising model on the cubic lattice., Comment: 27 pages, 11 figures. v2: minor revision, references added

We study $U(N)$ Chern-Simons theory coupled to massive fundamental fermions in the lightcone Hamiltonian formalism. Focusing on the planar limit, we introduce a consistent regularization scheme, identify the counter terms needed to restore relativistic invariance, and formulate scattering theory in terms of unambiguously defined asymptotic states. We determine the $2\to 2$ planar S-matrix element in the singlet channel by solving the Lippmann-Schwinger equation to all orders, establishing a result previously conjectured in the literature, Comment: 33 pages, 9 figures

We study Chern-Simons theories at large $N$ with either bosonic or fermionic matter in the fundamental representation. The most fundamental operators in these theories are mesonic line operators, the simplest example being Wilson lines ending on fundamentals. We classify the conformal line operators along an arbitrary smooth path as well as the spectrum of conformal dimensions and transverse spins of their boundary operators at finite 't Hooft coupling. These line operators are shown to satisfy first-order chiral evolution equations, in which a smooth variation of the path is given by a factorized product of two line operators. We argue that this equation together with the spectrum of boundary operators are sufficient to uniquely determine the expectation values of these operators. We demonstrate this by bootstrapping the two-point function of the displacement operator on a straight line. We show that the line operators in the theory of bosons and the theory of fermions satisfy the same evolution equation and have the same spectrum of boundary operators., Comment: 12 pages, 3 figures. v2: typos corrected. v3: perturbative checks added; minor improvements. v4: minor improvements

We classify the complete hyperbolic 3-manifolds admitting a maximal cusp of volume at most 2.62. We use this to show that the figure-8 knot complement is the unique 1-cusped hyperbolic 3-manifold with nine or more non-hyperbolic fillings; to show that the figure-8 knot complement and its sister are the unique hyperbolic 3-manifolds with minimal volume maximal cusps; and to extend results on determining low volume closed and cusped hyperbolic 3-manifolds., Comment: 79 pages, 18 figures

In this paper we give a streamlined derivation of the exact quantization condition (EQC) on the quantum periods of the Schr\"odinger problem in one dimension with a general polynomial potential, based on Wronskian relations. We further generalize the EQC to potentials with a regular singularity, describing spherical symmetric quantum mechanical systems in a given angular momentum sector. We show that the thermodynamic Bethe ansatz (TBA) equations that govern the quantum periods undergo nontrivial monodromies as the angular momentum is analytically continued between integer values in the complex plane. The TBA equations together with the EQC are checked numerically against Hamiltonian truncation at real angular momenta and couplings, and are used to explore the analytic continuation of the spectrum on the complex angular momentum plane in examples., Comment: 35 pages, 10 figures. v2: Typos corrected, references added

In his seminal 1976 paper Bill Thurston observed that a closed leaf S of a foliation has Euler characteristic equal, up to sign, to the Euler class of the foliation evaluated on [S], the homology class represented by S. The main result of this paper is a converse for taut foliations: if the Euler class of a taut foliation $\mathcal{F}$ evaluated on [S] equals up to sign the Euler characteristic of S and the underlying manifold is hyperbolic, then there exists another taut foliation $\mathcal{F'}$ such that $S$ is homologous to a union of leaves and such that the plane field of $\mathcal{F'}$ is homotopic to that of $\mathcal{F}$. In particular, $\mathcal{F}$ and $\mathcal{F'}$ have the same Euler class. In the same paper Thurston proved that taut foliations on closed hyperbolic 3-manifolds have Euler class of norm at most one, and conjectured that, conversely, any integral cohomology class with norm equal to one is the Euler class of a taut foliation. This is the second of two papers that together give a negative answer to Thurston's conjecture. In the first paper, counterexamples were constructed assuming the main result of this paper., Comment: 36 pages, 16 figures. Portions of this work previously appeared as an appendix to arXiv:1603.03822, but has evolved into its own work and has been accepted for publication separately. Final version to appear in Acta Mathematica

We show how self-referential discs in 4-manifolds lead to the construction of pairs of discs with a common geometrically dual sphere which are homotopic rel $\partial$, concordant and coincide near their boundaries, yet are not properly isotopic. This occurs in manifolds without 2-torsion in their fundamental group, e.g. the boundary connect sum of $S^2\times D^2$ and $S^1\times B^3$, thereby exhibiting phenomena not seen with spheres. On the other hand we show that two such discs are isotopic rel $\partial$ if the manifold is simply connected. We construct in $S^2\times D^2\natural S^1\times B^3$ a properly embedded 3-ball properly homotopic to a $z_0\times B^3$ but not properly isotopic to $z_0\times B^3$.

We survey some recent geometric methods for studying Heegaard splittings of 3-manifolds

The unknot U in S^4 has non-unique smooth spanning 3-balls up to isotopy fixing U. Equivalently there are properly embedded non-separating 3-balls in S^1xB^3 not properly isotopic to 1xB^3. More generally there exist non-separating 3-spheres in S^1xS^3 not isotopic to 1xS^3 and non trivial elements of \pi_0 Diff_0(S^1xS^3). Along the way we introduce barbell diffeomorphisms, implantations and twistings to construct and modify diffeomorphisms homotopic to the identity. We also introduce a 2-parameter calculus of embeddings of the interval into 4-manifolds and introduce a framed cobordism method as well as a direct method for showing that certain 2-parameter families are homotopically non trivial and diffeomorphisms are isotopically nontrivial. Extensions to higher dimensional manifolds are obtained., Comment: 98 pages, 66 figures. v3: Replaced Theorem 3.1 from v2 whose proof had an error. The new proofs use the scanning construction. There is also the new conclusion that \pi_0 Diff(S^1 x S^3) is not finitely generated

We explore the analytic structure of the non-perturbative S-matrix in arguably the simplest family of massive non-integrable quantum field theories: the Ising field theory (IFT) in two dimensions, which may be viewed as the Ising CFT deformed by its two relevant operators, or equivalently, the scaling limit of the Ising model in a magnetic field. Our strategy is that of collider physics: we employ Hamiltonian truncation method (TFFSA) to extract the scattering phase of the lightest particles in the elastic regime, and combine it with S-matrix bootstrap methods based on unitarity and analyticity assumptions to determine the analytic continuation of the 2 to 2 S-matrix element to the complex s-plane. Focusing primarily on the "high temperature" regime in which the IFT interpolates between that of a weakly coupled massive fermion and the E8 affine Toda theory, we will numerically determine 3-particle amplitudes, follow the evolution of poles and certain resonances of the S-matrix, and exclude the possibility of unknown wide resonances up to reasonably high energies., Comment: Additional typos corrected. Typos corrected, references added, additional comparison with perturbation theory added. 35 pages, 21 figures

In the course of our work on low-volume hyperbolic 3-manifolds, we came upon a linking problem for horoball necklaces in $\mathbb{H}^3$. A horoball necklace is a collection of sequentially tangent beards (i.e. spheres) with disjoint interiors lying on a flat table (i.e. a plane) such that each bead is of diameter at most one and is tangent to the table. In this note, we analyze the possible configurations of an 8-bead necklace linking around two other diameter-one spheres on the table. We show that all the beads are forced to have diameter one, the two linked spheres are tangent, and that each bead must kiss (i.e. be tangent to) at least one of the two linked spheres. In fact, there is a 1-parameter family of distinct configurations., Comment: 11 pages, 9 figures

We introduce high-energy limits which allow us to derive recursion relations fixing the various couplings of Lagrangians of two-dimensional relativistic quantum field theories with no tree-level particle production in a very straightforward way. The sine-Gordon model, the Bullough-Dodd theory, Toda theories of various kinds and the U(N) non-linear sigma model can all be rediscovered in this way. The results here were the outcome of our explorations at the 2017 Perimeter Institute Winter School., Comment: 20 pages

For embedded 2-spheres in a 4-manifold sharing the same embedded transverse sphere homotopy implies isotopy, provided the ambient 4-manifold has no $\BZ_2$-torsion in the fundamental group. This gives a generalization of the classical light bulb trick to 4-dimensions, the uniqueness of spanning discs for a simple closed curve in $S^4$ and $\pi_0(\Diff_0(S^2\times D^2)/\Diff_0(B^4))=1$. In manifolds with $\BZ_2$-torsion, one surface can be put into a normal form relative to the other.

Described is a device acting on an acoustically levitated object by manipulating the pressure and flow of a thin layer of air such that its rotation can be precisely controlled without mechanical contact. Virtual work analysis assists in simplifying the multi-actuator control problem into a problem governed by a controllable parameter. Actuation is done with a vibrating ring capable of producing ultrasonic standing and traveling waves, creating the acoustic excitation that affects the pressure in a thin, intermediate layer of gas. A distinctive vibration pattern is required to generate the temporal and spatial pressure field of the squeezed air layer that gives rise to both acoustic levitation force and rotational torque. Described are the physical and design development stages leading to an optimized structure, all followed by verifying and dynamics-calibration experiments. Moreover, by precisely controlling the ratio of standing and traveling waves in a closed-loop, one can affect the shear forces applied by the squeezed air layer, thus creating a non-contacting manipulation mechanism. An over-actuated set-up is converted via an algebraic transformation, into a simplified single control-parameter problem. The transformation ties the standing waves ratio, and hence the rotational torque, to the amplitudes and phases of the actuators. This arrangement leads to an effective closed loop methodology that was implemented experimentally showing good performance and exhibiting rapid angular positioning., Comment: submitted to Sensors &Actuators: A. Physical

Large Gauge Transformations (LGT) are gauge transformations that do not vanish at infinity. Instead, they asymptotically approach arbitrary functions on the conformal sphere at infinity. Recently, it was argued that the LGT should be treated as an infinite set of global symmetries which are spontaneously broken by the vacuum. It was established that in QED, the Ward identities of their induced symmetries are equivalent to the Soft Photon Theorem. In this paper we study the implications of LGT on the S-matrix between physical asymptotic states in massive QED. In appose to the naively free scattering states, physical asymptotic states incorporate the long range electric field between asymptotic charged particles and were already constructed in 1970 by Kulish and Faddeev. We find that the LGT charge is independent of the particles' momenta and may be associated to the vacuum. The soft theorem's manifestation as a Ward identity turns out to be an outcome of not working with the physical asymptotic states., Comment: 22 pages, 3 figures, v2: major revision

The long standing classification problem in the theory of Heegaard splittings of 3-manifolds is to exhibit for each closed 3-manifold a complete list, without duplication, of all its irreducible Heegaard surfaces, up to isotopy. We solve this problem for non Haken hyperbolic 3-manifolds.

The main result is a short effective proof of Tao Li's theorem that a closed non Haken hyperbolic 3-manifold N has at most finitely many irreducible Heegaard splittings.