Europe/Lisbon
Online

Dan Freed
Dan Freed, University of Texas at Austin

What is an anomaly?

Anomalies in quantum field theory have been the subject of attention for decades. In this talk I will dispel some myths: anomalies are tied to symmetry, anomalies are tied to fermionic fields, etc. Then I will explain how anomalies — expressed as invertible field theories — are the manifestation of the projectivity of quantum field theory. My point of view is summarized by a slogan:

Quantum theory is projective. Quantization is linear.

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Dan-Freed-slides

Please note the earlier starting time, half an hour before the usual time.

After the online seminar, local participants are invited to meet in the mathematics department common room on the 3rd floor.