On unimodular finite tensor categories

Abstract

Let $\mathcal{C}$ be a finite tensor category with simple unit object, let $\mathcal{Z}(\mathcal{C})$ denote its monoidal center, and let $L$ and $R$ be a left adjoint and a right adjoint of the forgetful functor $U: \mathcal{Z}(\mathcal{C}) \to \mathcal{C}$. We show that the following conditions are equivalent: (1) $\mathcal{C}$ is unimodular, (2) $U$ is a Frobenius functor, (3) $L$ preserves the duality, (4) $R$ preserves the duality, (5) $L(1)$ is self-dual, and (6) $R(1)$ is self-dual, where $1 \in \mathcal{C}$ is the unit object. We also give some other equivalent conditions. As an application, we give a categorical understanding of some topological invariants arising from finite-dimensional unimodular Hopf algebras.