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Joseph Tooby-Smith

Publications and source records attributed to Joseph Tooby-Smith.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Physics as Code: From Scans to Theorems with ITP APIs in $SU(5)$ Model Building

A recurring challenge in theoretical physics is to make reliable global statements about bounded but combinatorially large model spaces. Exhaustive scans quickly become opaque or impractical, while statistical exploration does not by itself provide theorem-backed guarantees. This motivates workflows in which the model-building problem itself is formalized inside an interactive theorem prover (ITP). In this paper we develop an API-based methodology for formalizing such bounded model-building questions inside Lean, an interactive theorem prover. The central step is to represent the relevant charge spectra, predicates, and reduction moves as reusable ITP definitions, and then to derive the classification from proved reduction theorems rather than from an ad hoc scan. We demonstrate the strategy in a concrete $SU(5)$ case study motivated by F-theory model building with additional Abelian symmetries. At the charge-spectrum layer, we classify bounded spectra that admit a top-quark Yukawa coupling, avoid a selected set of dangerous operators, and satisfy a minimal charge-spectrum completeness condition. Our main result shows that every such spectrum in the bounded search space arises from finitely many minimal top-Yukawa witnesses together with controlled completions and certified closure steps. This classification represents a formally verified description of the full viable class in the charge-spectrum setting studied here. The development is implemented inside PhysLib as reusable infrastructure rather than as a one-off verification script. It provides a proof of principle for how interactive theorem provers can turn combinatorially difficult model-building problems into correctness-first, reusable workflows, and we discuss how the resulting certified classification can serve as reliable input for downstream analyses.

hep-th

Formalizing the stability of the two Higgs doublet model potential into Lean: identifying an error in the literature

In 2006, using the best methods and techniques available at the time, Maniatis, von Manteuffel, Nachtmann and Nagel published a now widely cited paper on the stability of the two Higgs doublet model (2HDM) potential. Twenty years on, it is now easier to apply the process of formalization into an interactive theorem prover to this work thanks to projects like Mathlib and Physlib (the latter formerly PhysLean and Lean-QuantumInfo), and to ask for a higher standard of mathematical correctness. Doing so has revealed an error in the arguments of this 2006 paper, invalidating their main theorem on the stability of the 2HDM potential. This case is noteworthy because to the best of our knowledge it is the first non-trivial error in a physics paper found through formalization. It was one of the first papers where formalization was attempted, which raises the uncomfortable question of how many physics papers would not pass this higher level of scrutiny.

hep-ph

Digitalizing Wick's theorem

Wick's theorem is a cornerstone of perturbative quantum field theory. In this paper we announce and discuss the digitalization of Wick's theorem and its proof into the interactive theorem prover Lean 4 as part of the project PhysLean. We do the same for the static and normal-ordered versions of Wick's theorem.

hep-th

Formalization of physics index notation in Lean 4

The physics community relies on index notation to effectively manipulate types of tensors. This paper introduces the first formally verified implementation of index notation in the interactive theorem prover Lean 4. By integrating index notation into Lean, we bridge the gap between traditional physics notation and formal verification tools, making it more accessible for physicists to write and prove results within Lean. We also open up a new avenue through which AI tools can be used to prove results related to tensors in physics. Behind the scenes our implementation leverages a novel application of category theory.

cs.LO

HepLean: Digitalising high energy physics

We introduce HepLean, an open-source project to digitalise definitions, theorems, proofs, and calculations in high energy physics using the interactive theorem prover Lean 4. HepLean has the potential to benefit the high energy physics community in four ways: making it easier to find existing results, allowing the creation of new results using artificial intelligence and automated methods, allowing easy review of papers for mathematical correctness, and providing new ways to teach high energy physics. We will discuss these in detail. We will also demonstrate the digitalisation of three areas of high energy physics in HepLean: Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrices in flavour physics, local anomaly cancellation, and Higgs physics.

hep-ph

Smooth generalized symmetries of quantum field theories

Dynamical quantum field theories (QFTs), such as those in which spacetimes are equipped with a metric and/or a field in the form of a smooth map to a target manifold, can be formulated axiomatically using the language of $\infty$-categories. According to a geometric version of the cobordism hypothesis, such QFTs collectively assemble themselves into objects in an $\infty$-topos of smooth spaces. We show how this allows one to define and study generalized global symmetries of such QFTs. The symmetries are themselves smooth, so the `higher-form' symmetry groups can be endowed with, e.g., a Lie group structure. Among the more surprising general implications for physics are, firstly, that QFTs in spacetime dimension $d$, considered collectively, can have $d$-form symmetries, going beyond the known $(d-1)$-form symmetries of individual QFTs and, secondly, that a global symmetry of a QFT can be anomalous even before we try to gauge it, due to a failure to respect either smoothness (in that a symmetry of an individual QFT does not smoothly extend to QFTs collectively) or locality (in that a symmetry of an unextended QFT does not extend to an extended one). Smoothness anomalies are shown to occur even in 2-state systems in quantum mechanics (here formulated axiomatically by equipping $d=1$ spacetimes with a metric, an orientation, and perhaps some unitarity structure). Locality anomalies are shown to occur even for invertible QFTs defined on $d=1$ spacetimes equipped with an orientation and a smooth map to a target manifold. These correspond in physics to topological actions for a particle moving on the target and the relation to an earlier classification of such actions using invariant differential cohomology is elucidated.

hep-th

Superfloccinaucinihilipilification: Semisimple unifications of any gauge theory

We present a Mathematica package that takes any reductive gauge algebra and fully-reducible fermion representation, and outputs all semisimple gauge extensions under the condition that they have no additional fermions, and are free of local anomalies. These include all simple completions, also known as grand unified theories (GUT). We additionally provide a list of all semisimple completions for 5835 fermionic extensions of the one-generation Standard Model.

hep-ph

Higgs Squared

We present a novel construction for a Higgs-VEV sensitive operator, which can be used as a trigger operator in cosmic selection models for the electroweak hierarchy problem. Our operator does not contain any degrees of freedom charged under the SM gauge symmetries, leading to reduced tuning in the resulting models. Our construction is based on the extension of a two Higgs doublet model (2HDM) with a softly broken approximate global $D_8$ symmetry (the symmetry group of a square). A cosmic crunching model based on our extended Higgs sector has only a percent level tuning corresponding to the usual little hierarchy problem. In large regions of parameter space the 2HDM is naturally pushed towards the alignment limit. A complete model requires the introduction of fermionic top partners to ensure the approximate $D_8$ symmetry in the fermion sector. We also show that the same extended Higgs sector can be used for a novel implementation of the seesaw mechanism of neutrino masses.

hep-ph

Generalized symmetries of topological field theories

We study generalized symmetries in a simplified arena in which the usual quantum field theories of physics are replaced with topological field theories and the smooth structure with which the symmetry groups of physics are usually endowed is forgotten. Doing so allows many questions of physical interest to be answered using the tools of homotopy theory. We study both global and gauge symmetries, as well as `t Hooft anomalies, which we show fall into one of two classes. Our approach also allows some insight into earlier work on symmetries (generalized or not) of topological field theories.

hep-th

Flatland: abelian extensions of the Standard Model with semi-simple completions

We parametrise the space of all possible flavour non-universal $\mathfrak{u}(1)_X$ extensions of the Standard Model that embed inside anomaly-free semi-simple gauge theories, including up to three right-handed neutrinos. More generally, we parametrise all abelian extensions (i.e.) by any number of $\mathfrak{u}(1)$'s) of the SM with such semi-simple completions. The resulting space of abelian extensions is a collection of planes of dimensions $\leq 6$. Numerically, we find that roughly $2.5\%$ of anomaly-free $\mathfrak{u}(1)_X$ extensions of the SM with a maximum charge ratio of $\pm 10$ can be embedded in such semi-simple gauge theories. Any vector-like anomaly-free abelian extension embeds (at least) inside $\mathfrak{g} = \mathfrak{su}(12)\oplus \mathfrak{su}(2)_L\oplus \mathfrak{su}(2)_R$. We also provide a simple computer program that tests whether a given $\mathfrak{u}(1)_{X^1}\oplus \mathfrak{u}(1)_{X^2}\oplus \dots$ charge assignment has a semi-simple completion and, if it does, outputs a set of maximal gauge algebras in which the $\mathfrak{sm}\oplus\mathfrak{u}(1)_{X^1}\oplus \mathfrak{u}(1)_{X^2}\oplus \dots$ model may be embedded. We hope this is a useful tool in pointing the way from $\mathfrak{sm} \oplus\mathfrak{u}(1)_{X^1}\oplus \mathfrak{u}(1)_{X^2}\oplus \dots$ models, which have many phenomenological uses, to their unified gauge completions in the ultraviolet.

hep-ph

Electroweak flavour unification

We propose that the electroweak and flavour quantum numbers of the Standard Model (SM) could be unified at high energies in an $SU(4)\times Sp(6)_L \times Sp(6)_R$ anomaly-free gauge model. All the SM fermions are packaged into two fundamental fields, $\Psi_L \sim (\mathbf{4}, \mathbf{6}, \mathbf{1})$ and $\Psi_R\sim (\mathbf{4}, \mathbf{1},\mathbf{6})$, thereby explaining the origin of three families of fermions. The SM Higgs, being electroweakly charged, necessarily becomes charged also under flavour when embedded in the UV model. It is therefore natural for its vacuum expectation value to couple only to the third family. The other components of the UV Higgs fields are presumed heavy. Extra scalars are needed to break this symmetry down to the SM, which can proceed via `flavour-deconstructed' gauge groups; for instance, we propose a pattern $Sp(6)_L \to \prod_{i=1}^3 SU(2)_{L,i} \to SU(2)_L$ for the left-handed factor. When the heavy Higgs components are integrated out, realistic quark Yukawa couplings with in-built hierarchies are naturally generated without any further ingredients, if we assume the various symmetry breaking scalars condense at different scales. The CKM matrix that we compute is not a generic unitary matrix, but it can precisely fit the observed values.

hep-ph

A $\nu$ Supersymmetric Anomaly-free Atlas

Extensions of the minimal supersymmetric standard model (MSSM) gauge group abound in the literature. Several of these include an additional $U(1)_X$ gauge group. Chiral fermions' charge assignments under $U(1)_X$ are constrained to cancel local anomalies in the extension and they determine the structure and phenomenology of it. We provide all anomaly-free charge assignments up to a maximum absolute charge of $Q_\text{max}=10$, assuming that the chiral superfield content of the model is that of the MSSM plus up to three Standard Model (SM) singlet superfields. The fermionic components of these SM singlets may play the r\^{o}le of right-handed neutrinos, whereas one of the scalar components may play the r\^{o}le of the flavon, spontaneously breaking $U(1)_X$. Easily scanned lists of the charge assignments are made publicly available on Zenodo. For the case where no restriction is placed upon $Q_\text{max}$, we also provide an analytic parameterisation of the general solution using simple techniques from algebraic geometry.

hep-ph

Floccinaucinihilipilification: Semisimple extensions of the Standard Model gauge algebra

We show how one may classify all semisimple algebras containing the $\mathfrak{su}(3)\oplus \mathfrak{su}(2) \oplus \mathfrak{u}(1)$ symmetry of the Standard Model and acting on some given matter sector, enabling theories beyond the Standard Model with unification (partial or total) of symmetries (gauge or global) to be catalogued. With just a single generation of Standard Model fermions plus a singlet neutrino, the only {gauge} symmetries correspond to the well-known algebras $\mathfrak{su}(5),\mathfrak{so}(10),$ and $\mathfrak{su}(4)\oplus \mathfrak{su}(2) \oplus \mathfrak{su}(2)$, but with two or more generations a limited number of exotic symmetries mixing flavour, colour, and electroweak degrees of freedom become possible. We provide a complete catalogue in the case of 3 generations or fewer and outline how our method generalizes to cases with additional matter.

hep-th

Inverse Higgs phenomena as duals of holonomic constraints

The inverse Higgs phenomenon, which plays an important r\^ole in physical systems with Goldstone bosons (such as the phonons in a crystal) involves nonholonomic mechanical constraints. By formulating field theories with symmetries and constraints in a general way using the language of differential geometry, we show that many examples of constraints in inverse Higgs phenomena fall into a special class, which we call coholonomic constraints, that are dual (in the sense of category theory) to holonomic constraints. Just as for holonomic constraints, systems with coholonomic constraints are equivalent to unconstrained systems (whose degrees of freedom are known as essential Goldstone bosons), making it easier to study their consistency and dynamics. The remaining examples of inverse Higgs phenomena in the literature require the dual of a slight generalisation of a holonomic constraint, which we call (co)meronomic. Our formalism simplifies and clarifies the many ad hoc assumptions and constructions present in the literature. In particular, it identifies which are necessary and which are merely convenient. It also opens the way to studying much more general dynamical examples, including systems which have no well-defined notion of a target space.

hep-th

Undulating Dark Matter

We suggest that an interplay between microscopic and macroscopic physics can give rise to dark matter (DM) whose interactions with the visible sector fundamentally undulate in time, independent of celestial dynamics. A concrete example is provided by fermionic DM with an electric dipole moment (EDM) sourced by an oscillating axion-like field, resulting in undulations in the scattering rate. The discovery potential of light DM searches can be enhanced by additionally searching for undulating scattering rates, especially in detection regions where background rates are large and difficult to estimate, such as for DM masses in the vicinity of 1 MeV where DM-electron scattering dominantly populates the single electron bin. An undulating signal could also reveal precious dark sector information after discovery. In this regard we emphasise that, if the recent XENON1T excess of events is due to light DM scattering exothermically off electrons, future analyses of the time-dependence of events could offer clues as to the microscopic origins of the putative signal.

hep-ph

Anomaly cancellation with an extra gauge boson

Many extensions of the Standard Model include an extra gauge boson, whose couplings to fermions are constrained by the requirement that anomalies cancel. We find a general solution to the resulting diophantine equations in the plausible case where the chiral fermion content is that of the Standard Model plus 3 right-handed neutrinos.

hep-th

Supersoft Stops

In a supersymmetric (SUSY) theory, the IR-contributions to the Higgs mass are calculable below the mediation scale $\Lambda_{\text{UV}}$ in terms of the IR field content and parameters. However, logarithmic sensitivity to physics at $\Lambda_{\text{UV}}$ remains. In this work we present a first example of a framework, dictated by symmetries, to supersoften these logarithms from the matter sector. The result is a model with finite, IR-calculable corrections to the Higgs mass. This requires the introduction of new fields -- the `lumberjacks' -- whose role is to screen the UV-sensitive logs. These models have considerably reduced fine-tuning, by more than an order of magnitude for high scale supersymmetry. This impacts interpretations of the natural parameter space, suggesting it may be premature to declare a naturalness crisis for high-scale SUSY.

hep-ph

Solving local anomaly equations in gauge-rank extensions of the Standard Model

We consider local (or perturbative) gauge anomalies in models which extend the rank of the Standard Model (SM) gauge group and the chiral fermion content only by $n$ SM singlets. We give a general solution to the anomaly cancellation conditions (ACCs) of an additional $U(1)$ subgroup for the ACCs that involve only SM fermions and we examine whether a corresponding solution exists for the remaining ACCs. We show that a solution to the remaining ACCs always exists for $n \geq 5$ in the family non-universal case or $n \geq 3$ in the family-universal case. In the special case where only a single family carries non-vanishing charges, we find a general solution to all ACCs, for any value of $n$.

hep-th