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Publications and source records attributed to Yi-Zhi Huang.
This is the seventh part in a series of papers in which we introduce and develop a natural, general tensor category theory for suitable module categories for a vertex (operator) algebra. In this paper (Part VII), we give sufficient conditions for the existence of the associativity isomorphisms.
This is the eighth part in a series of papers in which we introduce and develop a natural, general tensor category theory for suitable module categories for a vertex (operator) algebra. In this paper (Part VIII), we construct the braided tensor category structure, using the previously developed results.
A notion of meromorphic open-string vertex algebra is introduced. A meromorphic open-string vertex algebra is an open-string vertex algebra in the sense of Kong and the author satisfying additional rationality (or meromorphicity) conditions for vertex operators. The vertex operator map for a meromorphic open-string vertex algebra satisfies rationality and associativity but in general does not satisfy the Jacobi identity, commutativity, the commutator formula, the skew-symmetry or even the associator formula. Given a vector space \mathfrak{h}, we construct a meromorphic open-string vertex algebra structure on the tensor algebra of the negative part of the affinization of \mathfrak{h} such that the vertex algebra struture on the symmetric algebra of the negative part of the Heisenberg algebra associated to \mathfrak{h} is a quotient of this meromorphic open-string vertex algebra. We also introduce the notion of left module for a meromorphic open-string vertex algebra and construct left modules for the meromorphic open-string vertex algebra above.
We introduce a notion of strongly C^{\times}-graded, or equivalently, C/Z-graded generalized g-twisted V-module associated to an automorphism g, not necessarily of finite order, of a vertex operator algebra. We also introduce a notion of strongly C-graded generalized g-twisted V-module if V admits an additional C-grading compatible with g. Let V=\coprod_{n\in \Z}V_{(n)} be a vertex operator algebra such that V_{(0)}=\C\one and V_{(n)}=0 for n<0 and let u be an element of V of weight 1 such that L(1)u=0. Then the exponential of 2π\sqrt{-1} Res_{x} Y(u, x) is an automorphism g_{u} of V. In this case, a strongly C-graded generalized g_{u}-twisted V-module is constructed from a strongly C-graded generalized V-module with a compatible action of g_{u} by modifying the vertex operator map for the generalized V-module using the exponential of the negative-power part of the vertex operator Y(u, x). In particular, we give examples of such generalized twisted modules associated to the exponentials of some screening operators on certain vertex operator algebras related to the triplet W-algebras. An important feature is that we have to work with generalized (twisted) V-modules which are doubly graded by the group C/Z or C and by generalized eigenspaces (not just eigenspaces) for L(0), and the twisted vertex operators in general involve the logarithm of the formal variable.
We discuss what has been achieved in the past twenty years on the construction and study of a braided finite tensor category structure on a suitable module category for a suitable vertex operator algebra. We identify the main difficult parts in the construction, discuss the methods developed to overcome these difficulties and present some further problems that still need to be solved. We also choose to discuss three among the numerous applications of the construction.
We generalize the tensor product theory for modules for a vertex operator algebra previously developed in a series of papers by the first two authors to suitable module categories for a ''conformal vertex algebra'' or even more generally, for a "Möbius vertex algebra.'' We do not require the module categories to be semisimple, and we accommodate modules with generalized weight spaces. As in the earlier series of papers, our tensor product functors depend on a complex variable, but in the present generality, the logarithm of the complex variable is required; the general representation theory of vertex operator algebras requires logarithmic structure. The first part of this work is devoted to the study of logarithmic intertwining operators and their role in the construction of the tensor product functors. The remainder of this work is devoted to the construction of the appropriate natural associativity isomorphisms between triple tensor product functors, to the proof of their fundamental properties, and to the construction of the resulting braided tensor category structure. This work includes the complete proofs in the present generality and can be read independently of the earlier series of papers.
We construct projective covers of irreducible V-modules in the category of grading-restricted generalized V-modules when V is a vertex operator algebra satisfying the following conditions: 1. V is C_{1}-cofinite in the sense of Li. 2. There exists a positive integer N such that the differences between the real parts of the lowest conformal weights of irreducible V-modules are bounded by N and such that the associative algebra A_{N}(V) is finite dimensional. This result shows that the category of grading-restricted generalized V-modules is a finite abelian category over C. Using the existence of projective covers, we prove that if such a vertex operator algebra V satisfies in addition Condition 3, that irreducible V-modules are R-graded and C_{1}-cofinite in the sense of the author, then the category of grading-restricted generalized V-modules is closed under P(z)-tensor product operations for z in C^{\times}. We also prove that other conditions for applying the logarithmic tensor product theory developed by Lepowsky, Zhang and the author hold. Consequently, for such V, this category has a natural structure of braided tensor category. In particular, when $V$ is of positive energy and C_{2}-cofinite, Conditions 1--3 are satisfied and thus all the conclusions hold.
Let V be a simple vertex operator algebra satisfying the following conditions: (i) The homogeneous subspaces of V of weights less than 0 are 0, the homogeneous subspace of V of weight 0 is spanned by the vacuum and V' is isomorphic to V as a V-module. Every weak V-module gradable by nonnegative integers is completely reducible. (iii) V is C_2-cofinite. (In the presence of Condition (i), Conditions (ii) and (iii) are equivalent to a single condition, namely, that every weak V-module is completely reducible.) Using the results obtained by the author in the formulation and proof of the general version of the Verlinde conjecture and in the proof of the Verlinde formula, we prove that the braided tensor category structure on the category of V-modules is rigid, balanced and nondegenerate. In particular, the category of V-modules has a natural structure of modular tensor category. We also prove that the tensor-categorical dimension of an irreducible V-module is the reciprocal of a suitable matrix element of the fusing isomorphism under a suitable basis.
We prove the Verlinde conjecture in the following general form: Let V be a simple vertex operator algebra satisfying the following conditions: (i) The homogeneous subspaces of V of weights less than 0 are 0, the homogeneous subspace of V of weight 0 is spanned by the vacuum and V' is isomorphic to V as a V-module. (ii) Every weak V-module gradable by nonnegative integers is completely reducible. (iii) V is C_2-cofinite. (In the presence of Condition (i), Conditions (ii) and (iii) are equivalent to a single condition, namely, that every weak V-module is completely reducible.) Then the matrices formed by the fusion rules among the irreducible V-modules are diagonalized by the matrix given by the action of the modular transformation τ\mapsto -1/τon the space of characters of irreducible V-modules. Using this result, we obtain the Verlinde formula for the fusion rules. We also prove that the matrix associated to the modular transformation τ\mapsto -1/τis symmetric.
The problem of constructing twisted modules for a vertex operator algebra and an automorphism has been solved in particular in two contexts. One of these two constructions is that initiated by the third author in the case of a lattice vertex operator algebra and an automorphism arising from an arbitrary lattice isometry. This construction, from a physical point of view, is related to the space-time geometry associated with the lattice in the sense of string theory. The other construction is due to the first author, jointly with C. Dong and G. Mason, in the case of a multi-fold tensor product of a given vertex operator algebra with itself and a permutation automorphism of the tensor factors. The latter construction is based on a certain change of variables in the worldsheet geometry in the sense of string theory. In the case of a lattice that is the orthogonal direct sum of copies of a given lattice, these two very different constructions can both be carried out, and must produce isomorphic twisted modules, by a theorem of the first author jointly with Dong and Mason. In this paper, we explicitly construct an isomorphism, thereby providing, from both mathematical and physical points of view, a direct link between space-time geometry and worldsheet geometry in this setting.
We generalize the tensor product theory for modules for a vertex operator algebra previously developed in a series of papers by the first two authors to suitable module categories for a ``conformal vertex algebra'' or even more generally, for a "Möbius vertex algebra.'' We do not require the module categories to be semisimple, and we accommodate modules with generalized weight spaces. As in the earlier series of papers, our tensor product functors depend on a complex variable, but in the present generality, the logarithm of the complex variable is involved. This first part is devoted to the study of logarithmic intertwining operators and their role in the construction of the tensor product functors. Part II of this work will be devoted to the construction of the appropriate natural associativity isomorphisms between triple tensor product functors, to the proof of their fundamental properties, and to the construction of the resulting braided tensor category structure. This work includes the complete proofs in the present generality and can be read independently of the earlier series of papers.
We describe a logarithmic tensor product theory for certain module categories for a ``conformal vertex algebra.'' In this theory, which is a natural, although intricate, generalization of earlier work of Huang and Lepowsky, we do not require the module categories to be semisimple, and we accommodate modules with generalized weight spaces. The corresponding intertwining operators contain logarithms of the variables.
Let V^L and V^R be simple vertex operator algebras satisfying certain natural uniqueness-of-vacuum, complete reducibility and cofiniteness conditions and let F be a conformal full field algebra over the tensor product of V^L and V^R. We prove that the q_τ-\bar{q_τ}-traces (natural traces involving q_τ=e^{2πiτ} and \bar{q_τ}=\bar{e^{2πiτ}}) of geometrically modified genus-zero correlation functions for F are convergent in suitable regions and can be extended to doubly periodic functions with periods 1 and τ. We obtain necessary and sufficient conditions for these functions to be modular invariant. In the case that V^L=V^R and F is one of those constructed by the authors in \cite{HK}, we prove that all these functions are modular invariant.
We solve the problem of constructing a genus-zero full conformal field theory (a conformal field theory on genus-zero Riemann surfaces containing both chiral and antichiral parts) from representations of a simple vertex operator algebra satisfying certain natural finiteness and reductive conditions. We introduce a notion of full field algebra which is essentially an algebraic formulation of the notion of genus-zero full conformal field theory. For two vertex operator algebras, their tensor product is naturally a full field algebra and we introduce a notion of full field algebra over such a tensor product. We study the structure of full field algebras over such a tensor product using modules and intertwining operators for the two vertex operator algebras. For a simple vertex operator algebra V satisfying certain natural finiteness and reductive conditions needed for the Verlinde conjecture to hold, we construct a bilinear form on the space of intertwining operators for V and prove the nondegeneracy and other basic properties of this form. The proof of the nondegenracy of the bilinear form depends not only on the theory of intertwining operator algebras but also on the modular invariance for intertwining operator algebras through the use of the results obtained in the proof of the Verlinde conjecture by the first author. Using this nondegenerate bilinear form, we construct a full field algebra over the tensor product of two copies of V and an invariant bilinear form on this algebra.
We show that if every module W for a vertex operator algebra V satisfies the condition that the dimension of W/C_1(W) is less than infinity, where C_1(W) is the subspace of W spanned by elements of the form u_{-1}w for u in V of positive weight and w in W, then matrix elements of products and iterates of intertwining operators satisfy certain systems of differential equations. Moreover, for prescribed singular points, there exist such systems of differential equations such that the prescribed singular points are regular. The finiteness of the fusion rules is an immediate consequence of a result used to establish the existence of such systems. Using these systems of differential equations and some additional reducibility conditions, we prove that products of intertwining operators for V satisfy the convergence and extension property needed in the tensor product theory for V-modules. Consequently, when a vertex operator algebra V satisfies all the conditions mentioned above, we obtain a natural structure of vertex tensor category (consequently braided tensor category) on the category of V-modules and a natural structure of intertwining operator algebra on the direct sum of all (inequivalent) irreducible V-modules.
We discuss a recent proof by the author of a general version of the Verlinde conjecture in the framework of vertex operator algebras and the application of this result to the construction of modular tensor tensor category structure on the category of modules for a vertex operator algebra.
Let V be a simple vertex operator algebra satisfying the following conditions: (i) The homogeneous subspaces of V of weights less than 0 are 0, the homogeneous subspace of V of weight 0 is spanned by the vacuum and V' is isomorphic to V as a V-module. (ii) Every weak V-module gradable by nonnegative integers is completely reducible. (iii) V is C_2-cofinite. We announce a proof of the Verlinde conjecture for V, that is, of the statement that the matrices formed by the fusion rules among irreducible V-modules are diagonalized by the matrix given by the action of the modular transformation τ\mapsto -1/τon the space of characters of irreducible V-modules. We discuss some consequences of the Verlinde conjecture, including the Verlinde formula for the fusion rules, a formula for the matrix given by the action of τ\mapsto -1/τand the symmetry of this matrix. We also announce a proof of the rigidity and nondegeneracy property of the braided tensor category structure on the category of V-modules when V satisfies in addition the condition that irreducible V-modules not equivalent to V has no nonzero elements of weight 0. In particular, the category of V-modules has a natural structure of modular tensor category.
We produce counterexamples to show that in the definition of the notion of intertwining operator for modules for a vertex operator algebra, the commutator formula cannot in general be used as a replacement axiom for the Jacobi identity. We further give a sufficient condition for the commutator formula to imply the Jacobi identity in this definition. Using these results we illuminate the crucial role of the condition called the ``compatibility condition'' in the construction of the tensor product module in vertex operator algebra theory, as carried out in work of Huang and Lepowsky. In particular, we prove by means of suitable counterexamples that the compatibility condition was indeed needed in this theory.