We apply the geometric-topology surgery theory on spacetime manifolds to study the constraints of quantum statistics data in 2+1 and 3+1 spacetime dimensions. First, we introduce the fusion data for worldline and worldsheet operators capable creating anyon excitations of particles and strings, well-defined in gapped states of matter with intrinsic topological orders. Second, we introduce the braiding statistics data of particles and strings, such as the geometric Berry matrices for particle-string Aharonov-Bohm and multi-loop adiabatic braiding process, encoded by submanifold linkings, in the closed spacetime 3-manifolds and 4-manifolds. Third, we derive new quantum surgery constraints analogous to Verlinde formula associating fusion and braiding statistics data via spacetime surgery, essential for defining the theory of topological orders, and potentially correlated to bootstrap boundary physics such as gapless modes, conformal field theories or quantum anomalies.

In this paper we study segmented strings in AdS3 coupled to a background two-form whose field strength is proportional to the volume form. By changing the coupling, the theory interpolates between the Nambu-Goto string and the SL(2) Wess-Zumino-Witten model. In terms of the kink momentum vectors, the action is independent of the coupling and the classical theory reduces to a single discrete-time Toda-type theory. The WZW model is a singular point in coupling space where the map into Toda variables degenerates.

Segmented strings in flat space are piecewise linear classical string solutions. Kinks between the segments move with the speed of light and their worldlines form a lattice on the worldsheet. This idea can be generalized to AdS3 where the embedding is built from AdS2 patches. The construction provides an exact discretization of the non-linear string equations of motion. This paper computes the area of segmented strings using cross-ratios constructed from the kink vectors. The cross-ratios can be expressed in terms of either left-handed or right-handed variables. The string equation of motion in AdS3 is reduced to that of an integrable time-discretized relativistic Toda-type lattice. Positive solutions yield string embeddings that are unique up to global transformations. In the appendix, the Poincare target space energy is computed by integrating the worldsheet current along kink worldlines and a formula is derived for the integrated scalar curvature of the embedding.

This paper is concerned with the classical motion of a string in global AdS3. The initially static string stretches between two antipodal points on the boundary circle. Both endpoints are perturbed which creates cusps at a steady rate. The cusps propagate towards the interior where they collide. The behavior of the string depends on the strength of forcing. Three qualitatively different phases can be distinguished: transparent, gray, and black. The transparent region is analogous to a standing wave. In the black phase, there is a horizon on the worldsheet and cusps never reach the other endpoint. The string keeps folding and its length grows linearly over time. In the gray phase, the string still grows linearly. However, cusps do cross to the other side. The transparent and gray regions are separated by a transition point where a logarithmic accumulation of cusps is numerically observed. A simple model reproduces the qualitative behavior of the string in the three phases.

We show that the semi-classical analysis of generic Euclidean path integrals necessarily requires complexification of the action and measure, and consideration of complex saddle solutions. We demonstrate that complex saddle points have a natural interpretation in terms of the Picard-Lefschetz theory. Motivated in part by the semi-classical expansion of QCD with adjoint matter on R3 ⇥ S1, we study quantum-mechanical systems with bosonic and fermionic (Grassmann) degrees of freedom with harmonic degenerate minima, as well as (related) purely bosonic systems with harmonic non-degenerate minima. We find exact finite action non-BPS bounce and bion solutions to the holomorphic Newton equations. We find not only real solutions, but also complex solution with non-trivial monodromy, and finally complex multi-valued and singular solutions. Complex bions are necessary for obtaining the correct non-perturbative structure of these models. In the supersymmetric limit the complex solutions govern the ground state properties, and their contribution to the semiclassical expansion is necessary to obtain consistency with the supersymmetry algebra. The multi-valuedness of the action is either related to the hidden topological angle or to the resurgent cancellation of ambiguities. We also show that in the approximate multi-instanton description the integration over the complex quasi-zero mode thimble produces the most salient features of the exact solutions. While exact complex saddles are more difficult to construct in quantum field theory, the relation to the approximate thimble construction suggests that such solutions may be underlying some remarkable features of approximate bion saddles in quantum field theories.