Given a gauged linear sigma model (GLSM) $\mathcal{T}_{X}$ realizing a projective variety $X$ in one of its phases, i.e. its quantum K\"ahler moduli has a geometric point, we propose an \emph{extended} GLSM $\mathcal{T}_{\mathcal{X}}$ realizing the homological projective dual category $\mathcal{C}$ to $D^{b}Coh(X)$ as the category of B-branes of the Higgs branch of one of its phases. In most of the cases, the models $\mathcal{T}_{X}$ and $\mathcal{T}_{\mathcal{X}}$ are anomalous and the analysis of their Coulomb and mixed Coulomb-Higgs branches gives information on the semiorthogonal/Lefschetz decompositions of $\mathcal{C}$ and $D^{b}Coh(X)$. We also study the models $\mathcal{T}_{X_{L}}$ and $\mathcal{T}_{\mathcal{X}_{L}}$ that correspond to homological projective duality of linear sections $X_{L}$ of $X$. This explains why, in many cases, two phases of a GLSM are related by homological projective duality. We study mostly abelian examples: linear and Veronese embeddings of $\mathbb{P}^{n}$ and Fano complete intersections in $\mathbb{P}^{n}$. In such cases, we are able to reproduce known results as well as produce some new conjectures. In addition, we comment on the construction of the HPD to a nonabelian GLSM for the Pl\"ucker embedding of the Grassmannian $G(k,N)$.

Let O_25 be the vertex algebraic braided tensor category of finite-length modules for the Virasoro Lie algebra at central charge 25 whose composition factors are the irreducible quotients of reducible Verma modules. We show that O_25 is rigid and that its simple objects generate a semisimple tensor subcategory that is braided tensor equivalent to an abelian 3-cocycle twist of the category of finite-dimensional sl_2-modules. We also show that this sl_2-type subcategory is braid-reversed tensor equivalent to a similar category for the Virasoro algebra at central charge 1. As an application, we construct a simple conformal vertex algebra which contains the Virasoro vertex operator algebra of central charge 25 as a PSL_2(C)-orbifold. We also use our results to study Arakawa's chiral universal centralizer algebra of SL_2 at level -1, showing that it has a symmetric tensor category of representations equivalent to Rep PSL_2(C). This algebra is an extension of the tensor product of Virasoro vertex operator algebras of central charges 1 and 25, analogous to the modified regular representations of the Virasoro algebra constructed earlier for generic central charges by I. Frenkel-Styrkas and I. Frenkel-M. Zhu.

Let V be an N-graded, simple, self-contragredient, C_2-cofinite vertex operator algebra. We show that if the S-transformation of the character of V is a linear combination of characters of V-modules, then the category C of grading-restricted generalized V-modules is a rigid tensor category. We further show, without any assumption on the character of V but assuming that C is rigid, that C is a factorizable finite ribbon category, that is, a not-necessarily-semisimple modular tensor category. As a consequence, we show that if the Zhu algebra of V is semisimple, then C is semisimple and thus V is rational. The proofs of these theorems use techniques and results from tensor categories together with the method of Moore-Seiberg and Huang for deriving identities of two-point genus-one correlation functions associated to V. We give two main applications. First, we prove the conjecture of Kac-Wakimoto and Arakawa that C_2-cofinite affine W-algebras obtained via quantum Drinfeld-Sokolov reduction of admissible-level affine vertex algebras are strongly rational. The proof uses the recent result of Arakawa and van Ekeren that such W-algebras have semisimple (Ramond twisted) Zhu algebras. Second, we use our rigidity results to reduce the "coset rationality problem" to the problem of C2-cofiniteness for the coset. That is, given a vertex operator algebra inclusion U⊗V↪A with A, U strongly rational and U, V a pair of mutual commutant subalgebras in A, we show that V is also strongly rational provided it is C_2-cofinite.