We show that the category of finite-length generalized modules for the singlet vertex algebra M(p), p∈Z_+, is equal to the category O_M(p) of C_1-cofinite M(p)-modules, and that this category admits the vertex algebraic braided tensor category structure of Huang-Lepowsky-Zhang. Since O_M(p) includes the uncountably many typical M(p)-modules, which are simple M(p)-module structures on Heisenberg Fock modules, our results substantially extend our previous work on tensor categories of atypical M(p)-modules. We also introduce a tensor subcategory O_M(p)^T, graded by an algebraic torus T, which has enough projectives and is conjecturally tensor equivalent to the category of finite-dimensional weight modules for the unrolled restricted quantum group of sl_2 at a 2pth root of unity. We compute all tensor products involving simple and projective M(p)-modules, and we prove that both tensor categories O_M(p) and O_M(p)^T are rigid and thus also ribbon. As an application, we use vertex operator algebra extension theory to show that the representation categories of all finite cyclic orbifolds of the triplet vertex algebras W(p) are non-semisimple modular tensor categories, and we confirm a conjecture of Adamović-Lin-Milas on the classification of simple modules for these finite cyclic orbifolds.

We show that the linearization of all exact solutions of classical chiral gravity around the AdS3 vacuum have positive energy. Nonchiral and negative-energy solutions of the linearized equations are infrared divergent at second order, and so are removed from the spectrum. In other words, chirality is confined and the equations of motion have linearization instabilities. We prove that the only stationary, axially symmetric solutions of chiral gravity are BTZ black holes, which have positive energy. It is further shown that classical log gravity—the theory with logarithmically relaxed boundary conditions—has finite asymptotic symmetry generators but is not chiral and hence may be dual at the quantum level to a logarithmic conformal field theories (CFT). Moreover we show that log gravity contains chiral gravity within it as a decoupled charge superselection sector. We formally evaluate the Euclidean sum over geometries of chiral gravity and show that it gives precisely the holomorphic extremal CFT partition function. The modular invariance and integrality of the expansion coefficients of this partition function are consistent with the existence of an exact quantum theory of chiral gravity. We argue that the problem of quantizing chiral gravity is the holographic dual of the problem of constructing an extremal CFT, while quantizing log gravity is dual to the problem of constructing a logarithmic extremal CFT.

Quantum gravity in the region very near the horizon of an extreme Kerr black hole (whose angular momentum and mass are related by J=GM^2) is considered. It is shown that consistent boundary conditions exist, for which the asymptotic symmetry generators form one copy of the Virasoro algebra with central charge c_L=12J / \hbar. This implies that the near-horizon quantum states can be identified with those of (a chiral half of) a two-dimensional conformal field theory (CFT). Moreover, in the extreme limit, the Frolov-Thorne vacuum state reduces to a thermal density matrix with dimensionless temperature T_L=1/2\pi and conjugate energy given by the zero mode generator, L_0, of the Virasoro algebra. Assuming unitarity, the Cardy formula then gives a microscopic entropy S_{micro}=2\pi J / \hbar for the CFT, which reproduces the macroscopic Bekenstein-Hawking entropy S_{macro}=Area / 4\hbar G. The results apply to any consistent unitary quantum theory of gravity with a Kerr solution. We accordingly conjecture that extreme Kerr black holes are holographically dual to a chiral two-dimensional conformal field theory with central charge c_L=12J / \hbar, and in particular that the near-extreme black hole GRS 1915+105 is approximately dual to a CFT with c_L \sim 2 \times 10^{79}.

The authors derive a McShane identity for once-punctured super tori. Relying upon earlier work on super Teichmuller theory by the last two-named authors, they further develop the supergeometry of these surfaces and establish asymptotic growth rate of their length spectra.

Distinct quantum vacua of topologically ordered states can be tunneled into each other, not by local operators, but via extended operators. The possible applications include condensed matter and quantum cosmology. We present a straightforward approach to calculate the partition function on various manifolds and ground state degeneracy (GSD), mainly based on continuum/cochain Topological Quantum Field Theories (TQFT), in any dimension. This information can be related to the counting of extended operators of bosonic/fermionic TQFT. On the lattice scale, anyonic particles/strings live at the ends of line/surface operators. Certain systems in different dimensions are related to each other through dimensional reduction schemes, analogous to decategorification. We consider situations where a TQFT lives on (1) a closed spacetime or (2) a spacetime with boundary, such that both the bulk and boundary are fully-gapped and long-range entangled (LRE). Anyonic excitations can be deconfined on the boundary. We introduce new exotic topological interfaces on which neither particle nor string excitations alone condensed, but only fuzzy-composite objects of extended operators can end (e.g. a string-like fuzzy-composite object formed by a set of particles can end on a special 2+1D boundary of 3+1D bulk). We explore the relations between group extension constructions and partially breaking constructions (e.g. 0-form/higher-form/“composite” breaking) of topological boundaries, after gauging. We comment on the implications of entanglement entropy for some of such LRE systems.