We quantize the interaction of gravity with Yang-Mills and spinor fields, hence offering a quantum theory incorporating all four fundamental forces of nature. Let as abbreviate the spatial Hamilton functions of the Standard Model by $H_{SM}$ and the Hamilton function of gravity by $H_G$. Working in a fiber bundle $E$ with base space $\socc=\R[n]$, where the fiber elements are Riemannian metrics, we can express the Hamilton functions in the form $H_G+H_{SM}=H_G+t^{-\frac23}\tilde H_{SM}$ if $n=3$, where $\tilde H_{SM}$ depends on metrics $\s_{ij}$ satisfying $\det{\s_{ij}}=1$. In the quantization process, we quantize $H_G$ for general $\s_{ij}$ but $\tilde H_{SM}$ only for $\s_{ij}=\de_{ij}$ by the usual methods of QFT. Let $v$ \resp $\psi$ be the spatial eigendistributions of the respective Hamilton operators, then, the solutions $u$ of the Wheeler-DeWitt equation are given by $u=wv\psi$, where $w$ satisfies an ODE and $u$ is evaluated at $(t,\de_{ij})$ in the fibers.

The classification and lattice model construction of symmetry-protected topological (SPT) phases in interacting fermion systems are very interesting but challenging. In this paper, we give a systematic fixed-point wave function construction of fermionic SPT (FSPT) states for generic fermionic symmetry group G_f = \mathbb{Z}^f_2 ×_{ω_2} G_b which is a central extension of bosonic symmetry group Gb (may contain time-reversal symmetry) by the fermion parity symmetry group \mathbb{Z}^f_2 = {1,P_f}. Our construction is based on the concept of an equivalence class of finite-depth fermionic symmetric local unitary transformations and decorating symmetry domain wall picture, subjected to certain obstructions. We also discuss the systematical construction and classification of boundary anomalous SPT states which leads to a trivialization of the corresponding bulk FSPT states. Thus, we conjecture that the obstruction-free and trivialization-free constructions naturally lead to a classification of FSPT phases. Each fixed-point wave function admits an exactly solvable commuting-projector Hamiltonian. We believe that our classification scheme can be generalized to point and space group symmetry as well as continuum Lie group symmetry.

Suppose V^G is the fixed-point vertex operator subalgebra of a compact group G acting on a simple abelian intertwining algebra V. We show that if all irreducible V^G-modules contained in V live in some braided tensor category of V^G-modules, then they generate a tensor subcategory equivalent to the category Rep G of finite-dimensional representations of G, with associativity and braiding isomorphisms modified by the abelian 3-cocycle defining the abelian intertwining algebra structure on V. Additionally, we show that if the fusion rules for the irreducible V^G-modules contained in V agree with the dimensions of spaces of intertwiners among G-modules, then the irreducibles contained in V already generate a braided tensor category of V^G-modules. These results do not require rigidity on any tensor category of V^G-modules and thus apply to many examples where braided tensor category structure is known to exist but rigidity is not known; for example they apply when V^G is C_2-cofinite but not necessarily rational. When V^G is both C_2-cofinite and rational and V is a vertex operator algebra, we use the equivalence between Rep G and the corresponding subcategory of V^G-modules to show that V is also rational. As another application, we show that a certain category of modules for the Virasoro algebra at central charge 1 admits a braided tensor category structure equivalent to Rep SU(2), up to modification by an abelian 3-cocycle.

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.

There are two important statements regarding the Trautman-Bondi mass at null infinity: one is the positivity, and the other is the Bondi mass loss formula, which are both global in nature. The positivity of the quasi-local mass can potentially lead to a local description at null infinity. This is confirmed for the Vaidya spacetime in this note. We study the Wang-Yau quasi-local mass on surfaces of fixed size at the null infinity of the Vaidya spacetime. The optimal embedding equation is solved explicitly and the quasi-local mass is evaluated in terms of the mass aspect function of the Vaidya spacetime.