Let V be a vertex operator algebra with a category C of (generalized) modules that has vertex tensor category structure, and thus braided tensor category structure, and let A be a vertex operator (super)algebra extension of V. We employ tensor categories to study untwisted (also called local) A-modules in C, using results of Huang-Kirillov-Lepowsky showing that A is a (super)algebra object in C and that generalized A-modules in C correspond exactly to local modules for the corresponding (super)algebra object. Both categories, of local modules for a C-algebra and (under suitable conditions) of generalized A-modules, have natural braided monoidal category structure, given in the first case by Pareigis and Kirillov-Ostrik and in the second case by Huang-Lepowsky-Zhang. Our main result is that the Huang-Kirillov-Lepowsky isomorphism of categories between local (super)algebra modules and extended vertex operator (super)algebra modules is also an isomorphism of braided monoidal (super)categories. Using this result, we show that induction from a suitable subcategory of V-modules to A-modules is a vertex tensor functor. We give two applications. First, we derive Verlinde formulae for regular vertex operator superalgebras and regular (1/2)ℤ-graded vertex operator algebras by realizing them as (super)algebra objects in the vertex tensor categories of their even and ℤ-graded components, respectively. Second, we analyze parafermionic cosets C=Com(V_L,V) where L is a positive definite even lattice and V is regular. If the category of either V-modules or C-modules is understood, then our results classify all inequivalent simple modules for the other algebra and determine their fusion rules and modular character transformations. We illustrate both directions with several examples.

Let $\U_q(\fg)$ be the quantum supergroup of $\gl_{m|n}$ or the modified quantum supergroup of $\osp_{m|2n}$ over the field of rational functions in $q$, and let $V_q$ be the natural module for $\U_q(\fg)$. There exists a unique tensor functor, associated with $V_q$, from the category of ribbon graphs to the category of finite dimensional representations of $\U_q(\fg)$, which preserves ribbon category structures. We show that this functor is full in the cases $\fg=\gl_{m|n}$ or $\osp_{2\ell+1|2n}$. For $\fg=\osp_{2\ell|2n}$, we show that the space $\Hom_{\U_q(\fg)}(V_q^{\otimes r}, V_q^{\otimes s})$ is spanned by images of ribbon graphs if $r+s< 2\ell(2n+1)$. The proofs involve an equivalence of module categories for two versions of the quantisation of $\U(\fg)$.

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.

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We develop a general theory of canonical bases for quantum symmetric pairs (U, U^i) with parameters of arbitrary finite type. We construct new canonical bases for the simple integrable U-modules and their tensor products regarded as U^i-modules. We also construct a canonical basis for the modified form of the i-quantum group U^i. To that end, we establish several new structural results on quantum symmetric pairs, such as bilinear forms, braid group actions, integral forms, Levi subalgebras (of real rank one), and integrality of the intertwiners.