EVENT DETAILS AND ABSTRACT

Title: From higher categories to manifold topology
Speaker: Nick Rozenblyum
Speaker Info: Northwestern University
Brief Description:
Special Note:
Abstract:

We will describe a geometric approach to the theory of higher categories as sheaves on a category of framed n-manifolds with configurations. Using this geometric description, we will define "composition cohomology," an invariant of framed n-manifolds associated to an (\infty, n)-category with adjoints. Composition cohomology is the recipient of a higher dimensional version of the Dennis trace map. This formalism gives a universal construction of topological quantum field theories. This is joint work with David Ayala.