PIRSA:25110081

General theory of symmetries and anomalies in quantum many-body lattice systems

Else, D. (2025). General theory of symmetries and anomalies in quantum many-body lattice systems. Perimeter Institute. https://pirsa.org/25110081

Else, Dominic. General theory of symmetries and anomalies in quantum many-body lattice systems. Perimeter Institute, Nov. 12, 2025, https://pirsa.org/25110081 

          @misc{ pirsa_PIRSA:25110081,
            doi = {10.48660/25110081},
            url = {https://pirsa.org/25110081},
            author = {Else, Dominic},
            keywords = {Other},
            language = {en},
            title = {General theory of symmetries and anomalies in quantum many-body lattice systems},
            publisher = {Perimeter Institute},
            year = {2025},
            month = {nov},
            note = {PIRSA:25110081 see, \url{https://pirsa.org}}
          }

Dominic Else Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics

Talk numberPIRSA:25110081
DOI10.48660/25110081
Collection
Talk Type Scientific Series
Subject

Abstract

Symmetries are one of the most important concepts across many areas of theoretical physics. In this talk, I will explain how to think systematically and generally about the ways in which symmetries act in quantum many-body lattice systems, incorporating locality and the thermodynamic limit. One can think of this as a kind of many-body generalization of representation theory. In particular, this leads to a simple yet precise definition of the concept of an "anomaly" of a symmetry in lattice systems. I will discuss physical interpretations of these "lattice anomalies" and show how they are related to, but distinct from, anomalies in quantum field theory.