ICTS

The use of rigid structures to determine universal properties of quantum systems with many degrees of freedom has had a long and fruitful history. Traditionally, this has included global and gauge symmetries, both microscopic and emergent, and the last few decades have seen the use of topological structures in the space of gapped and gapless theories to uncover new phases of matter and new dynamical phenomena. 

More recently, there has been a vast explosion of ideas concerning the notion of symmetry as well as subtler topological structures in theory space. The former includes generalized symmetries such as higher-form, higher-group and non-invertible symmetries. Another component, with a long history, is the study of anomalies. In high-energy physics, they play an important role in constraining the field content in model building, and in condensed matter, they appear in systems that cannot have trivial ground states, through Lieb–Schultz–Mattis theorems and boundaries of topological phases. The latter include topological families of quantum states generalizing Thouless charge pumps and Berry’s quantum spin in a magnetic field, and have been quantified by higher Berry phases and associated topological invariants.
This week-long discussion meeting will bring together experts working on these various contemporary areas of research, drawing on approaches from condensed matter physics, quantum field theory and mathematical physics, with the aim of assessing the current status of these areas, examining their intersections and identifying important outstanding problems.

Eligibility Criteria: Advanced graduate students, postdocs and scientists working on relevant topics. 

Accommodation will be provided for outstation participants at ICTS  on-campus guest house or  ICTS Hostel.

ICTS is committed to building an environment that is inclusive, non-discriminatory and welcoming of diverse individuals. We especially encourage the participation of women and other under-represented groups.