Anomalies in topological orders: from algebraic topology to physical realisations

2 PM, 9 Apr 2026

Weicheng Ye presents a framework for anomalies in topological orders and shows how they determine which phases can be physically realised.

Topological orders appear in mathematical physics, condensed matter and quantum information. Weicheng Ye examines how anomalous symmetry actions constrain their physical realisations. He formalises anomalies as lifting obstructions in algebraic topology, develops diagrammatic methods to compute them and shows how anomaly matching determines whether a topological order can arise in lattice models or quantum field theory.

Weicheng Ye is a postdoc at the University of British Columbia. He completed his PhD at the Perimeter Institute and works on the mathematical structures underlying quantum field theory, with a particular interest in topological phases of matter, symmetry, and quantum anomalies.

Anomalies in topological orders: from algebraic topology to physical realisations
Anomalies in topological orders: from algebraic topology to physical realisations
Anomalies in topological orders: from algebraic topology to physical realisations
Anomalies in topological orders: from algebraic topology to physical realisations
Anomalies in topological orders: from algebraic topology to physical realisations
Anomalies in topological orders: from algebraic topology to physical realisations
Anomalies in topological orders: from algebraic topology to physical realisations
Anomalies in topological orders: from algebraic topology to physical realisations
Anomalies in topological orders: from algebraic topology to physical realisations
Anomalies in topological orders: from algebraic topology to physical realisations
Anomalies in topological orders: from algebraic topology to physical realisations
Anomalies in topological orders: from algebraic topology to physical realisations
Anomalies in topological orders: from algebraic topology to physical realisations
Anomalies in topological orders: from algebraic topology to physical realisations
Anomalies in topological orders: from algebraic topology to physical realisations
Anomalies in topological orders: from algebraic topology to physical realisations