Pith. sign in

REVIEW 14 cited by

Higher Gauge Theory: 2-Connections on 2-Bundles

Not yet reviewed by Pith; the record is open.

This paper has not been read by Pith yet. Machine review is queued; the pith claim, tier, and objections will appear here once it completes.

SPECIMEN: schema-true, not a live event

T0 review · schema-true

One-sentence machine reading of the paper's core claim.

pith:XXXXXXXX · record.json · timestamp

arxiv hep-th/0412325 v1 pith:3XJSYPIQ submitted 2004-12-30 hep-th

classification hep-th
keywords bundlegerbesconnectionbasebundlescertainconceptconnections
verification ladder T0 review T1 audit T2 compute T3 formal

Signed reviews

No signed human review yet.

0 comments
read the original abstract

Connections and curvings on gerbes are beginning to play a vital role in differential geometry and mathematical physics -- first abelian gerbes, and more recently nonabelian gerbes. These concepts can be elegantly understood using the concept of `2-bundle' recently introduced by Bartels. A 2-bundle is a generalization of a bundle in which the fibers are categories rather than sets. Here we introduce the concept of a `2-connection' on a principal 2-bundle. We describe principal 2-bundles with connection in terms of local data, and show that under certain conditions this reduces to the cocycle data for nonabelian gerbes with connection and curving subject to a certain constraint -- namely, the vanishing of the `fake curvature', as defined by Breen and Messing. This constraint also turns out to guarantee the existence of `2-holonomies': that is, parallel transport over both curves and surfaces, fitting together to define a 2-functor from the `path 2-groupoid' of the base space to the structure 2-group. We give a general theory of 2-holonomies and show how they are related to ordinary parallel transport on the path space of the base manifold.

Discussion (0). Continue with ORCID to comment.

Forward citations

Cited by 14 Pith papers

Reviewed papers in the Pith corpus that reference this work. Sorted by Pith novelty score. OpenAlex reports about 93 citations worldwide. Full citation record

  1. Thin homotopy and the signature of piecewise linear surfaces

    math.AT 2025-06 accept novelty 8.0 of 10

    The piecewise linear surface signature is injective: it characterizes surfaces up to translation and thin homotopy, generalizing Chen's path signature theorem.

  2. Understanding Non-Split 2-Group Symmetry: (3+1)D SymTFT, Anomaly and Bordism

    hep-th 2026-08 conditional novelty 7.0 of 10

    For G=(Z2,Z2,triv,1), the authors classify anomalies via oriented and spin bordism in spacetime dimensions d<=5 and derive the (3+1)D SymTFT boundary conditions, including the equivalence of the anomalous symmetry cat...

  3. Half-Spacetime Gauging of 2-Group Symmetry in 3d

    hep-th 2026-05 unverdicted novelty 7.0 of 10

    Half-spacetime gauging of 2-group symmetries in (2+1)d QFTs produces non-invertible duality defects whose fusion rules are derived explicitly from parent theories with mixed anomalies.

  4. On the SymTFTs of Finite Non-Abelian Symmetries

    hep-th 2026-03 unverdicted novelty 7.0 of 10

    Constructs BF-like 3D SymTFT Lagrangians for finite non-Abelian groups presented as extensions, yielding surface-attaching non-genuine line operators and Drinfeld-center fusion rules.

  5. Quantum geometry from higher gauge theory

    gr-qc 2019-08 conditional novelty 7.0 of 10

    The BFCG-Yetter model and the KBF state sum produce the same single-4-simplex amplitude when evaluated on boundary states called G-networks.

  6. On Quantum Aspects of 1-Form Symmetries I: BV-BRST Cohomology and Anomaly Polynomials

    hep-th 2026-06 unverdicted novelty 6.0 of 10

    Develops Čech-de Rham bicomplex from gerbe data for BV-BRST cohomology of U(1) 2-form gauge theories and anomaly polynomials of 1-form symmetries.

  7. 3-Crossed Module Structure in the Five-Dimensional Topological Axion Electrodynamics

    hep-th 2026-02 unverdicted novelty 6.0 of 10

    The five-dimensional topological axion electrodynamics is shown to possess a 3-crossed module structure through modified Stueckelberg couplings required for background gauge invariance.

  8. Towards an M5-Brane Model II: Metric String Structures

    hep-th 2019-08 conditional novelty 6.0 of 10

    Adjusted Weil algebras for skeletal and loop models of the string Lie 2-algebra and their metric extensions yield local metric string structure connections whose gauge transformations close without fake flatness, matc...

  9. Operational total space theory of principal 2-bundles II: 2-connections and 1- and 2--gauge transformations

    math-ph 2019-06 unverdicted novelty 6.0 of 10

    Formulates 2-connections and gauge transformations for principal 2-bundles using an operational framework based on crossed modules and derived Lie groups.

  10. Discrete $p$-Form Symmetry and Higher Coulomb Phases

    hep-th 2025-07 unverdicted novelty 5.0 of 10

    Field theories with ℤ_N p-form symmetry generically admit a Coulomb phase where the infrared theory is Abelian p-form electrodynamics, illustrated via continuum and lattice examples.

  11. Infinite Dimensional Topological-Holomorphic Symmetry in Three-Dimensions

    hep-th 2025-07 unverdicted novelty 5.0 of 10

    A 3D QFT is defined with infinite-dimensional topological-holomorphic symmetry from a centrally extended affine graded Lie algebra, yielding a raviolo vertex algebra for its local operators after radial quantization.

  12. Higher path groupoids and the holonomy of formal power series connections

    math.AT 2025-06 conditional novelty 5.0 of 10

    Transport of a formal power series connection gives holonomy 2- and 3-functors from path 2- and 3-groupoids to cobar-complex categories, including a Gray functor for configuration spaces in n at least 4.

  13. Adjusted Cup-Product Neural Layer

    cs.LG 2026-06 unverdicted novelty 4.0 of 10

    Introduces an adjusted cup-product neural layer whose output on closed cycles depends only on the adjustment coefficient and is exactly invariant under gauge transformations.

  14. Snowmass White Paper: Generalized Symmetries in Quantum Field Theory and Beyond

    hep-th 2022-05 unverdicted novelty 2.0 of 10

    This review summarizes transformative examples of generalized symmetries in QFT and their applications to anomalies and dynamics.

Pith tools