Commutants of von Neumann Correspondences and Duality of Eilenberg-Watts Theorems by Rieffel and by Blecher

The category of von Neumann correspondences from B to C (or von Neumann B-C-modules) is dual to the category of von Neumann correspondences from C' to B' via a functor that generalizes naturally the functor that sends a von Neumann algebra to its commutant and back. We show that under this duality, called commutant, Rieffel's Eilenberg-Watts theorem (on functors between the categories of representations of two von Neumann algebras) switches into Blecher's Eilenberg-Watts theorem (on functors between the categories of von Neumann modules over two von Neumann algebras) and back.Comment: 20 page

Bicommutant categories from fusion categories

Bicommutant categories are higher categorical analogs of von Neumann algebras that were recently introduced by the first author. In this article, we prove that every unitary fusion category gives an example of a bicommutant category. This theorem categorifies the well known result according to which a finite dimensional *-algebra that can be faithfully represented on a Hilbert space is in fact a von Neumann algebra.Comment: Updated to the published version + fixed some small typo

Tensor categories and endomorphisms of von Neumann algebras (with applications to Quantum Field Theory)

Q-systems describe "extensions" of an infinite von Neumann factor $N$, i.e., finite-index unital inclusions of $N$ into another von Neumann algebra $M$. They are (special cases of) Frobenius algebras in the C* tensor category of endomorphisms of $N$. We review the relation between Q-systems, their modules and bimodules as structures in a category on one side, and homomorphisms between von Neumann algebras on the other side. We then elaborate basic operations with Q-systems (various decompositions in the general case, and the centre, the full centre, and the braided product in braided categories), and illuminate their meaning in the von Neumann algebra setting. The main applications are in local quantum field theory, where Q-systems in the subcategory of DHR endomorphisms of a local algebra encode extensions $A(O)\subset B(O)$ of local nets. These applications, notably in conformal quantum field theories with boundaries, are briefly exposed, and are discussed in more detail in two separate papers [arXiv:1405.7863, 1410.8848].Comment: v1: 54 pages. v2: 90 pages. Title changed by request of editor, numerous material added, especially an overview of applications in Quantum Field Theory; some corrections. v3: minor corrections to match the published version; Springer Briefs in Mathematical Physics, vol. 3, 201