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Topological defect lines (TDLs) are extended line operators which act on the Hilbert space of two-dimensional CFTs and satisfy non-trivial fusion algebras when forming junctions. Among the most interesting fusion algebras are the so-called Tambara-Yamagami (TY) fusion categories which are realized in (bosonized) Parafermionic CFTs. The corresponding TY[$\mathbb{Z}_k$]-categories have been explicitly realized for the cases $k=2$, $k=3$, and $k=4$ together with the action of the defect lines on the Hilbert space of the corresponding CFTs. For each of the cases, different methods have been used in the previous literature. In the current paper, we present a unified framework for finding the TDLs in bosonized Parafermionic CFTs. Our approach relies on combining several previously used methods and the definition of an extended $S$ matrix. We apply the method to the cases $k=2$ to $k=5$ to extract corresponding TDL fusion algebras., 23 pages, 4 figures, 5 tables

In this work we study particular TQFTs in three dimensions, known as Symmetry Topological Field Theories (or SymTFTs), to identify line defects of two-dimensional CFTs arising from the compactification of 6d $(2,0)$ SCFTs on 4-manifolds $M_4$. The mapping class group of $M_4$ and the automorphism group of the SymTFT switch between different absolute 2d theories or global variants. Using the combined symmetries, we realize the topological defects in these global variants. Our main example is $\mathbb{P}^1 \times \mathbb{P}^1$. For $N$ M5-branes the corresponding 2d theory inherits $\mathbb{Z}_N$ $0$-form symmetries from the SymTFT. We reproduce the orbifold groupoid for theories with $\mathbb{Z}_N$ $0$-form symmetries and realize the duality defects at fixed points of the coupling constant under elements of the mapping class group. We also study other Hirzebruch surfaces, del Pezzo surfaces, as well as the connected sum of $\mathbb{P}^1 \times \mathbb{P}^1$. We find a rich network of global variants connected via automorphisms and realize more interesting topological defects. Finally, we derive the SymTFT on more general 4-manifolds and provide two examples., 41 pages

Compactifications of 6d N=(1,0) SCFTs give rise to new 4d N=1 SCFTs and shed light on interesting dualities between such theories. In this paper we continue exploring this line of research by extending the class of compactified 6d theories to the D-type case. The simplest such 6d theory arises from D5 branes probing D-type singularities. Equivalently, this theory can be obtained from an F-theory compactification using "-2"-curves intersecting according to a D-type quiver. Our approach is two-fold. We start by compactifying the 6d SCFT on a Riemann surface and compute the central charges of the resulting 4d theory by integrating the 6d anomaly polynomial over the Riemann surface. As a second step, in order to find candidate 4d UV Lagrangians, there is an intermediate 5d theory that serves to construct 4d domain walls. These can be used as building blocks to obtain torus compactifications. In contrast to the A-type case, the vanishing of anomalies in the 4d theory turns out to be very restrictive and constraints the choices of gauge nodes and matter content severely. As a consequence, in this paper one has to resort to non-maximal boundary conditions for the 4d domain walls. However, the comparison to the 6d theory compactified on the Riemann surface becomes less tractable., Comment: v2: 33 pages, 4 figures, 3 tables, added discussion of unitarity violating gauge invariant operators, typos corrected, matches JHEP version

Compactifications of 6d N=(1,0) SCFTs give rise to new 4d N=1 SCFTs and shed light on interesting dualities between such theories. In this paper we continue exploring this line of research by extending the class of compactified 6d theories to the D-type case. The simplest such 6d theory arises from D5 branes probing D-type singularities. Equivalently, this theory can be obtained from an F-theory compactification using "-2"-curves intersecting according to a D-type quiver. Our approach is two-fold. We start by compactifying the 6d SCFT on a Riemann surface and compute the central charges of the resulting 4d theory by integrating the 6d anomaly polynomial over the Riemann surface. As a second step, in order to find candidate 4d UV Lagrangians, there is an intermediate 5d theory that serves to construct 4d domain walls. These can be used as building blocks to obtain torus compactifications. In contrast to the A-type case, the vanishing of anomalies in the 4d theory turns out to be very restrictive and constraints the choices of gauge nodes and matter content severely. As a consequence, in this paper one has to resort to non-maximal boundary conditions for the 4d domain walls. However, the comparison to the 6d theory compactified on the Riemann surface becomes less tractable., v2: 33 pages, 4 figures, 3 tables, added discussion of unitarity violating gauge invariant operators, typos corrected, matches JHEP version

We propose novel functional equations for the BPS partition functions of 6d (1,0) SCFTs, which can be regarded as an elliptic version of Gottsche-Nakajima-Yoshioka's K-theoretic blowup equations. From the viewpoint of geometric engineering, these are the generalized blowup equations for refined topological strings on certain local elliptic Calabi-Yau threefolds. We derive recursion formulas for elliptic genera of self-dual strings on the tensor branch from these functional equations and in this way obtain a universal approach for determining refined BPS invariants. As examples, we study in detail the minimal 6d SCFTs with SU(3) and SO(8) gauge symmetry. In companion papers, we will study the elliptic blowup equations for all other non-Higgsable clusters., 52 pages, 3 figures

This is a review article on mirror symmetry and aspects of it related to the theory of modular forms. We describe this topic along its historical development and connect to some more recent results toward the end. The article is for publication in a special issue of ICCM Notices., Comment: 18 pages, v2 references added

We study 5d supersymmetric black holes which descend from strings of generic $\mathcal{N}=(1,0)$ supergravity in 6d. These strings have an F-theory realization in 6d as D3 branes wrapping smooth genus $g$ curves in the base of elliptic 3-folds. They enjoy $(0,4)$ worldsheet supersymmetry with an extra $SU(2)_L$ current algebra at level $g$ realized on the left-movers. When the smooth curves degenerate they lead to multi-string branches and we find that the microscopic worldsheet theory flows in the IR to disconnected 2d CFTs having different central charges. The single string sector is the one with maximal central charge, which when wrapped on a circle, leads to a 5d spinning BPS black hole whose horizon volume agrees with the leading entropy prediction from the Cardy formula. However, we find new phenomena where this branch meets other branches of the CFT. These include multi-string configurations which have no bound states in 6 dimensions but are bound through KK momenta when wrapping a circle, as well as loci where the curves degenerate to spheres. These loci lead to black hole configurations which can have total angular momentum relative to a Taub-Nut center satisfying $J^2 > M^3$ and whose number of states, though exponentially large, grows much slower than those of the large spinning black hole., 60 pages, 9 figures. v3: meaning of "CCB violating states" clarified, typos corrected, acknowledgements added

We study strings associated with minimal 6d SCFTs, which by definition have only one string charge and no Higgs branch. These theories are labelled by a number n with 1 2 the strings interact with the bulk gauge symmetry. In this paper we find a quiver description for the n = 4 string using Sen's limit of F-theory and calculate its elliptic genus with localization techniques. This result is checked using the duality of F-theory with M-theory and topological string theory whose refined BPS partition function captures the elliptic genus of the SCFT strings. We use the topological string theory to gain insight into the elliptic genus for other values of n., 50+1 pages, 8 figures

E-strings arise from M2 branes suspended between an M5 brane and an M9 plane. In this paper we obtain explicit expressions for the elliptic genus of two E-strings using a series of string dualities. Moreover we show how this can be used to recover the elliptic genus of two $E_8\times E_8$ heterotic strings using the Horava-Witten realization of heterotic strings in M-theory. This involves highly non-trivial identities among Jacobi forms, and is remarkable in light of the fact that E-strings are 'sticky' and form bound states whereas heterotic strings do not form bound states., Comment: 38+1 pages, 6 figures; minor corrections

E-strings arise from M2 branes suspended between an M5 brane and an M9 plane. In this paper we obtain explicit expressions for the elliptic genus of two E-strings using a series of string dualities. Moreover we show how this can be used to recover the elliptic genus of two $E_8\times E_8$ heterotic strings using the Horava-Witten realization of heterotic strings in M-theory. This involves highly non-trivial identities among Jacobi forms, and is remarkable in light of the fact that E-strings are 'sticky' and form bound states whereas heterotic strings do not form bound states., 38+1 pages, 6 figures; minor corrections

We consider M-theory in the presence of M parallel M5-branes probing a transverse A_{N-1} singularity. This leads to a superconformal theory with (1,0) supersymmetry in six dimensions. We compute the supersymmetric partition function of this theory on a two-torus, with arbitrary supersymmetry preserving twists, using the topological vertex formalism. Alternatively, we show that this can also be obtained by computing the elliptic genus of an orbifold of recently studied M-strings. The resulting 2d theory is a (4,0) supersymmetric quiver gauge theory whose Higgs branch corresponds to strings propagating on the moduli space of SU(N)^{M-1} instantons on R^4 where the right-moving fermions are coupled to a particular bundle., Comment: 40 pages, 14 figures

We propose a correspondence between two-dimensional (0,4) sigma models with target space the moduli spaces of r monopoles, and four-dimensional N=4, U(r) Yang-Mills theory on del Pezzo surfaces. In particular, the two- and four-dimensional BPS partition functions are argued to be equal. The correspondence relies on insights from five-dimensional supersymmetric gauge theory and its geometric engineering in M-theory, hence the name "5d/2d/4d correspondence". We provide various tests of our proposal. The most stringent ones are for r=1, for which we prove the equality of partition functions., 39 pages, final version