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The structure of three-dimensional topological field theories is much more involved. Here,<br />

the notion of a Hopf algebra will enter, as we will see later.<br />

Before turning to this, we consider a generalization and a specific construction:<br />

Example 4.1.13 (Open/closed topological field Theories in dimension 2).<br />

• We define a larger category Cob(2) o/cl of open-closed cobordisms:<br />

– Objects are compact oriented 1-manifolds which are allowed to have boundaries.<br />

These are disjoint unions of oriented intervals and oriented circles.<br />

– As a bordism B : M → N, we consider a smooth oriented two-dimensional manifold<br />

B, together with an orientation preserving smooth map<br />

φ B :<br />

M ∐ N → ∂B<br />

which is a diffeomorphism to its image. The map is not required to be surjective.<br />

In particular, we have parametrized and unparametrized intervals on the boundary<br />

circles of M. The unparametrized intervals are also called free boundaries and constitute<br />

physical boundaries. The other boundaries are cut-and-paste boundaries and<br />

implement (aspects of) locality of the topological field theory.<br />

Two bordisms B, B ′ give the same morphism, if there is an orientation-preserving<br />

diffeomorphism φ : B → B ′ such that the following diagram commutes:<br />

B <br />

φ<br />

B ′<br />

φ B<br />

M ∐ φ ′ B<br />

N<br />

Thus the diffeomorphism respects parametrizations of intervals on boundary circles<br />

and parametrizations of whole boundary circles.<br />

– For any object M, the identity morphism id M is represented by the cylinder over M.<br />

– Composition is again by gluing.<br />

• Again, disjoint union endows Cob(2) o/cl with the structure of a symmetric monodial<br />

category with the empty set as the tensor unit.<br />

• An open-closed TFT is defined as a symmetric monoidal functor<br />

Z : Cob(2) o/cl → vect(K) .<br />

Again C := Z(S 1 ) is a commutative Frobenius algebra. One can again write generators<br />

and relations for the cobordism category and finds that the image O := Z(I) of the<br />

interval I carries the structure of a Frobenius algebra. C is called the bulk Frobenius<br />

algebra, O the boundary Frobenius algebra.<br />

• The Frobenius algebra O is not necessarily commutative: given three disjoint intervals<br />

on the boundary of a disk, two of them cannot be exchanged by a diffeomorphism of the<br />

disc. This situation is thus rather different from three boundary circles in a sphere, where<br />

two of them can be continuously commuted. For this reason, the bulk Frobenius algebra<br />

C is commutative.<br />

Still, the boundary Frobenius algebra is symmetric, i.e. the bilinear form κ 0 : O ⊗ O → K<br />

is symmetric: κ O (a, b) = κ O (b, a), as is shown graphically by cyclically exchanging two<br />

parametrized intervals on the boundary of a disc.<br />

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