We compute the group of braided tensor autoequivalences and the Brauer-Picard group of the representation category of the small quantum group $mathfrak{u}_q(mathfrak{g})$, where $q$ is a root of unity.
This is an expanded version of the notes by the second author of the lectures on symmetric tensor categories given by the first author at Ohio State University in March 2019 and later at ICRA-2020 in November 2020. We review some aspects of the current state of the theory of symmetric tensor categories and discuss their applications, including ones unavailable in the literature.
We classify various types of graded extensions of a finite braided tensor category $cal B$ in terms of its $2$-categorical Picard groups. In particular, we prove that braided extensions of $cal B$ by a finite group $A$ correspond to braided monoidal $2$-functors from $A$ to the braided $2$-categorical Picard group of $cal B$ (consisting of invertible central $cal B$-module categories). Such functors can be expressed in terms of the Eilnberg-Mac~Lane cohomology. We describe in detail braided $2$-categorical Picard groups of symmetric fusion categories and of pointed braided fusion categories.
We describe all fusion subcategories of the representation category of a twisted quantum double of a finite group. In view of the fact that every group-theoretical braided fusion category can be embedded into a representation category of a twisted quantum double of a finite group, this gives a complete description of all group-theoretical braided fusion categories. We describe the lattice and give formulas for some invariants of the fusion subcategories of representation category of a twisted quantum double of a finite group. We also give a characterization of group-theoretical braided fusion categories as equivariantizations of pointed categories.
We classify braided tensor categories over C of exponential growth which are quasisymmetric, i.e., the squared braiding is the identity on the product of any two simple objects. This generalizes the classification results of Deligne on symmetric categories of exponential growth, and of Drinfeld on quasitriangular quasi-Hopf algebras. In particular, we classify braided categories of exponential growth which are unipotent, i.e., those whose only simple object is the unit object. We also classify fiber functors on such categories. Finally, using the Etingof-Kazhdan quantization theory of Poisson algebraic groups, we give a classification of coconnected Hopf algebras, i.e. of unipotent categories of exponential growth with a fiber functor.
We show any slightly degenerate weakly group-theoretical fusion category admits a minimal extension. Let $d$ be a positive square-free integer, given a weakly group-theoretical non-degenerate fusion category $mathcal{C}$, assume that $text{FPdim}(mathcal{C})=nd$ and $(n,d)=1$. If $(text{FPdim}(X)^2,d)=1$ for all simple objects $X$ of $mathcal{C}$, then we show that $mathcal{C}$ contains a non-degenerate fusion subcategory $mathcal{C}(mathbb{Z}_d,q)$. In particular, we obtain that integral fusion categories of FP-dimensions $p^md$ such that $mathcal{C}subseteq text{sVec}$ are nilpotent and group-theoretical, where $p$ is a prime and $(p,d)=1$.