Lectures on Generalized Global Symmetries Principles and Applications

Introduction motivation and high level explanation of how gauge theories necessitate the understanding of new symmetry principles.- Ordinary global symmetries phases of matter and the landau paradigm explanation of the landau paradigm of the phases of matter and the reformulation of conventional global symmetries in the language of topological operators.- Higher form symmetries explanation of higher form symmetries in the language of topological operators.- Applications examples including electrodynamics non abelian gauge theory in the continuum and the lattice and goldstones theorem.- Non invertible symmetries the axial anomaly explanation of anomalies discussion of axial anomaly in terms of non-invertible symmetry.- More applied applications applications of higher form symmetries to problems in hydrodynamics.

Nabil Iqbal is a professor of mathematical and theoretical physics at Durham University. He earned his bachelor’s degree in physics and mathematics from Cornell University in 2006 and his Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2011. After completing his doctorate, he held postdoctoral positions at the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics and the University of Amsterdam. He joined Durham University as an assistant professor in 2017, was promoted to associate professor in 2020, and became a full professor in 2023.

Professor Iqbal has contributed to a wide range of topics in theoretical physics, including string theory, quantum field theory, gravity, and statistical mechanics. In recent years, his research has focused on the applications of generalized global symmetries.