Higher Frobenius-Schur Indicators for Pivotal Categories

Abstract

We define higher Frobenius-Schur indicators for objects in linear pivotal monoidal categories. We prove that they are category invariants, and take values in the cyclotomic integers. We also define a family of natural endomorphisms of the identity endofunctor on a $k$-linear semisimple rigid monoidal category, which we call the Frobenius-Schur endomorphisms. For a $k$-linear semisimple pivotal monoidal category -- where both notions are defined --, the Frobenius-Schur indicators can be computed as traces of the Frobenius-Schur endomorphisms.