A Cuntz algebra approach to the classification of near-group categories

Abstract

We classify $C^{\ast }$ near-group categories by using Vaughan Jones theory of subfactors and the Cuntz algebra endomorphisms. Our results show that there is a sharp contrast between two essentially different cases, integral and irrational cases. When the dimension of the unique non-invertible object is an integer, we obtain a complete classification list, and it turns out that such categories are always group theoretical. When it is irrational, we obtain explicit polynomial equations whose solutions completely classify the $C^{\ast }$ near-group categories in this class.