On Continuous 2-Category Symmetries and Yang-Mills Theory

Abstract: We study a 4d gauge theory $U(1)^{N-1}\rtimes S_N$ obtained from a $U(1)^{N-1}$ theory by gauging a 0-form symmetry $S_N$. We show that this theory has a global continuous 2-category symmetry, whose structure is particularly rich for $N>2$. This example allows us to draw a connection between the higher gauging procedure and the difference between local and global fusion, which turns out to be a key feature of higher category symmetries. By studying the spectrum of local and extended operators, we find a mapping with gauge invariant operators of 4d $SU(N)$ Yang-Mills theory. The largest group-like subcategory of the non-invertible symmetries of our theory is a $\mathbb{Z}_N^{(1)}$ 1-form symmetry, acting on the Wilson lines in the same way as the center symmetry of Yang-Mills theory does. Supported by a path-integral argument, we propose that the $U(1)^{N-1}\rtimes S_N$ gauge theory has a relation with the ultraviolet limit of $SU(N)$ Yang-Mills theory in which all Gukov-Witten operators become topological, and form a continuous non-invertible 2-category symmetry, broken down to the center symmetry by the RG flow.