T-duality simplifies bulk–boundary correspondence: the noncommutative case

Abstract

We state and prove a general result establishing that T-duality, or the Connes–Thom isomorphism, simplifies the bulk–boundary correspondence, given by a boundary map in K-theory, in the sense of converting it to a simple geometric restriction map. This settles in the affirmative several earlier conjectures of the authors and provides a clear geometric picture of the correspondence. In particular, our result holds in arbitrary spatial dimension, in both the real and complex cases, and also in the presence of disorder, magnetic fields, and H-flux. These special cases are relevant both to string theory and to the study of the quantum Hall effect and topological insulators with defects in condensed matter physics.