Hexagon cohomologies and polynomial TQFT actions

Abstract

Hexagon relations are combinatorial or algebraic realizations of four-dimensional Pachner moves. We introduce some simple set-theoretic hexagon relations and then `quantize' them using what we call `polynomial hexagon cohomologies'. Based on this, topological quantum field theories are proposed with polynomial `discrete Lagrangian densities' taking values in finite fields. First calculations of the resulting manifold invariants, arising from polynomial cocycles of degree three and in characteristic two, show their nontriviality.