Norm, trace, and formal codegrees of fusion categories

Abstract

We prove several results in the theory of fusion categories using the product (norm) and sum (trace) of Galois conjugates of formal codegrees. First, we prove that finitely-many fusion categories exist up to equivalence whose global dimension has a fixed norm. Furthermore, with two exceptions, all formal codegrees of spherical fusion categories with square-free norm are rational integers. This implies, with three exceptions, that every spherical braided fusion category whose global dimension has prime norm is pointed. The reason exceptions occur is related to the classical Schur-Siegel-Smyth problem of describing totally positive algebraic integers of small absolute trace.