The oriented connected-endomorphism conjecture for the 2-sphere

Let LSO\mathbb{L}_{SO}^\otimes be the proposed oriented \infty-operad, and let Ω2Bord3SO\Omega^2\operatorname{Bord}_3^{SO} be the symmetric monoidal \infty-category of oriented 3-dimensional bordisms. Write EndΩ2Bord3SO(S2)\operatorname{End}_{\Omega^2\operatorname{Bord}_3^{SO}}^\otimes(S^2) for the oriented \infty-endomorphism operad of S2S^2, and EndΩ2Bord3SO,conn(S2)\operatorname{End}_{\Omega^2\operatorname{Bord}_3^{SO}}^{\otimes,\operatorname{conn}}(S^2) for its suboperad consisting of connected bordisms. The oriented connected-endomorphism conjecture. There is a map of \infty-operads

fSO:LSOEndΩ2Bord3SO(S2),f_{SO}:\mathbb{L}_{SO}^\otimes\to\operatorname{End}_{\Omega^2\operatorname{Bord}_3^{SO}}^\otimes(S^2),

whose image is EndΩ2Bord3SO,conn(S2)\operatorname{End}_{\Omega^2\operatorname{Bord}_3^{SO}}^{\otimes,\operatorname{conn}}(S^2), and fSOf_{SO} is an equivalence

LSOEndΩ2Bord3SO,conn(S2).\mathbb{L}_{SO}^\otimes\overset{\sim}{\to}\operatorname{End}_{\Omega^2\operatorname{Bord}_3^{SO}}^{\otimes,\operatorname{conn}}(S^2).

This would identify the proposed oriented operad with the connected part of the full oriented \infty-endomorphism operad of the 2-sphere. The source gives no resolution evidence, so the conjecture remains open.

Sources & referencesView supporting material

Primary source

Chris Li, “Topological Field Theories and the Algebraic Structures of the Two-Sphere”, arXiv:2605.20846 (2026).

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