A theory of tensor products for module categories for a vertex operator algebra, III Original Research Article

This is the third part in a series of papers developing a tensor product theory for modules for a vertex operator algebra. The goal of this theory is to construct a “vertex tensor category” structure on the category of modules for a suitable vertex operator algebra. The notion of vertex tensor category is essentially a “complex analogue” of the notion of symmetric tensor category, and in fact a vertex tensor category produces a braided tensor category in a natural way. In this paper, we focus on a particular element P(z) of a certain moduli space of three-punctured Riemann spheres; in general, every element of this moduli space will give rise to a notion of tensor product, and one must consider all these notions in order to construct a vertex tensor category. Here we present the fundamental properties of the P(z)-tensor product of two modules for a vertex operator algebra. We give two constructions of a P(z)-tensor product, using the results, established in Parts I and II of this series, for a certain other element of the moduli space. The definitions and results in Parts I and II are recalled.