Braiding statistics

Braiding statistics describe how particles called anyons behave in two-dimensional systems when they are exchanged or braided around each other. Unlike familiar particles (fermions and bosons) that simply switch or stay the same, anyons acquire a unique phase or state change based on their braiding pattern. This means their properties depend on the history of their movements rather than just their positions. These exotic behaviors are important in quantum physics and might enable robust quantum computing by encoding information in the braiding patterns of anyons, making the system resistant to errors.