Fermion path integrals and topological phases

Symmetry-protected topological (SPT) phases of matter have been interpreted in terms of anomalies, and it has been expected that a similar picture should hold for SPT phases with fermions. Here a description is given in detail of what this picture means for phases of quantum matter that can be understood via band theory and free fermions. The main examples considered are time-reversal invariant topological insulators and superconductors in two or three space dimensions. Along the way, the precise meaning of the statement that in the hulk of a 3D topological insulator, the electromagnetic theta angle is equal to n, is clarified.