Introduction to Conformal Field Theory

Size: px
Start display at page:

Download "Introduction to Conformal Field Theory"

Transcription

1 March 993 Introduction to Conformal Field Theory Suresh Govindarajan The Institute of Mathematical Sciences C. I. T. Campus, Taramani Madras Abstract In these lectures, we provide a introduction to Conformal Field Theory with applications to Condensed Matter Physics in mind. More directly, these provide the background information one would need for the lectures given by P. Durganandini in this Workshop. Hence these are not comprehensive. The interested reader is directed to some of the more elaborate reviews on the subject[3, 4]. Introduction Second order phase transitions occur in a large number of (statistical mechanical) systems. At second order phase transitions, the first derivatives of like Magnetisation, Entropy, etc. are continuous. However, higher derivatives exhibit discontinuity. Examples of such systems are gas-liquid phase transition; paramagnetic-ferromagnetic phase transition. At such phase transitions one observes large scale correlations. In the gas-liquid system, this(i.e., the increase in correlation length) leads to the phenomenon of critical opalescence regions the size of microns which is comparable to the wavelength of visible light are seen to fluctuate coherently. At such phase transitions, the most important features are captured by a small number of parameters(fields). These are called the order parameter(s). In the gas-liquid system, the order parameter is the liquid density; in the ferromagnet the order parameter is the spin density. Let φ(x) be a generic order parameter and δφ φ(x) φ(x), be the fluctuation of the order parameter about its mean value. Away from the critical point, one has δφ(x) δφ(0) e x ξ () where ξ is the correlation length. The above is no longer true at the critical point. The correlation length diverges, i.e., ξ L, where L is the length of the system. The two point correlation function is governed by a power law behaviour δφ(x) δφ(0) x (D 2+η). (2) Talk presented at the Workshop on Low dimensional field theories at the Institute of Mathematical Sciences during Feb. 8-3, 993. Address from September 993: Theoretical Physics Group, TIFR, Bombay

2 The divergence of ξ at the critical point implies that the system is scale invariant. In other words, physical quantities do not depend on the length scale chosen. Evidence, for this is the wide range of systems(and temperature) where the gasliquid phase transition has a similar behaviour. The relevant physical quantities are given by the so-called scaling fields. Examples of scaling fields are the spin-density σ and the energy density ε in the 2D Ising Model. Scaling transformations are given by the following x µ λ x µ (3) Under the above transformation, the scaling fields transform as φ(x) λ φ(x) (4) where is referred to as the scaling dimension of the field φ. Polyakov[] conjectured that systems(with assumptions such as isotropy and possibly locality of interactions) exhibiting scale invariance in 2D possess a symmetry larger than simple scaling. This symmetry group is called the conformal group. 2 Conformal Invariance Conformal transformations are those general coordinate transformations which preserve the form of the metric up to an overall scaling. Such transformations keep angles invariant and hence they are called conformal. Under coordinate transformations, x µ x µ (x), the metric transforms as g µν g µν = xσ x µ x τ x ν g στ (5) The above transformation is obtained from the tensorial properties on the metric(it is a second rank tensor). However, only those transformations for which g µν = Ω(x)g µν, (6) are conformal. Note that a generic coordinate transformation is not conformal. 2. Conformal Invariance for D > 2 The set of conformal transformations are obtained by solving the set of differential equations corresponding to the following Ω(x)g µν = xσ x µ x τ x ν g στ, (7) 2

3 where µ, ν =,..., D. Please see [3] for a derivation of the complete set of conformal transformations. In this lecture, I will just give the results. The set of conformal transformations are. The Poincaré Group(Translations and Rotations): x µ x µ = x µ + a µ (8) x µ x µ = Λ µ ν x ν (9) where a µ is a constant vector and Λ µ ν is a constant matrix which belongs to SO(D)(for Euclidean case) or SO(D, ). As can trivially be seen, for these two cases, the metric remains the same(i.e., Ω = ). 2. Scaling: Here Ω = λ 2. x µ x µ = λx µ (0) 3. Special Conformal Transformations: In addition to the above trivial set of conformal transformations, one has another transformation parametrised by a constant vector b µ given by x µ x µ = x µ + b µ x 2 + 2b x + b 2 x 2. () Exercise: Show that this transformation is conformal with Ω = ( + 2b x + b 2 x 2 ) 2. The number of parameters of the conformal group is (D + )(D + 2)(= D + 2 (D )D++D). For the case of D = 4, the conformal group is 5 dimensional. 2 Also, this group is a global group since all the parameters are independent of the coordinates. 2.2 Conformal Invariance in 2 dimensions and the Virasoro Algebra In this subsection, we shall move to the special case of D = 2. Unlike other dimensions, where the conformal group is finite dimensional and global, in 2D, it is local as well as infinite dimensional. As you will soon see, the condition for a transformation to be conformal is the same as the Cauchy-Riemann condition for an analytic function. Since there are an infinite number of analytic functions on the plane, this implies that the conformal group is infinite dimensional. To illustrate this, we shall choose the metric to be the flat Minkowski one with coordinates t, x on an infinite strip of length L. Also assume that periodic boundary conditions x = x + L have been imposed. This makes the strip into We shall choose the metric g µν = η µν = diag(,..., ) (for the Euclidean case) or diag(,,..., ) (for the Minkowski case) for the rest of the section. 3

4 an infinite cylinder. Let v be the velocity of light(or that of the elementary excitations in the context of condensed matter physics). Consider the infinitesimal coordinate transformation, x µ x µ = x µ + ɛ µ (x) (2) Substituting the above transformation in (5), we obtain δg µν = µ ɛ ν + ν ɛ µ = Cη µν (3) To simplify the above equation, we choose the following coordinate system define complex coordinates on the strip by w = 2π (vt + i x). In this coordinate L system, the metric is given by η ww = η w w = 0 η w w =. Equation (2) for µ = ν = w implies w ɛ w = 0. (4) This implies that ɛ w ɛ(w) is a purely holomorphic function of w. Similarly, one can show that ɛ w ɛ. Let us consider an example of such a conformal transformation. Consider the following transformation w z = e w. (5) This maps the infinite cylinder onto the infinite plane with the origin deleted. Constant time lines are circles centered at the origin. The time coordinate on the cylinder is now mapped on to the radial coordinate on the plane. See figure. As we have just seen, the set of conformal transformations in D = 2 is given by the set of two functions ɛ(w) and ɛ( w). Expanding these arbitrary functions in the basis of holomorphic functions on the plane ɛ = ɛ n z (n+), (6) n= where ɛ n are the infinite set of parameters of the set of holomorphic transformations. These transformations are generated by the set of holomorphic vector fields given by l n z n+. The commutator(lie Bracket) of these form the z Virasoro algebra [l n, l m ] = (n m)l n+m (7) Similarly, one obtains for the anti-holomorphic part Remarks: [ l n, l m ] = (n m) l n+m (8). l 0, l ±, l 0 and l ± generate the SL(2, C) which is the global conformal group. It is an interesting exercise to check that the vector fields which generate this group are well defined globally on the sphere(i.e., they do not blow up at either 0 or ). Along with l 0, l ±, these generate the SL(2, C). 4

5 2. H (l 0 + l 0 ) is the generator of translations on the cylinder and hence is identified with the Hamiltonian. P (l 0 l 0 ) generates space translations on the cylinder and is identified with the momentum. (On the sphere, however, the H generates radial translations while P generates rotations.) 3. For a conformally invariant system the symmetry algebra is V ir V ir. The generator of general coordinate transformations is called the energy momentum tensor (or stress tensor). It is defined by the Noether construction (of currents) as follows δs = d 2 x T µν ( µ ɛ ν + ν ɛ µ ) (9) 2π where δx µ = ɛ µ is an infinitesimal general coordinate transformation. Note that with our definition, the energy momentum tensor is symmetric in its indices (T µν = T νµ ). For scale transformations, ɛ µ = λ x µ. Under this the action varies as δs λ 2 T µν g µν. This implies that for scale invariant theories, tr(t µν ) (T µν g µν = 0). It follows that the energy-momentum tensor has only two nonzero components T T ww and T T w w. The equations of motion for the energy-momentum tensor are µ T µν = 0 (20) For scale invariant theories, this becomes w T = 0 = T = T (w) Similarly, T = T ( w). Tµν is almost a second rank tensor under conformal transformations w f(w). Its transformation is given by T (w) ( f) 2 T (f(w)) + c {f, w}, (2) 2 where {f, w} f 3 ( f ) 2 is the Schwarzian derivative. The constant c is called f 2 f the central charge. When c = 0, notice that the above transformation is that of a tensor of rank 2. Consider the example of conformal transformation from the cylinder to the plane given above, z = e w, here f = e w. We have {f, w} = 3 2 = 2 ; ( f) 2 = e 2w = z 2, which implies that T cyl (w) = z 2 T plane (z) c. (22) 24 The central charge c is related to finite size scaling effects and will be discussed in Durganandini s lectures. See also [5]. 5

6 2.3 Tensors in two dimensions The simplest example of a tensor is a vector V µ. In D 2 dimensions, vectors are irreducible under Lorentz transformations, i.e., the components of the vector mix under Lorentz transformations. But in the case of D = 2, the Lorentz group is SO(, )(or SO(2) in the Euclidean case) which is abelian. Here vectors are reducible. In the complex coordinates w, w, the coordinates w and w do not mix. Hence the components of a vector V w and V w are independent components which do not mix under Lorentz transformations. Under conformal transformations the two vectors transform as V w ( w f)v w (f(w), f( w)) V w ( w f)v w (f(w), f( w)) (23) From this it is easy to generalise to the case of an arbitrary tensor Aw... w }{{} m } w.{{.. w ( } w f) m ( w f) m A(f(w), f( w)) (24) m where the tensor A has m w indices and m w indices. Since the Lorentz group is abelian, we relax the condition that (m, m) be integers. We shall call these tensors Primary Fields of weight (h +, h ). We shall represent the primary field by Φ h +,h with the following transformation Φ h +,h (w) ( wf) h+ ( w f) h Φ(f, f). (25) (h + + h ) is the scaling dimension of the primary field Φ and (h + h ) is called the spin of the primary field. However, for most examples the spin of all primary fields is taken to be half-integer even though this is not a necessary condition in two dimensions. In the Ising model, the energy density, ε, is a primary field with h + = h =. This implies that the scaling dimension of ε is and its spin is 0. 2 Primary fields play a special role in any conformally invariant theory. As we shall see soon, the correlation functions involving primary fields are sufficient to determine all other correlation functions. 2.4 Restrictions on Correlations Functions due to Conformal Invariance Consider the set of primary fields of a CFT labelled by Φ i with conformal dimensions h + i, h i ) in obvious notation. Under conformal transformations, z = f(w), we demand that the correlation functions of these Primary fields satisfy the following Φ i (w, w )Φ i2 (w 2, w 2 )... Φ i (w n, w n ) ( ) h + ( ) f i h ( ) i f h + ( ) f i h ( ) 2 i f 2 h + ( ) h f in in f =... w w w 2 w 2 w n w n Φ i (z, z )Φ i2 (z 2, z 2 )... Φ i (z n, z n ) (26) 6

7 This imposes non-trivial restrictions on the form of various correlation functions. We shall list some of them (i) Two-Point Correlation Function { 0 ; h ± Φ (z ) Φ 2 (z 2 ) = h ± 2 c 2 (z z 2 ) 2h+ ( z z 2 ) 2h ; h ± = h± 2 h±, (27) where c 2 is a constant. This can be shown by considering conformal transformations which form the SL(2, C) subgroup of the Virasoro algebra. (Note that this result is true in all dimensions since it only uses the global part of the conformal group.) For example, this implies since h + = 2 and h = 0. 2 T (z ) T (z 2 ) = (ii) Three-Point Correlation Function Φ (z ) Φ 2 (z 2 ) Φ 3 (z 3 ) c/2 (z z 2 ) 4 (28) = c 23 (z z 2 ) h+ 3 h+ h+ 2 (z2 z 3 ) h+ h+ 2 h+ 3 (z3 z ) h+ 2 h+ 3 h+ ( z z 2 ) h 3 h h 2 ( z2 z 3 ) h h 2 h 3 ( z3 z ) h 2 h 3 h (29) Again, this can be shown by using only the global subgroup of the Virasoro algebra. The c 23 are called structure constants. Exercise: Verify that (27) and (29) transform as given in (26) under the global conformal group i.e., choose f = λz, z. (iii) Four-Point Correlation Function = f(x, x) i<j Φ (z ) Φ 2 (z 2 ) Φ 3 (z 3 ) Φ 4 (z 2 ) (z i z j ) h+ h + i h+ j ( z i z j ) h h i h j, (30) where h ± 4 i= h± i and the cross-ratio x (z z 2 )(z 3 z 4 ) (z z 3 )(z 2 z 4 ). So far we have discussed primary fields (operators) in a CFT. However, they are not the only fields in a CFT. Corresponding to every primary field one can construct an infinite set of operators, which are called secondaries or descendants. For example, if Φ is a primary field, higher derivatives like z n Φ are secondaries 2 The astute reader may object that T (z) is not a primary field and hence the result for primary fields in (27) may not be valid. However, the proof of (27) only SL(2, C) invariance of the the energy-momentum tensor. 7

8 over the primary field Φ. Correlation functions involving secondaries can always be reduced those involving primary fields (for e.g. by pulling out the derivatives out of the correlation function for the examples given earlier). We shall now describe a simple way of obtaining/classifying all secondaries over a primary field. For this, we shall make use of the operator state correspondence which exists in any CFT. By this we mean that corresponding to every operator, one can construct a state. 0 vacuum Φ Φ lim z 0 Φ(z) 0, (3) where z are complex coordinates on the infinite plane. We shall now construct the secondaries. First, expand the stress-tensor in modes T (z) = + n= The L n s satisfy the Virasoro Algebra with central charge L n z n 2. (32) [L n, L m ] = (n m)l n+m + c 2 (n3 n)δ n+m,0. (33) (Compare with [l n, l m ] = (n m)l n+m.) The above algebra is expected since the stress-tensor is the generator of all conformal transformations. The central charge reflects the facts that matter fields correspond to projective representations of the conformal group, i.e., there is always an arbitrariness in the phase of a state. The Virasoro algebra provides us with a nice way to arrange all secondaries as a part of a multiplet. We shall illustrate this using SU(2). SU(2) has three generators: J ±, J 3 with the usual commutation relations. Consider a spin j representation, which we shall label as follows J 2 j, m = j(j + ) j, m J 3 j, m = m j, m, where m = j,..., (j ), j and J 2 is the quadratic Casimir. We shall define SU(2) primary states as follows J + ψ = 0 ; J 3 ψ = j ψ. (34) Here, ψ = j, j is obviously an SU(2) primary. The rest of the multiplet (SU(2) secondaries) can be constructed by using the lowering operator J. (J ) n j, j j, j n. (35) However, one can check that for n = 2j +, the state ξ (J ) 2j+ ψ is such that J + ξ = 0. (36) 8

9 This implies that ξ is primary as well as a secondary. Such states are called null states. However, ξ ξ = 0 ; ξ ψ = 0. (37) Hence, on sets ξ = 0. Thus we are left with the usual irreducible multiplet with (2j + ) entries. This procedure which we have employed to obtain an irrep of SU(2) works for any Lie algebra. The Virasoro multiplet is constructed in identical fashion except that the Virasoro algebra has infinite generators. But we can nevertheless group them as follows Virasoro primaries are defined by J + {L +n n > 0} J {L n n > 0} J 3 L 0. (38) L +n Φ = 0 n > 0 L 0 Φ = h + ψ, (39) where h + is the conformal dimension of the operator Φ. The Virasoro secondaries are constructed by L Φ ; L 0 eigenvalue = h + + L 2 Φ ; (L ) 2 Φ ; L 0 eigenvalue = h + +. L n Φ ;... ; (L ) n Φ ; L 0 eigenvalue = h + + n (40) Again, to obtain an irreducible representation of the Virasoro algebra, all null states must be set to zero. A similar construction exists for the anti-holomorphic sector. 2.5 Ingredients for a CFT In this subsection, I will briefly describe the essential ingredients of a CFT. Most of the terms have been introduced in the earlier part. (i) The central charge c. ) are the con- (ii) The spectrum of Primary Operators Φ h+ i,h i i formal dimensions of the primary field. where (h + i, h i (iii) The structure constants (which are related to the three-point functions of primary operators). 9

10 The 2-d Ising model at its critical point is an example of a CFT. It has three primary operators, the identity with h + = h = 0, the spin field σ with h + = h = and the energy density ε with 6 h+ = h =. It has central charge 2 c =. This is the first in an infinite set of unitary CFT s with c < which were 2 independently discovered by Huse[6] and Friedan, Qui and Shenker[7]. They have a finite number of primary fields and have central charges labelled by an integer p, c = 6 with p > 2. p = 4 corresponds to the tricritical Ising model and p(p+) p = 5 the 3-state Potts model. 3 c = Theories On the cylinder, a massless and free scalar field is described by the action S cyl = v L dt L 0 dσ µ φ µ φ. (4) The field φ(t, σ) is assumed to take values on the real line R (hence it is sometimes referred to as a non-compact scalar field). On mapping it to the sphere, we obtain S sphere = d 2 z φ φ, (42) 2π where z and z. The equation of motion (i.e., the Euler-Lagrange equation) for the field φ is φ = 0 (43) Solving for φ(z, z), we obtain φ(z, z) = 2 (φ L(z) + φ R ( z)). (44) For simplicity, for the rest of the paper, we shall refer to φ L φ and φ R φ. The holomorphic part of the scalar field can now be expanded in terms of its modes as φ(z) = q + p ln z + a n n zn. (45) n 0 Imposing the canonical commutation relation for the field φ, we obtain [a n, a m ] = n δ n+m,0, Also a 0 p. Similarly, [q, p] =. (46) φ( z) = q + p ln z + n 0 0 ā n n zn.

11 The vacuum is defined by a n 0 = ā n 0 = 0 for n 0. (47) We shall now give two examples of primary fields. (i) The operator exp(iαφ) is another example of a primary field. It is usually referred to as a vertex operator. As is usual one has to provide an ordering prescription to define composite operators. We shall denote this prescription by : :. (ii) : e iαφ : exp(iα n>0 a n n z n ) e iαq z iαp exp( iα a n n zn ) (48) n>0 The normal ordering prescription is to move all the a n s (for n 0) to the right. One can show This implies that : e iαφ(z) : : e iαφ(z ) : e iαφ(z) : : e iαφ(z ) : = (z z ) α2 : e iαφ(z)+iαφ(z ) : (49) (z z ) α2. (50) From the above two-point function, we can now extract the conformal dimension of the operator : e iαφ. We obtain h + = 2 α2. φ(z) φ(z ) = (z z ) 2, (5) from which we obtain that the conformal dimension of the operator φ is h + =. One can obtain the above results using OPE s(operator Product Expansion). The propagator for the scalar field can be shown to be φ(z)φ(z ) = ln (z z ) a. (52) where a is a short-distance cutoff. Note that the usual time-ordering prescription (of Quantum Field Theory) for the cylinder becomes radial-ordering on the plane. (Equal time contours on the plane are circles around the origin in the complex z-plane.)

12 : e iαφ(z) :: e iαφ(z ) : = ( + iαφ(z) +...)( + iαφ(z ) +...) = α 2 φ(z)φ(z ) +... = e α2 ln(z z ) e iαφ(z)+iαφ(z ) = e iαφ(z)+iαφ(z ) (z z ) α2 (53) Using the definition of the energy-momentum tensor, one can derive Now let us compute the following OPE T (z) T zz (z) = 2 : ( zφ) : 2 (54) T (z) T (z ) = 2 : ( zφ) : 2 2 : ( z φ) :2 Using the normal rules of Wick contraction, we obtain = 4 (2) ( zφ z φ ) (2)(2) zφ z φ z φ z φ + 4 ( zφ) 2 ( z φ) 2, where the factors of 2 are combinatorial factors. This can be rewritten as T (z)t (z ) = /2 (z z ) (z z ) T 2 (z ) + (z z ) z T (z ) +..., (55) where the ellipsis refers to terms which are non-singular as z z. This implies that T (z)t (z ) = /2 (z z ) 4 (56) where we have assumed T (z) = 0 on the plane. Comparing with equation (28), we obtain c =. Hence the central charge of a scalar field is. Let us define the following U() current J 3 (z) i φ. (57) We have just seen that φ is a primary field of dimension one. Hence J 3 is a dimension one primary field. One can show that J 3 (z) e iαφ(z ) α (z z ) eiαφ(z ) (58) The charge associated with the current J 3 is defined through the contour integral Q J 3 (z) over an appropriately chosen contour. From eqn. (58), we can extract the charge of the vertex operator e iαφ. Choose the contour to be centred around z. Then the residue is α. This can be written as [Q, e iαφ ] = αe iαφ. Hence, 2

13 we can see that Q behaves as a U() charge with J 3 being the corresponding current. Charge conservation follows from z J 3 (z) = i φ = 0. Finally, the OPE J 3 (z) J 3 (z ) (z z ) +..., (59) 2 This implies that the charge Q satisfies the U() algebra [Q, Q] = 0. Also notice that the energy-momentum tensor can be obtained as T (z) = 2 : ( φ)2 := 2 : (J 3 (z)) 2 :. (60) Eqns. (59) and (60) are a simple example of a Kac-Moody current Algebra[8]. This corresponds to a larger symmetry group than the usual conformal group. Expanding J 3 (z) in modes as J 3 (z) = n z n Jn 3, the OPE (59) implies the following commutation relations for the modes [J 3 n, J 3 m ] = nδ n+m,0. (6) Notice that (6) is the infinite-dimensional generalisation of [Q, Q] = 0 where Q = J0 3. Just as the conformal group enables one to impose restrictions on the correlation functions, the extra symmetry due to the current algebra gives extras restrictions in addition to those coming from the conformal symmetry. In our example, here, only those correlations which are charge conserving are non-vanishing. 3. Generic Features of CFT s Given a conformal field theory, its energy-momentum tensor has the following OPE T (z)t (z ) = c/2 (z z ) (z z ) T 2 (z ) + (z z ) z T (z ) +..., (62) where the ellipsis refers to terms which are non-singular as z z. Primary fields have the following OPE T (z)φ h +(z ) = h + (z z ) Φ 2 h +(z ) + (z z ) z Φ h +(z ) +..., (63) where the ellipsis refers to terms which are non-singular as z z and h + refers to the conformal dimension of the primary field Φ. Exercise: Check that e iαφ and φ satisfy the above OPE with h + = 2 α2, respectively. 3

14 3.2 Compact Scalar Field For the non-compact scalar field, the spectrum of primary fields is given by e i α(φ L(z)+φ R ( z) ; h + = h = 2 α2, (64) where α is an arbitrary constant. The currents J 3 = i φ ( J 3 = i φ) provide a U() U() symmetry. However, for the case of a compact scalar field, one obtains a different spectrum. What is a compact scalar? Suppose φ(z, z) takes values on a circle of radius R i.e., φ = φ + 2πR. 3 In such cases, what is the spectrum of primary operators? We shall begin with the most general vertex operator e i α L φ L + i α R φ R. (a) Requiring that the operator be single valued under φ φ + 2πR, we obtain (α L + α R ) = m R, (b) Requiring that the field φ(z, z) be single valued in the presence of a vertex operator gives the condition where n is an integer. 2 (α L α R ) = nr, Putting the two conditions together, we obtain α L = m 2R + nr ; α R = m nr. (65) 2R The above gives us the spectrum of primary operators for the case of a compact scalar field. n = 0 correspond to momentum modes and m = 0 correspond to winding modes. The spectrum at radius R is the same as that at radius. Under this change, momentum and winding modes get interchanged and the 2R spectrum remains invariant. The various c = theories have been studied and classified by Ginsparg. See [9, 0] for more details. References [] A. M. Polyakov, JETP Letters 2, (970) 38. [2] A. A. Belavin, A. M. Polyakov and A. B. Zamolodchikov, Nuc. Phys. B24 (984) The central charge is obviously the same irrespective of the radius. 4

15 [3] P. Ginsparg in Les Houches summer school 988 appeared in Fields, Strings and Critical Phenomena, ed. E. Breźin and J. Zinn-Justin, Elseiver Science Publishers(989). See also J. L. Cardy s lectures. Ginsparg has posted his lectures on the arxiv as hep-th/ [4] A. Sen, Pramana - J. Phys., Vol. 35(990) [5] J. L. Cardy, J. Phys. A7 (984) L385-L387. I. Affleck, Phys. Rev. Lett. 56(986) [6] D. A. Huse, Phys. Rev. B30 (984) [7] D. Friedan, Z. Qui and S. Shenker, Phys. Rev. Lett. 52 (984) 575. [8] P. Goddard and D. Olive, Int. J. of Mod. Phys. A (986) 303. [9] P. Ginsparg, Nuc. Phys. B295 (988) [0] R. Dijkgraaf, E. Verlinde and H. Verlinde, Commun. Math. Phys. 5 (988)

Virasoro and Kac-Moody Algebra

Virasoro and Kac-Moody Algebra Virasoro and Kac-Moody Algebra Di Xu UCSC Di Xu (UCSC) Virasoro and Kac-Moody Algebra 2015/06/11 1 / 24 Outline Mathematical Description Conformal Symmetry in dimension d > 3 Conformal Symmetry in dimension

More information

The Conformal Algebra

The Conformal Algebra The Conformal Algebra Dana Faiez June 14, 2017 Outline... Conformal Transformation/Generators 2D Conformal Algebra Global Conformal Algebra and Mobius Group Conformal Field Theory 2D Conformal Field Theory

More information

Lecture A2. conformal field theory

Lecture A2. conformal field theory Lecture A conformal field theory Killing vector fields The sphere S n is invariant under the group SO(n + 1). The Minkowski space is invariant under the Poincaré group, which includes translations, rotations,

More information

Special Conformal Invariance

Special Conformal Invariance Chapter 6 Special Conformal Invariance Conformal transformation on the d-dimensional flat space-time manifold M is an invertible mapping of the space-time coordinate x x x the metric tensor invariant up

More information

1 Unitary representations of the Virasoro algebra

1 Unitary representations of the Virasoro algebra Week 5 Reading material from the books Polchinski, Chapter 2, 15 Becker, Becker, Schwartz, Chapter 3 Ginspargs lectures, Chapters 3, 4 1 Unitary representations of the Virasoro algebra Now that we have

More information

Quantum Field Theory II

Quantum Field Theory II Quantum Field Theory II T. Nguyen PHY 391 Independent Study Term Paper Prof. S.G. Rajeev University of Rochester April 2, 218 1 Introduction The purpose of this independent study is to familiarize ourselves

More information

Exercise 1 Classical Bosonic String

Exercise 1 Classical Bosonic String Exercise 1 Classical Bosonic String 1. The Relativistic Particle The action describing a free relativistic point particle of mass m moving in a D- dimensional Minkowski spacetime is described by ) 1 S

More information

Conformal Field Theory (w/ string theory and criticality)

Conformal Field Theory (w/ string theory and criticality) Conformal Field Theory (w/ string theory and criticality) Oct 26, 2009 @ MIT CFT s application Points of view from RG and QFT in d-dimensions in 2-dimensions N point func in d-dim OPE, stress tensor and

More information

8.821 String Theory Fall 2008

8.821 String Theory Fall 2008 MIT OpenCourseWare http://ocw.mit.edu 8.8 String Theory Fall 008 For information about citing these materials or our Terms of Use, visit: http://ocw.mit.edu/terms. 8.8 F008 Lecture 0: CFTs in D > Lecturer:

More information

HIGHER SPIN CORRECTIONS TO ENTANGLEMENT ENTROPY

HIGHER SPIN CORRECTIONS TO ENTANGLEMENT ENTROPY HIGHER SPIN CORRECTIONS TO ENTANGLEMENT ENTROPY JHEP 1406 (2014) 096, Phys.Rev. D90 (2014) 4, 041903 with Shouvik Datta ( IISc), Michael Ferlaino, S. Prem Kumar (Swansea U. ) JHEP 1504 (2015) 041 with

More information

8.821 String Theory Fall 2008

8.821 String Theory Fall 2008 MIT OpenCourseWare http://ocw.mit.edu 8.81 String Theory Fall 008 For information about citing these materials or our Terms of Use, visit: http://ocw.mit.edu/terms. 8.81 F008 Lecture 11: CFT continued;

More information

Geometry and Physics. Amer Iqbal. March 4, 2010

Geometry and Physics. Amer Iqbal. March 4, 2010 March 4, 2010 Many uses of Mathematics in Physics The language of the physical world is mathematics. Quantitative understanding of the world around us requires the precise language of mathematics. Symmetries

More information

When we do rescalings by some factor g µν (x) exp(2σ(x))g µν (x) it would be nice if the operator transforms in a convenient way:

When we do rescalings by some factor g µν (x) exp(2σ(x))g µν (x) it would be nice if the operator transforms in a convenient way: Week 4 Reading material from the books Polchinski, Chapter 2 Becker, Becker, Schwartz, Chapter 3 1 Conformal field theory So far, we have seen that the string theory can be described as a quantum field

More information

8.821 F2008 Lecture 09: Preview of Strings in N = 4 SYM; Hierarchy of Scaling dimensions; Conformal Symmetry in QFT

8.821 F2008 Lecture 09: Preview of Strings in N = 4 SYM; Hierarchy of Scaling dimensions; Conformal Symmetry in QFT 8.821 F2008 Lecture 09: Preview of Strings in N = 4 SYM; Hierarchy of Scaling dimensions; Conformal Symmetry in QFT Lecturer: McGreevy Scribe: Tarun Grover October 8, 2008 1 Emergence of Strings from Gauge

More information

Quantum Field Theory Notes. Ryan D. Reece

Quantum Field Theory Notes. Ryan D. Reece Quantum Field Theory Notes Ryan D. Reece November 27, 2007 Chapter 1 Preliminaries 1.1 Overview of Special Relativity 1.1.1 Lorentz Boosts Searches in the later part 19th century for the coordinate transformation

More information

Conformal Field Theory with Two Kinds of Bosonic Fields and Two Linear Dilatons

Conformal Field Theory with Two Kinds of Bosonic Fields and Two Linear Dilatons Brazilian Journal of Physics, vol. 40, no. 4, December, 00 375 Conformal Field Theory with Two Kinds of Bosonic Fields and Two Linear Dilatons Davoud Kamani Faculty of Physics, Amirkabir University of

More information

Special classical solutions: Solitons

Special classical solutions: Solitons Special classical solutions: Solitons by Suresh Govindarajan, Department of Physics, IIT Madras September 25, 2014 The Lagrangian density for a single scalar field is given by L = 1 2 µφ µ φ Uφ), 1) where

More information

Coset CFTs, high spin sectors and non-abelian T-duality

Coset CFTs, high spin sectors and non-abelian T-duality Coset CFTs, high spin sectors and non-abelian T-duality Konstadinos Sfetsos Department of Engineering Sciences, University of Patras, GREECE GGI, Firenze, 30 September 2010 Work with A.P. Polychronakos

More information

Attempts at relativistic QM

Attempts at relativistic QM Attempts at relativistic QM based on S-1 A proper description of particle physics should incorporate both quantum mechanics and special relativity. However historically combining quantum mechanics and

More information

Lorentz-covariant spectrum of single-particle states and their field theory Physics 230A, Spring 2007, Hitoshi Murayama

Lorentz-covariant spectrum of single-particle states and their field theory Physics 230A, Spring 2007, Hitoshi Murayama Lorentz-covariant spectrum of single-particle states and their field theory Physics 30A, Spring 007, Hitoshi Murayama 1 Poincaré Symmetry In order to understand the number of degrees of freedom we need

More information

Introduction to Modern Quantum Field Theory

Introduction to Modern Quantum Field Theory Department of Mathematics University of Texas at Arlington Arlington, TX USA Febuary, 2016 Recall Einstein s famous equation, E 2 = (Mc 2 ) 2 + (c p) 2, where c is the speed of light, M is the classical

More information

An Inverse Mass Expansion for Entanglement Entropy. Free Massive Scalar Field Theory

An Inverse Mass Expansion for Entanglement Entropy. Free Massive Scalar Field Theory in Free Massive Scalar Field Theory NCSR Demokritos National Technical University of Athens based on arxiv:1711.02618 [hep-th] in collaboration with Dimitris Katsinis March 28 2018 Entanglement and Entanglement

More information

Symmetries, Groups, and Conservation Laws

Symmetries, Groups, and Conservation Laws Chapter Symmetries, Groups, and Conservation Laws The dynamical properties and interactions of a system of particles and fields are derived from the principle of least action, where the action is a 4-dimensional

More information

Conformal Field Theory and Statistical Mechanics

Conformal Field Theory and Statistical Mechanics Conformal Field Theory and Statistical Mechanics John Cardy July 2008 Lectures given at the Summer School on Exact methods in low-dimensional statistical physics and quantum computing, les Houches, July

More information

Introduction to Group Theory

Introduction to Group Theory Chapter 10 Introduction to Group Theory Since symmetries described by groups play such an important role in modern physics, we will take a little time to introduce the basic structure (as seen by a physicist)

More information

Higher-Spin Black Holes and Generalised FZZ Duality

Higher-Spin Black Holes and Generalised FZZ Duality Higher-Spin Black Holes and Generalised FZZ Duality Batsheva de Rothschild Seminar on Innovative Aspects of String Theory, Ein Bokek, Israel, 28 February 2006 Based on: Anindya Mukherjee, SM and Ari Pakman,

More information

Correlation Functions of Conserved Currents in Four Dimensional Conformal Field Theory with Higher Spin Symmetry

Correlation Functions of Conserved Currents in Four Dimensional Conformal Field Theory with Higher Spin Symmetry Bulg. J. Phys. 40 (2013) 147 152 Correlation Functions of Conserved Currents in Four Dimensional Conformal Field Theory with Higher Spin Symmetry Ya.S. Stanev INFN Sezione di Roma Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome,

More information

Symmetries, Groups Theory and Lie Algebras in Physics

Symmetries, Groups Theory and Lie Algebras in Physics Symmetries, Groups Theory and Lie Algebras in Physics M.M. Sheikh-Jabbari Symmetries have been the cornerstone of modern physics in the last century. Symmetries are used to classify solutions to physical

More information

Continuity Equations and the Energy-Momentum Tensor

Continuity Equations and the Energy-Momentum Tensor Physics 4 Lecture 8 Continuity Equations and the Energy-Momentum Tensor Lecture 8 Physics 4 Classical Mechanics II October 8th, 007 We have finished the definition of Lagrange density for a generic space-time

More information

1 Covariant quantization of the Bosonic string

1 Covariant quantization of the Bosonic string Covariant quantization of the Bosonic string The solution of the classical string equations of motion for the open string is X µ (σ) = x µ + α p µ σ 0 + i α n 0 where (α µ n) = α µ n.and the non-vanishing

More information

Contact interactions in string theory and a reformulation of QED

Contact interactions in string theory and a reformulation of QED Contact interactions in string theory and a reformulation of QED James Edwards QFT Seminar November 2014 Based on arxiv:1409.4948 [hep-th] and arxiv:1410.3288 [hep-th] Outline Introduction Worldline formalism

More information

2D CFT and the Ising Model

2D CFT and the Ising Model 2D CFT and the Ising Model Alex Atanasov December 27, 207 Abstract In this lecture, we review the results of Appendix E from the seminal paper by Belavin, Polyakov, and Zamolodchikov on the critical scaling

More information

8.821 String Theory Fall 2008

8.821 String Theory Fall 2008 MIT OpenCourseWare http://ocw.mit.edu 8.81 String Theory Fall 008 For information about citing these materials or our Terms of Use, visit: http://ocw.mit.edu/terms. 8.81 F008 Lecture 1: Boundary of AdS;

More information

arxiv:hep-th/ v1 15 Aug 2000

arxiv:hep-th/ v1 15 Aug 2000 hep-th/0008120 IPM/P2000/026 Gauged Noncommutative Wess-Zumino-Witten Models arxiv:hep-th/0008120v1 15 Aug 2000 Amir Masoud Ghezelbash,,1, Shahrokh Parvizi,2 Department of Physics, Az-zahra University,

More information

Symmetries, Horizons, and Black Hole Entropy. Steve Carlip U.C. Davis

Symmetries, Horizons, and Black Hole Entropy. Steve Carlip U.C. Davis Symmetries, Horizons, and Black Hole Entropy Steve Carlip U.C. Davis UC Davis June 2007 Black holes behave as thermodynamic objects T = κ 2πc S BH = A 4 G Quantum ( ) and gravitational (G) Does this thermodynamic

More information

Introduction to String Theory Prof. Dr. Lüst

Introduction to String Theory Prof. Dr. Lüst Introduction to String Theory Prof. Dr. Lüst Summer 2006 Assignment # 7 Due: July 3, 2006 NOTE: Assignments #6 and #7 have been posted at the same time, so please check the due dates and make sure that

More information

Applications of AdS/CFT correspondence to cold atom physics

Applications of AdS/CFT correspondence to cold atom physics Applications of AdS/CFT correspondence to cold atom physics Sergej Moroz in collaboration with Carlos Fuertes ITP, Heidelberg Outline Basics of AdS/CFT correspondence Schrödinger group and correlation

More information

Very quick introduction to the conformal group and cft

Very quick introduction to the conformal group and cft CHAPTER 1 Very quick introduction to the conformal group and cft The world of Conformal field theory is big and, like many theories in physics, it can be studied in many ways which may seem very confusing

More information

Lecture 10: A (Brief) Introduction to Group Theory (See Chapter 3.13 in Boas, 3rd Edition)

Lecture 10: A (Brief) Introduction to Group Theory (See Chapter 3.13 in Boas, 3rd Edition) Lecture 0: A (Brief) Introduction to Group heory (See Chapter 3.3 in Boas, 3rd Edition) Having gained some new experience with matrices, which provide us with representations of groups, and because symmetries

More information

arxiv:hep-th/ v1 10 Apr 2006

arxiv:hep-th/ v1 10 Apr 2006 Gravitation with Two Times arxiv:hep-th/0604076v1 10 Apr 2006 W. Chagas-Filho Departamento de Fisica, Universidade Federal de Sergipe SE, Brazil February 1, 2008 Abstract We investigate the possibility

More information

Hamiltonian Dynamics from Lie Poisson Brackets

Hamiltonian Dynamics from Lie Poisson Brackets 1 Hamiltonian Dynamics from Lie Poisson Brackets Jean-Luc Thiffeault Department of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics Columbia University http://plasma.ap.columbia.edu/~jeanluc 12 February 2002 2

More information

Snyder noncommutative space-time from two-time physics

Snyder noncommutative space-time from two-time physics arxiv:hep-th/0408193v1 25 Aug 2004 Snyder noncommutative space-time from two-time physics Juan M. Romero and Adolfo Zamora Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Apartado

More information

Conformal Field Theory and Combinatorics

Conformal Field Theory and Combinatorics Conformal Field Theory and Combinatorics Part I: Basic concepts of CFT 1,2 1 Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris 6, France 2 Institut de Physique Théorique, CEA/Saclay, France Wednesday 16 January,

More information

Physics 557 Lecture 5

Physics 557 Lecture 5 Physics 557 Lecture 5 Group heory: Since symmetries and the use of group theory is so much a part of recent progress in particle physics we will take a small detour to introduce the basic structure (as

More information

γγ αβ α X µ β X µ (1)

γγ αβ α X µ β X µ (1) Week 3 Reading material from the books Zwiebach, Chapter 12, 13, 21 Polchinski, Chapter 1 Becker, Becker, Schwartz, Chapter 2 Green, Schwartz, Witten, chapter 2 1 Polyakov action We have found already

More information

31st Jerusalem Winter School in Theoretical Physics: Problem Set 2

31st Jerusalem Winter School in Theoretical Physics: Problem Set 2 31st Jerusalem Winter School in Theoretical Physics: Problem Set Contents Frank Verstraete: Quantum Information and Quantum Matter : 3 : Solution to Problem 9 7 Daniel Harlow: Black Holes and Quantum Information

More information

8.821 F2008 Lecture 12: Boundary of AdS; Poincaré patch; wave equation in AdS

8.821 F2008 Lecture 12: Boundary of AdS; Poincaré patch; wave equation in AdS 8.821 F2008 Lecture 12: Boundary of AdS; Poincaré patch; wave equation in AdS Lecturer: McGreevy Scribe: Francesco D Eramo October 16, 2008 Today: 1. the boundary of AdS 2. Poincaré patch 3. motivate boundary

More information

Twistor Strings, Gauge Theory and Gravity. Abou Zeid, Hull and Mason hep-th/

Twistor Strings, Gauge Theory and Gravity. Abou Zeid, Hull and Mason hep-th/ Twistor Strings, Gauge Theory and Gravity Abou Zeid, Hull and Mason hep-th/0606272 Amplitudes for YM, Gravity have elegant twistor space structure: Twistor Geometry Amplitudes for YM, Gravity have elegant

More information

Introduction to string theory 2 - Quantization

Introduction to string theory 2 - Quantization Remigiusz Durka Institute of Theoretical Physics Wroclaw / 34 Table of content Introduction to Quantization Classical String Quantum String 2 / 34 Classical Theory In the classical mechanics one has dynamical

More information

Virasoro hair on locally AdS 3 geometries

Virasoro hair on locally AdS 3 geometries Virasoro hair on locally AdS 3 geometries Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics China Institute of Theoretical Physics ICTS (USTC) arxiv: 1603.05272, M. M. Sheikh-Jabbari and H. Y Motivation Introduction

More information

The Hamiltonian operator and states

The Hamiltonian operator and states The Hamiltonian operator and states March 30, 06 Calculation of the Hamiltonian operator This is our first typical quantum field theory calculation. They re a bit to keep track of, but not really that

More information

A Brief Introduction to AdS/CFT Correspondence

A Brief Introduction to AdS/CFT Correspondence Department of Physics Universidad de los Andes Bogota, Colombia 2011 Outline of the Talk Outline of the Talk Introduction Outline of the Talk Introduction Motivation Outline of the Talk Introduction Motivation

More information

Quasi Riemann surfaces II. Questions, comments, speculations

Quasi Riemann surfaces II. Questions, comments, speculations Quasi Riemann surfaces II. Questions, comments, speculations Daniel Friedan New High Energy Theory Center, Rutgers University and Natural Science Institute, The University of Iceland dfriedan@gmail.com

More information

Holographic Wilsonian Renormalization Group

Holographic Wilsonian Renormalization Group Holographic Wilsonian Renormalization Group JiYoung Kim May 0, 207 Abstract Strongly coupled systems are difficult to study because the perturbation of the systems does not work with strong couplings.

More information

LQG, the signature-changing Poincaré algebra and spectral dimension

LQG, the signature-changing Poincaré algebra and spectral dimension LQG, the signature-changing Poincaré algebra and spectral dimension Tomasz Trześniewski Institute for Theoretical Physics, Wrocław University, Poland / Institute of Physics, Jagiellonian University, Poland

More information

Lecture 8: 1-loop closed string vacuum amplitude

Lecture 8: 1-loop closed string vacuum amplitude Lecture 8: 1-loop closed string vacuum amplitude José D. Edelstein University of Santiago de Compostela STRING THEORY Santiago de Compostela, March 5, 2013 José D. Edelstein (USC) Lecture 8: 1-loop vacuum

More information

SPACETIME FROM ENTANGLEMENT - journal club notes -

SPACETIME FROM ENTANGLEMENT - journal club notes - SPACETIME FROM ENTANGLEMENT - journal club notes - Chris Heinrich 1 Outline 1. Introduction Big picture: Want a quantum theory of gravity Best understanding of quantum gravity so far arises through AdS/CFT

More information

A Solvable Irrelevant

A Solvable Irrelevant A Solvable Irrelevant Deformation of AdS $ / CFT * A. Giveon, N. Itzhaki, DK arxiv: 1701.05576 + to appear Strings 2017, Tel Aviv Introduction QFT is usually thought of as an RG flow connecting a UV fixed

More information

Bootstrap Program for CFT in D>=3

Bootstrap Program for CFT in D>=3 Bootstrap Program for CFT in D>=3 Slava Rychkov ENS Paris & CERN Physical Origins of CFT RG Flows: CFTUV CFTIR Fixed points = CFT [Rough argument: T µ = β(g)o 0 µ when β(g) 0] 2 /33 3D Example CFTUV =

More information

1 Polyakov path integral and BRST cohomology

1 Polyakov path integral and BRST cohomology Week 7 Reading material from the books Polchinski, Chapter 3,4 Becker, Becker, Schwartz, Chapter 3 Green, Schwartz, Witten, chapter 3 1 Polyakov path integral and BRST cohomology We need to discuss now

More information

Quantum Field Theory

Quantum Field Theory Quantum Field Theory PHYS-P 621 Radovan Dermisek, Indiana University Notes based on: M. Srednicki, Quantum Field Theory 1 Attempts at relativistic QM based on S-1 A proper description of particle physics

More information

Curved spacetime and general covariance

Curved spacetime and general covariance Chapter 7 Curved spacetime and general covariance In this chapter we generalize the discussion of preceding chapters to extend covariance to more general curved spacetimes. 219 220 CHAPTER 7. CURVED SPACETIME

More information

Fourth Aegean Summer School: Black Holes Mytilene, Island of Lesvos September 18, 2007

Fourth Aegean Summer School: Black Holes Mytilene, Island of Lesvos September 18, 2007 Fourth Aegean Summer School: Black Holes Mytilene, Island of Lesvos September 18, 2007 Central extensions in flat spacetimes Duality & Thermodynamics of BH dyons New classical central extension in asymptotically

More information

Symmetries, Fields and Particles 2013 Solutions

Symmetries, Fields and Particles 2013 Solutions Symmetries, Fields and Particles 013 Solutions Yichen Shi Easter 014 1. (a) Define the groups SU() and SO(3), and find their Lie algebras. Show that these Lie algebras, including their bracket structure,

More information

General Relativity (225A) Fall 2013 Assignment 8 Solutions

General Relativity (225A) Fall 2013 Assignment 8 Solutions University of California at San Diego Department of Physics Prof. John McGreevy General Relativity (5A) Fall 013 Assignment 8 Solutions Posted November 13, 013 Due Monday, December, 013 In the first two

More information

The boundary state from open string fields. Yuji Okawa University of Tokyo, Komaba. March 9, 2009 at Nagoya

The boundary state from open string fields. Yuji Okawa University of Tokyo, Komaba. March 9, 2009 at Nagoya The boundary state from open string fields Yuji Okawa University of Tokyo, Komaba March 9, 2009 at Nagoya Based on arxiv:0810.1737 in collaboration with Kiermaier and Zwiebach (MIT) 1 1. Introduction Quantum

More information

Conformal Field Theory in Two Dimensions: Representation Theory and The Conformal Bootstrap

Conformal Field Theory in Two Dimensions: Representation Theory and The Conformal Bootstrap Conformal Field Theory in Two Dimensions: Representation Theory and The Conformal Bootstrap Philip Clarke Trinity College Dublin BA Mathematics Final Year Project (Pages 35, 36 and 37 differ to what was

More information

Representation theory of vertex operator algebras, conformal field theories and tensor categories. 1. Vertex operator algebras (VOAs, chiral algebras)

Representation theory of vertex operator algebras, conformal field theories and tensor categories. 1. Vertex operator algebras (VOAs, chiral algebras) Representation theory of vertex operator algebras, conformal field theories and tensor categories Yi-Zhi Huang 6/29/2010--7/2/2010 1. Vertex operator algebras (VOAs, chiral algebras) Symmetry algebras

More information

BRST and Dirac Cohomology

BRST and Dirac Cohomology BRST and Dirac Cohomology Peter Woit Columbia University Dartmouth Math Dept., October 23, 2008 Peter Woit (Columbia University) BRST and Dirac Cohomology October 2008 1 / 23 Outline 1 Introduction 2 Representation

More information

Lecture 5: Sept. 19, 2013 First Applications of Noether s Theorem. 1 Translation Invariance. Last Latexed: September 18, 2013 at 14:24 1

Lecture 5: Sept. 19, 2013 First Applications of Noether s Theorem. 1 Translation Invariance. Last Latexed: September 18, 2013 at 14:24 1 Last Latexed: September 18, 2013 at 14:24 1 Lecture 5: Sept. 19, 2013 First Applications of Noether s Theorem Copyright c 2005 by Joel A. Shapiro Now it is time to use the very powerful though abstract

More information

Cluster Properties and Relativistic Quantum Mechanics

Cluster Properties and Relativistic Quantum Mechanics Cluster Properties and Relativistic Quantum Mechanics Wayne Polyzou polyzou@uiowa.edu The University of Iowa Cluster Properties p.1/45 Why is quantum field theory difficult? number of degrees of freedom.

More information

Geometric inequalities for black holes

Geometric inequalities for black holes Geometric inequalities for black holes Sergio Dain FaMAF-Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, CONICET, Argentina. 3 August, 2012 Einstein equations (vacuum) The spacetime is a four dimensional manifold M with

More information

Holography for 3D Einstein gravity. with a conformal scalar field

Holography for 3D Einstein gravity. with a conformal scalar field Holography for 3D Einstein gravity with a conformal scalar field Farhang Loran Department of Physics, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan 84156-83111, Iran. Abstract: We review AdS 3 /CFT 2 correspondence

More information

Chern-Simons gauge theory The Chern-Simons (CS) gauge theory in three dimensions is defined by the action,

Chern-Simons gauge theory The Chern-Simons (CS) gauge theory in three dimensions is defined by the action, Lecture A3 Chern-Simons gauge theory The Chern-Simons (CS) gauge theory in three dimensions is defined by the action, S CS = k tr (AdA+ 3 ) 4π A3, = k ( ǫ µνρ tr A µ ( ν A ρ ρ A ν )+ ) 8π 3 A µ[a ν,a ρ

More information

Parity P : x x, t t, (1.116a) Time reversal T : x x, t t. (1.116b)

Parity P : x x, t t, (1.116a) Time reversal T : x x, t t. (1.116b) 4 Version of February 4, 005 CHAPTER. DIRAC EQUATION (0, 0) is a scalar. (/, 0) is a left-handed spinor. (0, /) is a right-handed spinor. (/, /) is a vector. Before discussing spinors in detail, let us

More information

Conformal Field Theories Beyond Two Dimensions

Conformal Field Theories Beyond Two Dimensions Conformal Field Theories Beyond Two Dimensions Alex Atanasov November 6, 017 Abstract I introduce higher dimensional conformal field theory (CFT) for a mathematical audience. The familiar D concepts of

More information

Lectures on gauge-gravity duality

Lectures on gauge-gravity duality Lectures on gauge-gravity duality Annamaria Sinkovics Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics Cambridge University Tihany, 25 August 2009 1. Review of AdS/CFT i. D-branes: open and closed

More information

Path Integral for Spin

Path Integral for Spin Path Integral for Spin Altland-Simons have a good discussion in 3.3 Applications of the Feynman Path Integral to the quantization of spin, which is defined by the commutation relations [Ŝj, Ŝk = iɛ jk

More information

Chapter 1 LORENTZ/POINCARE INVARIANCE. 1.1 The Lorentz Algebra

Chapter 1 LORENTZ/POINCARE INVARIANCE. 1.1 The Lorentz Algebra Chapter 1 LORENTZ/POINCARE INVARIANCE 1.1 The Lorentz Algebra The requirement of relativistic invariance on any fundamental physical system amounts to invariance under Lorentz Transformations. These transformations

More information

1 Quantum fields in Minkowski spacetime

1 Quantum fields in Minkowski spacetime 1 Quantum fields in Minkowski spacetime The theory of quantum fields in curved spacetime is a generalization of the well-established theory of quantum fields in Minkowski spacetime. To a great extent,

More information

Properties of monopole operators in 3d gauge theories

Properties of monopole operators in 3d gauge theories Properties of monopole operators in 3d gauge theories Silviu S. Pufu Princeton University Based on: arxiv:1303.6125 arxiv:1309.1160 (with Ethan Dyer and Mark Mezei) work in progress with Ethan Dyer, Mark

More information

Quantization of scalar fields

Quantization of scalar fields Quantization of scalar fields March 8, 06 We have introduced several distinct types of fields, with actions that give their field equations. These include scalar fields, S α ϕ α ϕ m ϕ d 4 x and complex

More information

Talk at the International Workshop RAQIS 12. Angers, France September 2012

Talk at the International Workshop RAQIS 12. Angers, France September 2012 Talk at the International Workshop RAQIS 12 Angers, France 10-14 September 2012 Group-Theoretical Classification of BPS and Possibly Protected States in D=4 Conformal Supersymmetry V.K. Dobrev Nucl. Phys.

More information

1 Canonical quantization conformal gauge

1 Canonical quantization conformal gauge Contents 1 Canonical quantization conformal gauge 1.1 Free field space of states............................... 1. Constraints..................................... 3 1..1 VIRASORO ALGEBRA...........................

More information

Stress-energy tensor is the most important object in a field theory and have been studied

Stress-energy tensor is the most important object in a field theory and have been studied Chapter 1 Introduction Stress-energy tensor is the most important object in a field theory and have been studied extensively [1-6]. In particular, the finiteness of stress-energy tensor has received great

More information

Indecomposability parameters in LCFT

Indecomposability parameters in LCFT Indecomposability parameters in LCFT Romain Vasseur Joint work with J.L. Jacobsen and H. Saleur at IPhT CEA Saclay and LPTENS (Nucl. Phys. B 851, 314-345 (2011), arxiv :1103.3134) ACFTA (Institut Henri

More information

Elementary realization of BRST symmetry and gauge fixing

Elementary realization of BRST symmetry and gauge fixing Elementary realization of BRST symmetry and gauge fixing Martin Rocek, notes by Marcelo Disconzi Abstract This are notes from a talk given at Stony Brook University by Professor PhD Martin Rocek. I tried

More information

INTRODUCTION TO REAL ANALYTIC GEOMETRY

INTRODUCTION TO REAL ANALYTIC GEOMETRY INTRODUCTION TO REAL ANALYTIC GEOMETRY KRZYSZTOF KURDYKA 1. Analytic functions in several variables 1.1. Summable families. Let (E, ) be a normed space over the field R or C, dim E

More information

κ = f (r 0 ) k µ µ k ν = κk ν (5)

κ = f (r 0 ) k µ µ k ν = κk ν (5) 1. Horizon regularity and surface gravity Consider a static, spherically symmetric metric of the form where f(r) vanishes at r = r 0 linearly, and g(r 0 ) 0. Show that near r = r 0 the metric is approximately

More information

Finite temperature form factors in the free Majorana theory

Finite temperature form factors in the free Majorana theory Finite temperature form factors in the free Majorana theory Benjamin Doyon Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics, Oxford University, UK supported by EPSRC postdoctoral fellowship hep-th/0506105

More information

A new perspective on long range SU(N) spin models

A new perspective on long range SU(N) spin models A new perspective on long range SU(N) spin models Thomas Quella University of Cologne Workshop on Lie Theory and Mathematical Physics Centre de Recherches Mathématiques (CRM), Montreal Based on work with

More information

2.4 Parity transformation

2.4 Parity transformation 2.4 Parity transformation An extremely simple group is one that has only two elements: {e, P }. Obviously, P 1 = P, so P 2 = e, with e represented by the unit n n matrix in an n- dimensional representation.

More information

232A Lecture Notes Representation Theory of Lorentz Group

232A Lecture Notes Representation Theory of Lorentz Group 232A Lecture Notes Representation Theory of Lorentz Group 1 Symmetries in Physics Symmetries play crucial roles in physics. Noether s theorem relates symmetries of the system to conservation laws. In quantum

More information

Outline 1. Introduction 1.1. Historical Overview 1.2. The Theory 2. The Relativistic String 2.1. Set Up 2.2. The Relativistic Point Particle 2.3. The

Outline 1. Introduction 1.1. Historical Overview 1.2. The Theory 2. The Relativistic String 2.1. Set Up 2.2. The Relativistic Point Particle 2.3. The Classical String Theory Proseminar in Theoretical Physics David Reutter ETH Zürich April 15, 2013 Outline 1. Introduction 1.1. Historical Overview 1.2. The Theory 2. The Relativistic String 2.1. Set Up

More information

One Loop Tests of Higher Spin AdS/CFT

One Loop Tests of Higher Spin AdS/CFT One Loop Tests of Higher Spin AdS/CFT Simone Giombi UNC-Chapel Hill, Jan. 30 2014 Based on 1308.2337 with I. Klebanov and 1401.0825 with I. Klebanov and B. Safdi Massless higher spins Consistent interactions

More information

Complex Analysis Math 185A, Winter 2010 Final: Solutions

Complex Analysis Math 185A, Winter 2010 Final: Solutions Complex Analysis Math 85A, Winter 200 Final: Solutions. [25 pts] The Jacobian of two real-valued functions u(x, y), v(x, y) of (x, y) is defined by the determinant (u, v) J = (x, y) = u x u y v x v y.

More information

HIGHER SPIN PROBLEM IN FIELD THEORY

HIGHER SPIN PROBLEM IN FIELD THEORY HIGHER SPIN PROBLEM IN FIELD THEORY I.L. Buchbinder Tomsk I.L. Buchbinder (Tomsk) HIGHER SPIN PROBLEM IN FIELD THEORY Wroclaw, April, 2011 1 / 27 Aims Brief non-expert non-technical review of some old

More information

AdS/CFT duality. Agnese Bissi. March 26, Fundamental Problems in Quantum Physics Erice. Mathematical Institute University of Oxford

AdS/CFT duality. Agnese Bissi. March 26, Fundamental Problems in Quantum Physics Erice. Mathematical Institute University of Oxford AdS/CFT duality Agnese Bissi Mathematical Institute University of Oxford March 26, 2015 Fundamental Problems in Quantum Physics Erice What is it about? AdS=Anti de Sitter Maximally symmetric solution of

More information

String Theory I Mock Exam

String Theory I Mock Exam String Theory I Mock Exam Ludwig Maximilians Universität München Prof. Dr. Dieter Lüst 15 th December 2015 16:00 18:00 Name: Student ID no.: E-mail address: Please write down your name and student ID number

More information

Non-abelian statistics

Non-abelian statistics Non-abelian statistics Paul Fendley Non-abelian statistics are just plain interesting. They probably occur in the ν = 5/2 FQHE, and people are constructing time-reversal-invariant models which realize

More information