Lectures on Field Theory and Topology

Lectures on Field Theory and Topology PDF

Author: Daniel S. Freed

Publisher: American Mathematical Soc.

Published: 2019-08-23

Total Pages: 186

ISBN-13: 1470452065

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These lectures recount an application of stable homotopy theory to a concrete problem in low energy physics: the classification of special phases of matter. While the joint work of the author and Michael Hopkins is a focal point, a general geometric frame of reference on quantum field theory is emphasized. Early lectures describe the geometric axiom systems introduced by Graeme Segal and Michael Atiyah in the late 1980s, as well as subsequent extensions. This material provides an entry point for mathematicians to delve into quantum field theory. Classification theorems in low dimensions are proved to illustrate the framework. The later lectures turn to more specialized topics in field theory, including the relationship between invertible field theories and stable homotopy theory, extended unitarity, anomalies, and relativistic free fermion systems. The accompanying mathematical explanations touch upon (higher) category theory, duals to the sphere spectrum, equivariant spectra, differential cohomology, and Dirac operators. The outcome of computations made using the Adams spectral sequence is presented and compared to results in the condensed matter literature obtained by very different means. The general perspectives and specific applications fuse into a compelling story at the interface of contemporary mathematics and theoretical physics.

Lectures on Field Theory and Topology

Lectures on Field Theory and Topology PDF

Author: Daniel S. Freed

Publisher:

Published: 2019

Total Pages: 202

ISBN-13: 9781470453916

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These lectures recount an application of stable homotopy theory to a concrete problem in low energy physics: the classification of special phases of matter. While the joint work of the author and Michael Hopkins is a focal point, a general geometric frame of reference on quantum field theory is emphasized. Early lectures describe the geometric axiom systems introduced by Graeme Segal and Michael Atiyah in the late 1980s, as well as subsequent extensions. This material provides an entry point for mathematicians to delve into quantum field theory.

Lectures on Factorization Homology, ∞-Categories, and Topological Field Theories

Lectures on Factorization Homology, ∞-Categories, and Topological Field Theories PDF

Author: Hiro Lee Tanaka

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2020-12-14

Total Pages: 84

ISBN-13: 3030611639

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This book provides an informal and geodesic introduction to factorization homology, focusing on providing intuition through simple examples. Along the way, the reader is also introduced to modern ideas in homotopy theory and category theory, particularly as it relates to the use of infinity-categories. As with the original lectures, the text is meant to be a leisurely read suitable for advanced graduate students and interested researchers in topology and adjacent fields.

Monoidal Categories and Topological Field Theory

Monoidal Categories and Topological Field Theory PDF

Author: Vladimir Turaev

Publisher: Birkhäuser

Published: 2017-06-28

Total Pages: 523

ISBN-13: 3319498347

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This monograph is devoted to monoidal categories and their connections with 3-dimensional topological field theories. Starting with basic definitions, it proceeds to the forefront of current research. Part 1 introduces monoidal categories and several of their classes, including rigid, pivotal, spherical, fusion, braided, and modular categories. It then presents deep theorems of Müger on the center of a pivotal fusion category. These theorems are proved in Part 2 using the theory of Hopf monads. In Part 3 the authors define the notion of a topological quantum field theory (TQFT) and construct a Turaev-Viro-type 3-dimensional state sum TQFT from a spherical fusion category. Lastly, in Part 4 this construction is extended to 3-manifolds with colored ribbon graphs, yielding a so-called graph TQFT (and, consequently, a 3-2-1 extended TQFT). The authors then prove the main result of the monograph: the state sum graph TQFT derived from any spherical fusion category is isomorphic to the Reshetikhin-Turaev surgery graph TQFT derived from the center of that category. The book is of interest to researchers and students studying topological field theory, monoidal categories, Hopf algebras and Hopf monads.

Geometric and Topological Methods for Quantum Field Theory

Geometric and Topological Methods for Quantum Field Theory PDF

Author: Sylvie Paycha

Publisher: American Mathematical Soc.

Published: 2007

Total Pages: 272

ISBN-13: 0821840622

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This volume, based on lectures and short communications at a summer school in Villa de Leyva, Colombia (July 2005), offers an introduction to some recent developments in several active topics at the interface between geometry, topology and quantum field theory. It is aimed at graduate students in physics or mathematics who might want insight in the following topics (covered in five survey lectures): Anomalies and noncommutative geometry, Deformation quantisation and Poisson algebras, Topological quantum field theory and orbifolds. These lectures are followed by nine articles on various topics at the borderline of mathematics and physics ranging from quasicrystals to invariant instantons through black holes, and involving a number of mathematical tools borrowed from geometry, algebra and analysis.

Geometry and Quantum Field Theory

Geometry and Quantum Field Theory PDF

Author: Daniel S. Freed

Publisher: American Mathematical Soc.

Published: 1995

Total Pages: 476

ISBN-13: 9780821886830

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The first title in a new series, this book explores topics from classical and quantum mechanics and field theory. The material is presented at a level between that of a textbook and research papers making it ideal for graduate students. The book provides an entree into a field that promises to remain exciting and important for years to come.

Geometric and Topological Methods for Quantum Field Theory

Geometric and Topological Methods for Quantum Field Theory PDF

Author: Hernan Ocampo

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2009-09-02

Total Pages: 230

ISBN-13: 9783540806677

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This volume offers an introduction, in the form of four extensive lectures, to some recent developments in several active topics at the interface between geometry, topology and quantum field theory. The first lecture is by Christine Lescop on knot invariants and configuration spaces, in which a universal finite-type invariant for knots is constructed as a series of integrals over configuration spaces. This is followed by the contribution of Raimar Wulkenhaar on Euclidean quantum field theory from a statistical point of view. The author also discusses possible renormalization techniques on noncommutative spaces. The third lecture is by Anamaria Font and Stefan Theisen on string compactification with unbroken supersymmetry. The authors show that this requirement leads to internal spaces of special holonomy and describe Calabi-Yau manifolds in detail. The last lecture, by Thierry Fack, is devoted to a K-theory proof of the Atiyah-Singer index theorem and discusses some applications of K-theory to noncommutative geometry. These lectures notes, which are aimed in particular at graduate students in physics and mathematics, start with introductory material before presenting more advanced results. Each chapter is self-contained and can be read independently.

Advanced Topics in Quantum Mechanics

Advanced Topics in Quantum Mechanics PDF

Author: Marcos Mariño

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2021-12-09

Total Pages: 273

ISBN-13: 1108495877

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An advanced quantum mechanics textbook that provides a unique pedagogical introduction to high-level topics in the field.

Geometric, Algebraic and Topological Methods for Quantum Field Theory

Geometric, Algebraic and Topological Methods for Quantum Field Theory PDF

Author: Alexander Cardona

Publisher: World Scientific

Published: 2013-11-15

Total Pages: 380

ISBN-13: 9814460060

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Based on lectures held at the 7th Villa de Leyva summer school, this book presents an introduction to topics of current interest in the interface of geometry, topology and physics. It is aimed at graduate students in physics or mathematics with interests in geometric, algebraic as well as topological methods and their applications to quantum field theory. This volume contains the written notes corresponding to lectures given by experts in the field. They cover current topics of research in a way that is suitable for graduate students of mathematics or physics interested in the recent developments and interactions between geometry, topology and physics. The book also contains contributions by younger participants, displaying the ample range of topics treated in the school. A key feature of the present volume is the provision of a pedagogical presentation of rather advanced topics, in a way which is suitable for both mathematicians and physicists. Contents:Lectures:Spectral Geometry (B Iochum)Index Theory for Non-compact G-manifolds (M Braverman and L Cano)Generalized Euler Characteristics, Graph Hypersurfaces, and Feynman Periods (P Aluffi)Gravitation Theory and Chern-Simons Forms (J Zanelli)Noncommutative Geometry Models for Particle Physics (M Marcolli)Noncommutative Spacetimes and Quantum Physics (A P Balachandran)Integrability and the AdS/CFT Correspondence (M Staudacher)Compactifications of String Theory and Generalized Geometry (M Graña and H Triendl)Short Communications:Groupoids and Poisson Sigma Models with Boundary (A Cattaneo and I Contreras)A Survey on Orbifold String Topology (A Angel)Grothendieck Ring Class of Banana and Flower Graphs (P Morales-Almazán)On the Geometry Underlying a Real Lie Algebra Representation (R Vargas Le-Bert) Readership: Researchers in geometry and topology, mathematical physics. Keywords:Geometry;Topology;Geometric Methods;Quantum Field Theory;Renormalization;Index Theory;Noncommutative Geometry;Quantization;String Theory;Key Features:Unique style aimed at a mixed readership of mathematicians and physicistsIdeal for self-study or use in advanced courses or seminars

A Mathematical Introduction to Conformal Field Theory

A Mathematical Introduction to Conformal Field Theory PDF

Author: Martin Schottenloher

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2008-09-15

Total Pages: 153

ISBN-13: 3540706909

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Part I gives a detailed, self-contained and mathematically rigorous exposition of classical conformal symmetry in n dimensions and its quantization in two dimensions. The conformal groups are determined and the appearence of the Virasoro algebra in the context of the quantization of two-dimensional conformal symmetry is explained via the classification of central extensions of Lie algebras and groups. Part II surveys more advanced topics of conformal field theory such as the representation theory of the Virasoro algebra, conformal symmetry within string theory, an axiomatic approach to Euclidean conformally covariant quantum field theory and a mathematical interpretation of the Verlinde formula in the context of moduli spaces of holomorphic vector bundles on a Riemann surface.