Lanterna Rally

Author: R?zvan Gelca

Publisher: World Scientific

Published: 2014

Total Pages: 469

ISBN-13: 9814520586

This book presents the relationship between classical theta functions and knots. It is based on a novel idea of Razvan Gelca and Alejandro Uribe, which converts Weil''s representation of the Heisenberg group on theta functions to a knot theoretical framework, by giving a topological interpretation to a certain induced representation. It also explains how the discrete Fourier transform can be related to 3- and 4-dimensional topology. Theta Functions and Knots can be read in two perspectives. People with an interest in theta functions or knot theory can learn how the two are related. Those interested in ChernOCoSimons theory find here an introduction using the simplest case, that of abelian ChernOCoSimons theory. Moreover, the construction of abelian ChernOCoSimons theory is based entirely on quantum mechanics, and not on quantum field theory as it is usually done. Both the theory of theta functions and low dimensional topology are presented in detail, in order to underline how deep the connection between these two fundamental mathematical subjects is. Hence the book is a self-contained, unified presentation. It is suitable for an advanced graduate course, as well as for self-study. Contents: Some Historical Facts; A Quantum Mechanical Prototype; Surfaces and Curves; The Theta Functions Associated to a Riemann Surface; From Theta Functions to Knots; Some Results About 3- and 4-Dimensional Manifolds; The Discrete Fourier Transform and Topological Quantum Field Theory; Theta Functions and Quantum Groups; An Epilogue OCo Abelian ChernOCoSimons Theory. Readership: Graduate students and young researchers with an interest in complex analysis, mathematical physics, algebra geometry and low dimensional topology.