arXiv subjects

Alain Connes

Publications and source records attributed to Alain Connes.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

arXiv2008

The Uncanny Precision of the Spectral Action

Noncommutative geometry has been slowly emerging as a new paradigm of geometry which starts from quantum mechanics. One of its key features is that the new geometry is spectral in agreement with the physical way of measuring distances. In this paper we present a detailed introduction with an overview on the study of the quantum nature of space-time using the tools of noncommutative geometry. In particular we examine the suitability of using the spectral action as action functional for the theory. To demonstrate how the spectral action encodes the dynamics of gravity we examine the accuracy of the approximation of the spectral action by its asymptotic expansion in the case of the round three sphere. We find that the two terms corresponding to the cosmological constant and the scalar curvature term already give the full result with remarkable accuracy. This is then applied to the physically relevant case of the product of the three sphere by a circle where we show that the spectral action in this case is also given, for any test function, by the sum of two terms up to an astronomically small correction, and in particular all higher order terms vanish. This result is confirmed by evaluating the spectral action using the heat kernel expansion where we check that the higher order terms a4 and a6 both vanish due to remarkable cancelations. We also show that the Higgs potential appears as an exact perturbation when the test function used is a smooth cutoff function.

hep-th↗

arXiv2008

On the spectral characterization of manifolds

We show that the first five of the axioms we had formulated on spectral triples suffice (in a slightly stronger form) to characterize the spectral triples associated to smooth compact manifolds. The algebra, which is assumed to be commutative, is shown to be isomorphic to the algebra of all smooth functions on a unique smooth oriented compact manifold, while the operator is shown to be of Dirac type and the metric to be Riemannian.

math.OA↗

arXiv2008

A unitary invariant in Riemannian geometry

We introduce an invariant of Riemannian geometry which measures the relative position of two von Neumann algebras in Hilbert space, and which, when combined with the spectrum of the Dirac operator, gives a complete invariant of Riemannian geometry. We show that the new invariant plays the same role with respect to the spectral invariant as the Cabibbo--Kobayashi--Maskawa mixing matrix in the Standard Model plays with respect to the list of masses of the quarks.

hep-th↗

arXiv2008

Fun with $\F_1$

We show that the algebra and the endomotive of the quantum statistical mechanical system of Bost--Connes naturally arises by extension of scalars from the "field with one element" to rational numbers. The inductive structure of the abelian part of the endomotive corresponds to the tower of finite extensions of that "field", while the endomorphisms reflect the Frobenius correspondences. This gives in particular an explicit model over the integers for this endomotive, which is related to the original Hecke algebra description. We study the reduction at a prime of the endomotive and of the corresponding noncommutative crossed product algebra.

math.AG↗

arXiv2007

Conceptual Explanation for the Algebra in the Noncommutative Approach to the Standard Model

The purpose of this letter is to remove the arbitrariness of the ad hoc choice of the algebra and its representation in the noncommutative approach to the Standard Model, which was begging for a conceptual explanation. We assume as before that space-time is the product of a four-dimensional manifold by a finite noncommmutative space F. The spectral action is the pure gravitational action for the product space. To remove the above arbitrariness, we classify the irreducibe geometries F consistent with imposing reality and chiral conditions on spinors, to avoid the fermion doubling problem, which amounts to have total dimension 10 (in the K-theoretic sense). It gives, almost uniquely, the Standard Model with all its details, predicting the number of fermions per generation to be 16, their representations and the Higgs breaking mechanism, with very little input. The geometrical model is valid at the unification scale, and has relations connecting the gauge couplings to each other and to the Higgs coupling. This gives a prediction of the Higgs mass of around 170 GeV and a mass relation connecting the sum of the square of the masses of the fermions to the W mass square, which enables us to predict the top quark mass compatible with the measured experimental value. We thus manage to have the advantages of both SO(10) and Kaluza-Klein unification, without paying the price of plethora of Higgs fields or the infinite tower of states.

hep-th↗

arXiv2007

Quantum Gravity Boundary Terms from Spectral Action of Noncommutative Space

We study the boundary terms of the spectral action of the noncommutative space, defined by the spectral triple dictated by the physical spectrum of the standard model, unifying gravity with all other fundamental interactions. We prove that the spectral action predicts uniquely the gravitational boundary term required for consistency of quantum gravity with the correct sign and coefficient. This is a remarkable result given the lack of freedom in the spectral action to tune this term.

hep-th↗

arXiv2007

Why the Standard Model

The Standard Model is based on the gauge invariance principle with gauge group U(1)xSU(2)xSU(3) and suitable representations for fermions and bosons, which are begging for a conceptual understanding. We propose a purely gravitational explanation: space-time has a fine structure given as a product of a four dimensional continuum by a finite noncommutative geometry F. The raison d'etre for F is to correct the K-theoretic dimension from four to ten (modulo eight). We classify the irreducible finite noncommutative geometries of K-theoretic dimension six and show that the dimension (per generation) is a square of an integer k. Under an additional hypothesis of quaternion linearity, the geometry which reproduces the Standard Model is singled out (and one gets k=4)with the correct quantum numbers for all fields. The spectral action applied to the product MxF delivers the full Standard Model,with neutrino mixing, coupled to gravity, and makes predictions(the number of generations is still an input).

hep-th↗

arXiv2007

The Weil proof and the geometry of the adeles class space

This paper explores analogies between the Weil proof of the Riemann hypothesis for function fields and the geometry of the adeles class space, which is the noncommutative space underlying Connes' spectral realization of the zeros of the Riemann zeta function. We consider the cyclic homology of the cokernel (in the abelian category of cyclic modules) of the ``restriction map'' defined by the inclusion of the ideles class group of a global field in the noncommutative adeles class space. Weil's explicit formula can then be formulated as a Lefschetz trace formula for the induced action of the ideles class group on this cohomology. In this formulation the Riemann hypothesis becomes equivalent to the positivity of the relevant trace pairing. This result suggests a possible dictionary between the steps in the Weil proof and corresponding notions involving the noncommutative geometry of the adeles class space, with good working notions of correspondences, degree and codegree etc. In particular, we construct an analog for number fields of the algebraic points of the curve for function fields, realized here as classical points (low temperature KMS states) of quantum statistical mechanical systems naturally associated to the periodic orbits of the action of the ideles class group, that is, to the noncommutative spaces on which the geometric side of the trace formula is supported.

math.NT↗

arXiv2007

Noncommutative geometry and motives: the thermodynamics of endomotives

We combine aspects of the theory of motives in algebraic geometry with noncommutative geometry and the classification of factors to obtain a cohomological interpretation of the spectral realization of zeros of $L$-functions. The analogue in characteristic zero of the action of the Frobenius on l-adic cohomology is the action of the scaling group on the cyclic homology of the cokernel (in a suitable category of motives) of a restriction map of noncommutative spaces. The latter is obtained through the thermodynamics of the quantum statistical system associated to an endomotive (a noncommutative generalization of Artin motives). Semigroups of endomorphisms of algebraic varieties give rise canonically to such endomotives, with an action of the absolute Galois group. The semigroup of endomorphisms of the multiplicative group yields the Bost-Connes system, from which one obtains, through the above procedure, the desired cohomological interpretation of the zeros of the Riemann zeta function. In the last section we also give a Lefschetz formula for the archimedean local L-factors of arithmetic varieties.

math.QA↗

arXiv2006

Noncommutative Geometry and the standard model with neutrino mixing

We show that allowing the metric dimension of a space to be independent of its KO-dimension and turning the finite noncommutative geometry F-- whose product with classical 4-dimensional space-time gives the standard model coupled with gravity--into a space of KO-dimension 6 by changing the grading on the antiparticle sector into its opposite, allows to solve three problems of the previous noncommutative geometry interpretation of the standard model of particle physics: The finite geometry F is no longer put in "by hand" but a conceptual understanding of its structure and a classification of its metrics is given. The fermion doubling problem in the fermionic part of the action is resolved. The spectral action of our joint work with Chamseddine now automatically generates the full standard model coupled with gravity with neutrino mixing and see-saw mechanism for neutrino masses. The predictions of the Weinberg angle and the Higgs scattering parameter at unification scale are the same as in our joint work but we also find a mass relation (to be imposed at unification scale).

hep-th↗

arXiv2006

Type III and spectral triples

We explain how a simple twisting of the notion of spectral triple allows to incorporate type III examples, such as those arising from the transverse geometry of codimension one foliations. Since the twisting of the commutators turns the usual hypertrace constructed out of the Dixmier trace into a twisted trace on the coordinate algebra, one would be tempted to interpret that as a manifestation of twisting at the level of cyclic cohomology, akin to that introduced by the authors in the context of Hopf cyclic cohomology. The main point of this note, besides giving simple natural examples of the general notion and developing the first basic steps of the theory, is to show that contrary to the initial expectations no cohomological twisting is in fact required. The Chern character of finitely summable spectral triples extends to the twisted case, and lands in fact in ordinary (untwisted) cyclic cohomology. The same holds true for the local Hochschild character. The index pairing with ordinary (untwisted) K-theory continues to make sense and the index formula is still given by the pairing of the corresponding Chern characters. This opens the road to extending the local index formula, as well as the analogue of the hypoelliptic construction on the dual system together with the corresponding Thom isomorphism, to the context of twisted spectral triples of type III.

math.OA↗

arXiv2006

Gravity and the standard model with neutrino mixing

We present an effective unified theory based on noncommutative geometry for the standard model with neutrino mixing, minimally coupled to gravity. The unification is based on the symplectic unitary group in Hilbert space and on the spectral action. It yields all the detailed structure of the standard model with several predictions at unification scale. Besides the familiar predictions for the gauge couplings as for GUT theories, it predicts the Higgs scattering parameter and the sum of the squares of Yukawa couplings. From these relations one can extract predictions at low energy, giving in particular a Higgs mass around 170 GeV and a top mass compatible with present experimental value. The geometric picture that emerges is that space-time is the product of an ordinary spin manifold (for which the theory would deliver Einstein gravity) by a finite noncommutative geometry F. The discrete space F is of KO-dimension 6 modulo 8 and of metric dimension 0, and accounts for all the intricacies of the standard model with its spontaneous symmetry breaking Higgs sector.

hep-th↗

arXiv2006

Inner fluctuations of the spectral action

We prove in the general framework of noncommutative geometry that the inner fluctuations of the spectral action can be computed as residues and give exactly the counterterms for the Feynman graphs with fermionic internal lines. We show that for geometries of dimension less or equal to four the obtained terms add up to a sum of a Yang-Mills action with a Chern-Simons action.

hep-th↗

arXiv2006

Scale Invariance in the Spectral Action

The arbitrary mass scale in the spectral action for the Dirac operator in the spectral action is made dynamical by introducing a dilaton field. We evaluate all the low-energy terms in the spectral action and determine the dilaton couplings. These results are applied to the spectral action of the noncommutative space defined by the standard model. We show that the effective action for all matter couplings is scale invariant, except for the dilaton kinetic term and Einstein-Hilbert term. The resulting action is almost identical to the one proposed for making the standard model scale invariant as well as the model for extended inflation and has the same low-energy limit as the Randall-Sundrum model. Remarkably, all desirable features with correct signs for the relevant terms are obtained uniquely and without any fine tuning.

hep-th↗

arXiv2006

A walk in the noncommutative garden

This text is written for the volume of the school/conference "Noncommutative Geometry 2005" held at IPM Tehran. It gives a survey of methods and results in noncommutative geometry, based on a discussion of significant examples of noncommutative spaces in geometry, number theory, and physics. The paper also contains an outline (the ``Tehran program'') of ongoing joint work with Consani on the noncommutative geometry of the adeles class space and its relation to number theoretic questions.

math.QA↗

arXiv2005

Non commutative finite dimensional manifolds II. Moduli space and structure of non commutative 3-spheres

This paper contains detailed proofs of our results on the moduli space and the structure of noncommutative 3-spheres. We develop the notion of central quadratic form for quadratic algebras, and a general theory which creates a bridge between noncommutative differential geometry and its purely algebraic counterpart. It allows to construct a morphism from an involutive quadratic algebras to a C*-algebra constructed from the characteristic variety and the hermitian line bundle associated to the central quadratic form. We apply the general theory in the case of noncommutative 3-spheres and show that the above morphism corresponds to a natural ramified covering by a noncommutative 3-dimensional nilmanifold. We then compute the Jacobian of the ramified covering and obtain the answer as the product of a period (of an elliptic integral) by a rational function. We describe the real and complex moduli spaces of noncommutative 3-spheres, relate the real one to root systems and the complex one to the orbits of a birational cubic automorphism of three dimensional projective space. We classify the algebras and establish duality relations between them.

math.QA↗

arXiv2005

Transgressions of the Godbillon-Vey class and Rademacher functions

We construct, out of modular symbols, 1-traces that are invariant with respect to the actions of the Hopf algebra $\Hc_{1}$ on the crossed product $\Ac_{Q}$ of the algebra of modular forms of all levels by $\GL^+ (2,Q)$ investigated in earlier work. This provides a conceptual explanation for the construction of the Euler cocycle representing the image of the universal Godbillon-Vey class under the characteristic map of noncommutative Chern-Weil theory which we developed in our earlier work. We then refine the construction to produce secondary data by transgression. For the action determined by the Ramanujan connection the transgression takes place within the Euler class and the resulting cocycle coincides with the classical Rademacher function. The actions associated to cusp forms of higher weight produce transgressed cocycles that implement the Eichler-Shimura isomorphism. Finally, the actions corresponding to Eisenstein series give rise by transgression to the Eisenstein cocycle, expressed in terms of higher Dedekind sums and generalized Rademacher functions.

math.QA↗

arXiv2005

Background independent geometry and Hopf cyclic cohomology

This is primarily a survey of the way in which Hopf cyclic cohomology has emerged and evolved, in close relationship with the application of the noncommutative local index formula to transverse index theory on foliations. Being Diff-invariant, the geometric framework that allowed us to treat the `space of leaves' of a general foliation provides a `background independent' set-up for geometry that could be of relevance to the handling of the the background independence problem in quantum gravity. With this potential association in mind, we have added some new material, which complements the original paper and is also meant to facilitate its understanding. Section 2 gives a detailed description of the Hopf algebra that controls the `affine' transverse geometry of codimension $n$ foliations, and Section 5 treats the relative version of Hopf cyclic cohomology in full generality, including the case of Hopf pairs with noncompact isotropy.

math.QA↗