arXiv subjects

Benoit Vicedo

Publications and source records attributed to Benoit Vicedo.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Computational homological methods for integrable field theories

We develop explicit computational tools for the recent homological approach to the construction of $2$-dimensional integrable field theories on $\Sigma$ from $4$-dimensional semi-holomorphic Chern-Simons theory on $\Sigma \times C$. In this framework, the operation of integrating out the spectral curve $C$ is realized by homotopy transfer of a cyclic $L_\infty$-algebra associated with the $4$-dimensional theory with prescribed singularities and boundary conditions. We construct explicit strong deformation retracts for divisor-twisted Dolbeault complexes on $C=\mathbb{C}P^1$ and use them to make the transferred $L_\infty$-structure computationally accessible. As an application, we study the choice of meromorphic $1$-form corresponding to the principal chiral model with a Wess-Zumino term. We compute the transferred Maurer-Cartan action and the associated Lax connection, showing that the former resums to the standard principal chiral model action with a Wess-Zumino term and that the latter reproduces the usual Lax connection.

hep-th↗

arXiv2026

On the structure of higher-dimensional integrable field theories

We propose a general framework for integrable field theories in arbitrary spacetime dimension $d+1$ which is based on $d$-term $L_\infty$-algebras. Specifically, we introduce cyclic $L_\infty$-algebras describing topological-holomorphic higher Chern-Simons theories on $M \times \mathbb{C}P^1$ with suitable singularity structures and boundary conditions, controlled by a meromorphic $1$-form on $\mathbb{C}P^1$. Using homological perturbation theory and homotopy transfer, we construct weakly equivalent models describing $(d+1)$-dimensional field theories on $M$. Their integrability is witnessed by a natural map to an $L_\infty$-algebra describing higher Lax connections, yielding conserved charges associated with higher-dimensional cycles in $M$. The resulting theories admit natural action functionals and recover the Costello-Yamazaki construction in $2$ dimensions.

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arXiv2026

Effective Hamiltonians and Wilson--Polchinski renormalisation

We develop a novel approach to the Wilsonian renormalisation of Hamiltonians for 2-dimensional quantum field theories on the cylinder described in the UV by marginally relevant deformations of conformal field theories. To introduce a Wilsonian short-distance cutoff we make essential use of free field realisations of the full vertex operator algebra in the UV. Our method is intrinsically non-perturbative; we derive a Hamiltonian analogue of Polchinski's equation describing the flows of all couplings. As a primary example of our general method, we apply it to the marginal anisotropic deformation of the $\mathfrak{su}_2$ Wess--Zumino--Witten model at level 1, which is equivalent to the sine-Gordon model on the cylinder. In particular, we reproduce the standard renormalisation group flow of the sine-Gordon model near the Kosterlitz--Thouless point to second order in the couplings, a result usually derived using Lagrangian/path-integral methods.

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arXiv2026

The homological algebra of 2d integrable field theories

This article provides a detailed and rigorous study of $4d$ semi-holomorphic Chern-Simons theories and their associated $2d$ integrable field theories from the homological perspective of $L_\infty$-algebras. Through the use of homotopy transfer techniques, it is shown precisely how both the integrable field theory and its corresponding Lax connection emerge from the $4d$ theory, which results in a novel perspective on Lax connections in terms of $L_\infty$-morphisms.

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arXiv2025

The 3d mixed BF Lagrangian 1-form: a variational formulation of Hitchin's integrable system

We introduce the concept of gauged Lagrangian $1$-forms, extending the notion of Lagrangian $1$-forms to the setting of gauge theories. This general formalism is applied to a natural geometric Lagrangian $1$-form on the cotangent bundle of the space of holomorphic structures on a smooth principal $G$-bundle $\mathcal{P}$ over a compact Riemann surface $C$ of arbitrary genus $g$, with or without marked points, in order to gauge the symmetry group of smooth bundle automorphisms of $\mathcal{P}$. The resulting construction yields a multiform version of the $3$d mixed BF action with so-called type A and B defects, providing a variational formulation of Hitchin's completely integrable system over $C$. By passing to holomorphic local trivialisations and going partially on-shell, we obtain a unifying action for a hierarchy of Lax equations describing the Hitchin system in terms of meromorphic Lax matrices. The cases of genus $0$ and $1$ with marked points are treated in greater detail, producing explicit Lagrangian $1$-forms for the rational Gaudin hierarchy and the elliptic Gaudin hierarchy, respectively, with the elliptic spin Calogero-Moser hierarchy arising as a special subcase.

math-ph↗

arXiv2025

Full universal enveloping vertex algebras from factorisation

We give a systematic construction of the symmetries, or observables in the vacuum sector, of a full conformal field theory on an arbitrary real two-dimensional conformal manifold $\Sigma$. Specifically, we construct a prefactorisation algebra on $\Sigma$ which locally encodes the full (non-chiral) version $\mathbb{F}^{\mathfrak{a},\alpha} = \mathbb{V}^{\mathfrak{a},\alpha} \otimes \bar{\mathbb{V}}^{\mathfrak{a},\alpha}$ of a universal enveloping vertex algebra $\mathbb{V}^{\mathfrak a,\alpha}$, where $\mathfrak a$ is a finite-dimensional vector space labelling the set of fields and $\alpha$ is a $2$-cocycle controlling the central extension of their Lie brackets. Our construction provides a unified treatment of the three canonical examples of (full) universal enveloping vertex algebras - Kac-Moody, Virasoro and $\beta\gamma$ system - using the notion of unital local Lie algebra. By using the coordinate-invariant nature of prefactorisation algebras we derive an analogue of Huang's change of variable formula for full vertex algebras. We give a careful treatment of (both Euclidean and Lorentzian) reality conditions in this formalism which allows us, in the Kac-Moody and Virasoro cases, to construct a Hermitian sesquilinear form on these full vertex algebras by using the factorisation product to the global observables on $S^2$. We also give an explicit derivation of Borcherds type identities and a construction of the operator formalism for $\mathbb{F}^{\mathfrak a,\alpha}$.

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arXiv2024

5d 2-Chern-Simons theory and 3d integrable field theories

The $4$-dimensional semi-holomorphic Chern-Simons theory of Costello and Yamazaki provides a gauge-theoretic origin for the Lax connection of $2$-dimensional integrable field theories. The purpose of this paper is to extend this framework to the setting of $3$-dimensional integrable field theories by considering a $5$-dimensional semi-holomorphic higher Chern-Simons theory for a higher connection $(A,B)$ on $\mathbb{R}^3 \times \mathbb{C}P^1$. The input data for this theory are the choice of a meromorphic $1$-form $\omega$ on $\mathbb{C}P^1$ and a strict Lie $2$-group with cyclic structure on its underlying Lie $2$-algebra. Integrable field theories on $\mathbb{R}^3$ are constructed by imposing suitable boundary conditions on the connection $(A,B)$ at the $3$-dimensional defects located at the poles of $\omega$ and choosing certain admissible meromorphic solutions of the bulk equations of motion. The latter provides a natural notion of higher Lax connection for $3$-dimensional integrable field theories, including a $2$-form component $B$ which can be integrated over Cauchy surfaces to produce conserved charges. As a first application of this approach, we show how to construct a generalization of Ward's $(2+1)$-dimensional integrable chiral model from a suitable choice of data in the $5$-dimensional theory.

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arXiv2023

The Magic Renormalisability of Affine Gaudin Models

We study the renormalisation of a large class of integrable $\sigma$-models obtained in the framework of affine Gaudin models. They are characterised by a simple Lie algebra $\mathfrak{g}$ and a rational twist function $\varphi(z)$ with simple zeros, a double pole at infinity but otherwise no further restrictions on the pole structure. The crucial tool used in our analysis is the interpretation of these integrable theories as $\mathcal{E}$-models, which are $\sigma$-models studied in the context of Poisson-Lie T-duality and which are known to be at least one- and two-loop renormalisable. The moduli space of $\mathcal{E}$-models still contains many non-integrable theories. We identify the submanifold formed by affine Gaudin models and relate its tangent space to curious matrices and semi-magic squares. In particular, these results provide a criteria for the stability of these integrable models under the RG-flow. At one loop, we show that this criteria is satisfied and derive a very simple expression for the RG-flow of the twist function, proving a conjecture made earlier in the literature.

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arXiv2023

Universal first-order Massey product of a prefactorization algebra

This paper studies the universal first-order Massey product of a prefactorization algebra, which encodes higher algebraic operations on the cohomology. Explicit computations of these structures are carried out in the locally constant case, with applications to factorization envelopes on $\mathbb{R}^m$ and a compactification of linear Chern-Simons theory on $\mathbb{R}^2\times \mathbb{S}^1$.

math-ph↗

arXiv2023

Integrable degenerate $\mathcal E$-models from 4d Chern-Simons theory

We present a general construction of integrable degenerate $\mathcal E$-models on a 2d manifold $\Sigma$ using the formalism of Costello and Yamazaki based on 4d Chern-Simons theory on $\Sigma \times \mathbb{C}P^1$. We begin with a physically motivated review of the mathematical results of [arXiv:2008.01829] where a unifying 2d action was obtained from 4d Chern-Simons theory which depends on a pair of 2d fields $h$ and $\mathcal L$ on $\Sigma$ subject to a constraint and with $\mathcal L$ depending rationally on the complex coordinate on $\mathbb{C}P^1$. When the meromorphic 1-form $\omega$ entering the action of 4d Chern-Simons theory is required to have a double pole at infinity, the constraint between $h$ and $\mathcal L$ was solved in [arXiv:2011.13809] to obtain integrable non-degenerate $\mathcal E$-models. We extend the latter approach to the most general setting of an arbitrary 1-form $\omega$ and obtain integrable degenerate $\mathcal E$-models. To illustrate the procedure we reproduce two well known examples of integrable degenerate $\mathcal E$-models: the pseudo dual of the principal chiral model and the bi-Yang-Baxter $\sigma$-model.

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arXiv2022

Chirality in 2d pAQFT

In this article, which builds upon the work done in our previous paper, the chiral aspects of 2dcft on globally hyperbolic Lorentzian manifolds are developed and explored within the perturbative algebraic quantum field theory (pAQFT) framework. In the example of the massless scalar field on globally hyperbolic 2-dimensional spacetimes, we identify the subalgebras of a given theory comprising only chiral (or anti-chiral) observables. These subalgebras are constructed explicitly, with the help of structures naturally associated to a Cauchy surface, for both the classical and the quantised theory, and it is shown that they then embed naturally into the algebra of the full theory. Finally, it is demonstrated that the construction of these subalgebras is independent of the choice of Cauchy surface and that they unambiguously define a covariant theory on the spaces of null-geodesics.

math-ph↗

arXiv2022

Classical Yang-Baxter equation, Lagrangian multiforms and ultralocal integrable hierarchies

We cast the classical Yang-Baxter equation (CYBE) in a variational context for the first time, by relating it to the theory of Lagrangian multiforms, a framework designed to capture integrability in a variational fashion. This provides a significant connection between Lagrangian multiforms and the CYBE, one of the most fundamental concepts of integrable systems. This is achieved by introducing a generating Lagrangian multiform which depends on a skew-symmetric classical $r$-matrix with spectral parameters. The multiform Euler-Lagrange equations produce a generating Lax equation which yields a generating zero curvature equation. The CYBE plays a role at three levels: 1) It ensures the commutativity of the flows of the generating Lax equation; 2) It ensures that the generating zero curvature equation holds; 3) It implies the closure relation for the generating Lagrangian multiform. The specification of an integrable hierarchy is achieved by fixing certain data: a finite set $S\in CP^1$, a Lie algebra $\mathfrak{g}$, a $\mathfrak{g}$-valued rational function with poles in $S$ and an $r$-matrix. We show how our framework is able to generate a large class of ultralocal integrable hierarchies by providing several known and new examples pertaining to the rational or trigonometric class. These include the Ablowitz-Kaup-Newell-Segur hierarchy, the sine-Gordon (sG) hierarchy and various hierachies related to Zakharov-Mikhailov type models which contain the Faddeev-Reshetikhin (FR) model and recently introduced deformed sigma/Gross-Neveu models as particular cases. The versatility of our method is illustrated by showing how to couple integrable hierarchies together to create new examples of integrable field theories and their hierarchies. We provide two examples: the coupling of the nonlinear Schr\"odinger system to the FR model and the coupling of sG with the anisotropic FR model.

nlin.SI↗

arXiv2022

3-dimensional mixed BF theory and Hitchin's integrable system

The affine Gaudin model, associated with an untwisted affine Kac-Moody algebra, is known to arise from a certain gauge fixing of 4-dimensional mixed topological-holomorphic Chern-Simons theory in the Hamiltonian framework. We show that the finite Gaudin model, associated with a finite-dimensional semisimple Lie algebra, or more generally the tamely ramified Hitchin system on an arbitrary Riemann surface, can likewise be obtained from a similar gauge fixing of 3-dimensional mixed BF theory in the Hamiltonian framework.

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arXiv2021

Lorentzian 2d CFT from the pAQFT perspective

We provide a detailed construction of the quantum theory of the massless scalar field on 2-dimensional, globally-hyperbolic (in particular, Lorentzian) manifolds using the framework of perturbative algebraic quantum field theory. From this we subalgebras of observables isomorphic to the Heisenberg and Virasoro algebras on the Einstein cylinder. We also show how the conformal version of general covariance, as first introduced by Pinamonti as an extension of the construction due to Brunetti, Fredenhagen and Verch, may be applied to the concept of natural Lagrangians in order to obtain a simple condition for the conformal covariance of classical dynamics, which is then shown to quantise in the case of a quadratic Lagrangian. We then compare the covariance condition for the stress-energy tensor in the classical and quantum theory in Minkowksi space, obtaining a transformation law dependent on the Schwarzian derivative of the transformed coordinate, in accordance with a well-known result in the Euclidean literature.

math-ph↗

arXiv2020

On the Zakharov-Mikhailov action: $4$d Chern-Simons origin and covariant Poisson algebra of the Lax connection

We derive the $2$d Zakharov-Mikhailov action from $4$d Chern-Simons theory. This $2$d action is known to produce as equations of motion the flatness condition of a large class of Lax connections of Zakharov-Shabat type, which includes an ultralocal variant of the principal chiral model as a special case. At the $2$d level, we determine for the first time the covariant Poisson bracket $r$-matrix structure of the Zakharov-Shabat Lax connection, which is of rational type. The flatness condition is then derived as a covariant Hamilton equation. We obtain a remarkable formula for the covariant Hamiltonian in term of the Lax connection which is the covariant analogue of the well-known formula "$H=Tr L^2$".

hep-th↗

arXiv2020

Integrable $\mathcal{E}$-Models, 4d Chern-Simons Theory and Affine Gaudin Models. I. Lagrangian Aspects

We construct the actions of a very broad family of 2d integrable $\sigma$-models. Our starting point is a universal 2d action obtained in [arXiv:2008.01829] using the framework of Costello and Yamazaki based on 4d Chern-Simons theory. This 2d action depends on a pair of 2d fields $h$ and $\mathcal{L}$, with $\mathcal{L}$ depending rationally on an auxiliary complex parameter, which are tied together by a constraint. When the latter can be solved for $\mathcal{L}$ in terms of $h$ this produces a 2d integrable field theory for the 2d field $h$ whose Lax connection is given by $\mathcal{L}(h)$. We construct a general class of solutions to this constraint and show that the resulting 2d integrable field theories can all naturally be described as $\mathcal{E}$-models.

hep-th↗

arXiv2020

Kondo line defects and affine Gaudin models

We describe the relation between integrable Kondo problems in products of chiral $SU(2)$ WZW models and affine $SU(2)$ Gaudin models. We propose a full ODE/IM solution of the spectral problem for these models.

hep-th↗

arXiv2020

Homotopical analysis of 4d Chern-Simons theory and integrable field theories

This paper provides a detailed study of $4$-dimensional Chern-Simons theory on $\mathbb{R}^2 \times \mathbb{C}P^1$ for an arbitrary meromorphic $1$-form $\omega$ on $\mathbb{C}P^1$. Using techniques from homotopy theory, the behaviour under finite gauge transformations of a suitably regularised version of the action proposed by Costello and Yamazaki is investigated. Its gauge invariance is related to boundary conditions on the surface defects located at the poles of $\omega$ that are determined by isotropic Lie subalgebras of a certain defect Lie algebra. The groupoid of fields satisfying such a boundary condition is proved to be equivalent to a groupoid that implements the boundary condition through a homotopy pullback, leading to the appearance of edge modes. The latter perspective is used to clarify how integrable field theories arise from $4$-dimensional Chern-Simons theory.

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