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Konstantin Wernli

Publications and source records attributed to Konstantin Wernli.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Dirac operators for infinite-dimensional color Lie algebras

We construct cubic Dirac operators and relative cubic Dirac operators for infinite-dimensional quadratic $\mathbb{Z}$-graded color Lie algebras with finite-dimensional components. These operators are defined in completions of the quantum Weil algebra determined by the $\mathbb{Z}$-grading. The same grading fixes the normal-ordering convention. The failure of the normally ordered Casimir to be central, and of the normally ordered cubic Dirac operator to be $\mathfrak{g}$-invariant, is measured by a color analogue of the Kac-Peterson class. If this class is trivial, the Casimir admits a central correction and the cubic Dirac operator admits a corrected $\mathfrak{g}$-invariant form. For the corrected (relative) cubic Dirac operators, we establish Parthasarathy-type square formulas. We also extend the Chern-Weil homomorphism to completed $\mathfrak{g}$-differential algebras and identify the classical element whose quantization is the cubic Dirac operator with the Chern-Simons element associated with the quadratic invariant polynomial defined by $B$. As applications, we consider symmetrizable Kac-Moody superalgebras. In this setting the Kac-Peterson class is trivial, with primitive given by the Weyl vector. For the affine Kac-Moody superalgebra associated to $\mathfrak{osp}(1\vert 2n)$, we compute $\mathrm{ker}\operatorname{D}_{\mathfrak{g},\mathfrak{g}_{\bar{0}}}^{2}$ on integrable highest weight supermodules. We then apply the relative square formula to $ω$-unitarizable highest weight supermodules and obtain a Dirac inequality giving necessary conditions for unitarity. Finally, under assumptions satisfied by Kac-Moody superalgebras such as $\widehat{\mathfrak{sl}}(m\vert n)$, we identify the Dirac kernel with Lie superalgebra cohomology.

math.RT

Globalization of perturbative Chern-Simons theory on the moduli space of flat connections in the BV formalism

We study the perturbative path integral of Chern-Simons theory (the effective BV action on zero-modes) in Lorenz gauge, expanded around a (possibly non-acyclic) flat connection, as a family over the smooth irreducible stratum $\mathcal{M}' \subset \mathcal{M}$ of the moduli space of flat connections. We prove that it is horizontal with respect to the Grothendieck connection up to a BV-exact term. From it, we construct a volume form on $\mathcal{M'}$ - the "global partition function" - whose cohomology class is independent of the metric, and so is a 3-manifold invariant. As an element of the construction, we construct an extension of the perturbative partition function to a nonhomogeneous form on the space of triples $(A,A',g)$ consisting of (1) a "kinetic" flat connection $A$ around which Chern-Simons action is expanded, (2) a "gauge-fixing" flat connection $A'$, (3) a metric $g$. This extension is horizontal with respect to an appropriate Gauss-Manin superconnection (which involves the BV operator as a degree zero component).

math-ph

Perturbative Chern-Simons invariants from non-acyclic flat connections

We give a short review of our construction of a higher-loop perturbative invariant of framed 3-manifolds, generalizing the perturbative Chern-Simons invariant of Witten-Axelrod-Singer, associated to an acyclic flat connection, to an invariant given by the integral of a certain "Chern-Simons volume form" over a smooth closed component of the moduli space of flat connections.

math-ph

Gluing formulae for heat kernels

We state and prove two gluing formulae for the heat kernel of the Laplacian on a Riemannian manifold of the form $M_1 \cup_γM_2$. We present several examples.

math-ph

On enumerative problems for maps and quasimaps: freckles and scars

We address the question of counting maps between projective spaces such that images of cycles on the source intersect cycles on the target. In this paper we do it by embedding maps into quasimaps that form a projective space of their own. When a quasimap is not a map, it contains freckles (studied earlier) and/or scars, appearing when the complex dimension of the source is greater than one. We consider a lot of examples showing that freckle/scar calculus (using excess intersection theory) works. We also propose the "smooth conjecture" that may lead to computation of the number of maps by an integral over the space of quasimaps.

math-ph

Combinatorial QFT on graphs: first quantization formalism

We study a combinatorial model of the quantum scalar field with polynomial potential on a graph. In the first quantization formalism, the value of a Feynman graph is given by a sum over maps from the Feynman graph to the spacetime graph (mapping edges to paths). This picture interacts naturally with Atiyah-Segal-like cutting-gluing of spacetime graphs. In particular, one has combinatorial counterparts of the known gluing formulae for Green's functions and (zeta-regularized) determinants of Laplacians.

math-ph

Six lectures on Geometric Quantization

These are the lecture notes for a short course on geometric quantization given by the author at the XVIII Modave Summer School on Mathematical Physics, Sep 5 - Sep 9.

math-ph

Quantum Chern-Simons theories on cylinders: BV-BFV partition functions

We compute partition functions of Chern-Simons type theories for cylindrical spacetimes $I \times Σ$, with $I$ an interval and $\dim Σ= 4l+2$, in the BV-BFV formalism (a refinement of the Batalin-Vilkovisky formalism adapted to manifolds with boundary and cutting-gluing). The case $\dim Σ= 0$ is considered as a toy example. We show that one can identify - for certain choices of residual fields - the "physical part" (restriction to degree zero fields) of the BV-BFV effective action with the Hamilton-Jacobi action computed in the companion paper [arXiv:2012.13270], without any quantum corrections. This Hamilton-Jacobi action is the action functional of a conformal field theory on $Σ$. For $\dim Σ= 2$, this implies a version of the CS-WZW correspondence. For $\dim Σ= 6$, using a particular polarization on one end of the cylinder, the Chern-Simons partition function is related to Kodaira-Spencer gravity (a.k.a. BCOV theory); this provides a BV-BFV quantum perspective on the semiclassical result by Gerasimov and Shatashvili.

hep-th

Two-dimensional perturbative scalar QFT and Atiyah-Segal gluing

We study the perturbative quantization of 2-dimensional massive scalar field theory with polynomial (or power series) potential on manifolds with boundary. We prove that it fits into the functorial quantum field theory framework of Atiyah-Segal. In particular, we prove that the perturbative partition function defined in terms of integrals over configuration spaces of points on the surface satisfies an Atiyah-Segal type gluing formula. Tadpoles (short loops) behave nontrivially under gluing and play a crucial role in the result.

math-ph

Constrained systems, generalized Hamilton-Jacobi actions, and quantization

Mechanical systems (i.e., one-dimensional field theories) with constraints are the focus of this paper. In the classical theory, systems with infinite-dimensional targets are considered as well (this then encompasses also higher-dimensional field theories in the hamiltonian formalism). The properties of the Hamilton-Jacobi (HJ) action are described in details and several examples are explicitly computed (including nonabelian Chern-Simons theory, where the HJ action turns out to be the gauged Wess-Zumino-Witten action). Perturbative quantization, limited in this note to finite-dimensional targets, is performed in the framework of the Batalin-Vilkovisky (BV) formalism in the bulk and of the Batalin-Fradkin-Vilkovisky (BFV) formalism at the endpoints. As a sanity check of the method, it is proved that the semiclassical contribution of the physical part of the evolution operator is still given by the HJ action. Several examples are computed explicitly. In particular, it is shown that the toy model for nonabelian Chern-Simons theory and the toy model for 7D Chern-Simons theory with nonlinear Hitchin polarization do not have quantum corrections in the physical part (the extension of these results to the actual cases is discussed in the companion paper [arXiv:2012.13983]). Background material for both the classical part (symplectic geometry, generalized generating functions, HJ actions, and the extension of these concepts to infinite-dimensional manifolds) and the quantum part (BV-BFV formalism) is provided.

math-ph

Convolution algebras for Relational Groupoids and Reduction

We introduce the notions of relational groupoids and relational convolution algebras. We provide various examples arising from the group algebra of a group $G$ and a given normal subgroup $H$. We also give conditions for the existence of a Haar system of measures on a relational groupoid compatible with the convolution, and we prove a reduction theorem that recovers the usual convolution of a Lie groupoid.

math-ph

Lecture Notes on Chern-Simons Perturbation Theory

The goal of these lectures is to exhibit the framing anomaly in the Batalin-Vilkovisky formulation of perturbative Chern-Simons theory. Concretely, we show that the partition function fails to satisfy the Quantum Master Equation, and show that this can be remedied at the cost of introducing a framing. Along the way, we discuss principal bundles and connections, the Chern-Simons action functional, and perturbative quantization of gauge theories in the Batalin-Vilkovisky formalism.

math-ph

Lecture Notes on Spin Geometry

We review the Atiyah-Singer Index theorem and some applications. Only basic knowledge of differential geometry and Lie groups is required.

math.DG

Towards holography in the BV-BFV setting

We show how the BV-BFV formalism provides natural solutions to descent equations, and discuss how it relates to the emergence of holographic counterparts of given gauge theories. Furthermore, by means of an AKSZ-type construction we reproduce the Chern-Simons to Wess-Zumino-Witten correspondence from infinitesimal local data, and show an analogous correspondence for BF theory. We discuss how holographic correspondences relate to choices of polarisation relevant for quantisation, proposing a semi-classical interpretation of the quantum holographic principle.

math-ph

Globalization for Perturbative Quantization of Nonlinear Split AKSZ Sigma Models on Manifolds with Boundary

We describe a covariant framework to construct a globalized version for the perturbative quantization of nonlinear split AKSZ Sigma Models on manifolds with and without boundary, and show that it captures the change of the quantum state as one changes the constant map around which one perturbs. This is done by using concepts of formal geometry. Moreover, we show that the globalized quantum state can be interpreted as a closed section with respect to an operator that squares to zero. This condition is a generalization of the modified Quantum Master Equation as in the BV-BFV formalism, which we call the modified "differential" Quantum Master Equation.

math-ph

On the Globalization of the Poisson Sigma Model in the BV-BFV Formalism

We construct a formal global quantization of the Poisson Sigma Model in the BV-BFV formalism using the perturbative quantization of AKSZ theories on manifolds with boundary and analyze the properties of the boundary BFV operator. Moreover, we consider mixed boundary conditions and show that they lead to quantum anomalies, i.e. to a failure of the (modified differential) Quantum Master Equation. We show that it can be restored by adding boundary terms to the action, at the price of introducing corner terms in the boundary operator. We also show that the quantum GBFV operator on the total space of states is a differential, i.e. squares to zero, which is necessary for a well-defined BV cohomology.

math-ph

Theta Invariants of lens spaces via the BV-BFV formalism

The goal of this paper is to investigate the Theta invariant --- an invariant of framed 3-manifolds associated with the lowest order contribution to the Chern-Simons partition function --- in the context of the quantum BV-BFV formalism. Namely, we compute the state on the solid torus to low degree in $\hbar$, and apply the gluing procedure to compute the Theta invariant of lens spaces. We use a distributional propagator which does not extend to a compactified configuration space, so to compute loop diagrams we have to define a regularization of the product of the distributional propagators, which is done in an \emph{ad hoc} fashion. Also, a polarization has to be chosen for the quantization process. Our results agree with results in the literature for one type of polarization, but for another type of polarization there are extra terms.

math.AT

Computing Entanglement Polytopes

In arXiv:1208.0365 entanglement polytopes where introduced as a coarsening of the SLOCC classification of multipartite entanglement. The advantages of classifying entanglement by entanglement polytopes are a finite hierarchy for all dimensions and a number of parameters linear in system size. In arXiv:1208.0365 a method to compute entanglement polytopes using geometric invariant theory is presented. In this thesis we consider alternative methods to compute them. Some geometrical and algebraical tools are presented that can be used to compute inequalities giving an outer approximation of the entanglement polytopes. Furthermore we present a numerical method which, in theory, can compute the entanglement polytope of any given SLOCC class given a representative. Using it we classify the entanglement polytopes of $2 \times 3 \times N$ systems.

quant-ph