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Pavel Mnev

Publications and source records attributed to Pavel Mnev.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Towards First Quantisation Formalism for AKSZ Theories

\noindent Given an AKSZ theory $\mathbb{T}$ on a manifold $M$, with target a graded vector space $Y$, we formulate a 1-dimensional theory $\mathbb{t}$ on graphs (the ``first quantisation picture for $\mathbb{T}$''), whose partition functions reproduce the Feynman graphs of $\mathbb{T}$. More precisely, the theory $\mathbb{t}$ is itself a 1d AKSZ theory with the target built out of $M$, and involving a coupling to 1d supergravity. It yields a form on the space of metric graphs (with length $T$ of an edge and its de Rham differential $\mathrm{d} T$ interpreted as the zero-modes of the graviton and gravitino, respectively); its integral yields the sum of Feynman graphs of $\mathbb{T}$. We study the theory $\mathbb{t}$ in the BV-BFV formalism; a gauge-fixing of $\mathbb{T}$ corresponds to a gauge-fixing of $\mathbb{t}$. At the classical level, $\mathbb{t}$ assigns to vertices certain Lagrangian submanifolds $L_k$ in Cartesian powers $Φ^{\times k}$ of the phase space $Φ$ of $\mathbb{t}$. These submanifolds can be thought of as defining a cyclic $\mathrm{L}_\infty$-algebra in Weinstein's symplectic category (``dequantising'' the cohomological vector field on the target %target AKSZ dg structure of $\mathbb{T}$). In the path integral construction of $\mathbb{t}$, Lagrangians $L_k$ determine sewing conditions for fields on the incident edges at a $k$-valent vertex. We give examples of this paradigm, such as when $\mathbb{t}$ on edges is the Witten-Morse supersymmetric quantum mechanics (which corresponds to a particular type of gauge-fixing for $\mathbb{T}$ and $\mathbb{t}$). In the example where $\mathbb{T}$ is the non-abelian Chern--Simons theory with structure Lie algebra $\mathfrak{su}(2)$, we describe the vertex Lagrangian $L_{\mathrm{W}}$ (the ``Wigner Lagrangian'' ).

math-ph

BV pushforward as a quasi-isomorphism

Given a BV theory on a space of fields split into two subspaces ("infrared" and "ultraviolet"), one has the BV pushforward map $P_*$, sending observables to observables of the effective theory on the infrared space. This note proves that $P_*$ is a quasi-isomorphism of BV complexes, by realizing it as a part of a strong deformation retraction constructed using the homological perturbation lemma. Two proofs are given: (i) comparing Feynman diagrams for $P_*$ with "cable diagrams" arising from homological perturbation theory and (ii) using topological quantum mechanics. This construction gives a formula for the quasi-inverse $i_\mathrm{int}$ of $P_*$ - the map lifting observables of the effective theory to the full theory. The topological quantum mechanics perspective - and its realization as an AKSZ theory - allows one to write $i_\mathrm{int}$ as a path integral (realizing cable diagrams for $i_\mathrm{int}$ as Feynman diagrams) and to study its classical limit.

math-ph

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

Lecture notes on conformal field theory

These are the notes on two-dimensional conformal field theory, based on a lecture course for graduate math students, given by P.M. in fall 2022 at the University of Notre Dame. These notes are intended to be substantially reworked and expanded in coauthorship with Nicolai Reshetikhin.

math-ph

Combinatorial 2d higher topological quantum field theory from a local cyclic $A_\infty$ algebra

We construct combinatorial analogs of 2d higher topological quantum field theories. We consider triangulations as vertices of a certain CW complex $Ξ$. In the "flip theory," cells of $Ξ_\mathrm{flip}$ correspond to polygonal decompositions obtained by erasing the edges in a triangulation. These theories assign to a cobordism $Σ$ a cochain $Z$ on $Ξ_\mathrm{flip}$ constructed as a contraction of structure tensors of a cyclic $A_\infty$ algebra $V$ assigned to polygons. The cyclic $A_\infty$ equations imply the closedness equation $(δ+Q)Z=0$. In this context we define combinatorial BV operators and give examples with coefficients in $\mathbb{Z}_2$. In the "secondary polytope theory," $Ξ_\mathrm{sp}$ is the secondary polytope (due to Gelfand-Kapranov-Zelevinsky) and the cyclic $A_\infty$ algebra has to be replaced by an appropriate refinement that we call an $\widehat{A}_\infty$ algebra. We conjecture the existence of a good Pachner CW complex $Ξ$ for any cobordism, whose local combinatorics is descibed by secondary polytopes and the homotopy type is that of Zwiebach's moduli space of complex structures. Depending on this conjecture, one has an "ideal model" of combinatorial 2d HTQFT determined by a local $\widehat{A}_\infty$ algebra.

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

BV Quantization

This note gives an overview of the BV formalism in its various incarnations and applications.

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

A note on gluing via fiber products in the (classical) BV-BFV formalism

In classical field theory, gluing spacetime manifolds along boundary corresponds to taking a fiber product of the corresponding spaces of fields (as differential graded Fréchet manifolds) up to homotopy. We construct this homotopy explicitly in several examples in the setting of BV-BFV formalism (Batalin--Vilkovisky formalism with cutting--gluing).

math-ph

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

Two field-theoretic viewpoints on the Fukaya-Morse $A_\infty$ category

We study an enhanced version of the Morse degeneration of Fukaya $A_\infty$ category with higher compositions given by counts of gradient flow trees. The enhancement consists in allowing morphisms from an object to itself to be chains on the manifold. Higher compositions correspond to counting Morse trees passing through a given set of chains. We provide two viewpoints on the construction and on the proof of the $A_\infty$ relations for the composition maps. One viewpoint is via an effective action for the $BF$ theory computed in a special gauge. The other is via higher topological quantum mechanics.

hep-th

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

Theory of holomorphic maps of two-dimensional complex manifolds to toric manifolds and type A multi-string theory

We study the field theory localizing to holomorphic maps from a complex manifold of complex dimension 2 to a toric target (a generalization of A model). Fields are realized as maps to $(\mathbb{C}^*)^N$ where one includes special observables supported on (1,1)-dimensional submanifolds to produce maps to the toric compactification. We study the mirror of this model. It turns out to be a free theory interacting with $N_\mathrm{comp}$ topological strings of type A. Here $N_\mathrm{comp}$ is the number of compactifying divisors of the toric target. Before the mirror transformation these strings are vortex (actually, holomortex) strings.

hep-th

Two-dimensional non-abelian BF theory in Lorenz gauge as a solvable logarithmic TCFT

We study two-dimensional non-abelian BF theory in Lorenz gauge and prove that it is a topological conformal field theory. This opens the possibility to compute topological string amplitudes (Gromov-Witten invariants). We found that the theory is exactly solvable in the sense that all correlators are given by finite-dimensional convergent integrals. Surprisingly, this theory turns out to be logarithmic in the sense that there are correlators given by polylogarithms and powers of logarithms. Furthermore, we found fields with "logarithmic conformal dimension" (elements of a Jordan cell for $L_0$). We also found certain vertex operators with anomalous dimensions that depend on the non-abelian coupling constant. The shift of dimension of composite fields may be understood as arising from the dependence of subtracted singular terms on local coordinates. This generalizes the well-known explanation of anomalous dimensions of vertex operators in the free scalar field theory.

hep-th

A cellular topological field theory

We present a construction of cellular BF theory (in both abelian and non-abelian variants) on cobordisms equipped with cellular decompositions. Partition functions of this theory are invariant under subdivisions, satisfy a version of the quantum master equation, and satisfy Atiyah-Segal-type gluing formula with respect to composition of cobordisms.

math.AT