arXiv subjects

S. Majid

Publications and source records attributed to S. Majid.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2005

Quantization by cochain twists and nonassociative differentials

We show that several standard associative quantizations in mathematical physics can be expressed as cochain module-algebra twists in the spirit of Moyal products at least to $O(\hbar^3)$, but to achieve this we twist not by a 2-cocycle but by a 2-cochain. This implies a hidden nonassociavitity not visible in the algebra itself but present in its deeper noncommutative differential geometry, a phenomenon first seen in our previous work on semiclassicalisation of differential structures. The quantisations are induced by a classical group covariance and include: enveloping algebras $U_\hbar(g)$ as quantisations of $g^*$, a Fedosov-type quantisation of the sphere $S^2$ under a Lorentz group covariance, the Mackey quantisation of homogeneous spaces, and the standard quantum groups $C_q[G]$. We also consider the differential quantisation of $R^n$ for a given symplectic connection as part of our semiclassical analysis and we outline a proposal for the Dirac operator.

math.QA↗

arXiv2005

Gauge theory on nonassociative spaces

We show how to do gauge theory on the octonions and other nonassociative algebras such as `fuzzy $R^4$' models proposed in string theory. We use the theory of quasialgebras obtained by cochain twist introduced previously. The gauge theory in this case is twisting-equivalent to usual gauge theory on the underlying classical space. We give a general U(1)-Yang-Mills example for any quasi-algebra and a full description of the moduli space of flat connections in this theory for the cube $Z_2^3$ and hence for the octonions. We also obtain further results about the octonions themselves; an explicit Moyal-product description of them as a nonassociative quantisation of functions on the cube, and a characterisation of their cochain twist as invariant under Fourier transform.

math.QA↗

arXiv2004

Moduli of quantum Riemannian geometries on <= 4 points

We classify parallelizable noncommutative manifold structures on finite sets of small size in the general formalism of framed quantum manifolds and vielbeins introduced previously. The full moduli space is found for $\le 3$ points, and a restricted moduli space for 4 points. The topological part of the moduli space is found for $\le 9$ points based on the known atlas of regular graphs. We also discuss aspects of the quantum theory defined by functional integration.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2004

Braided Cyclic Cocycles and Non-Associative Geometry

We use monoidal category methods to study the noncommutative geometry of nonassociative algebras obtained by a Drinfeld-type cochain twist. These are the so-called quasialgebras and include the octonions as braided-commutative but nonassociative coordinate rings, as well as quasialgebra versions $\CC_{q}(G)$ of the standard q-deformation quantum groups. We introduce the notion of ribbon algebras in the category, which are algebras equipped with a suitable generalised automorphism $σ$, and obtain the required generalisation of cyclic cohomology. We show that this \emph{braided cyclic cocohomology} is invariant under a cochain twist. We also extend to our generalisation the relation between cyclic cohomology and differential calculus on the ribbon quasialgebra. The paper includes differential calculus and cyclic cocycles on the octonions as a finite nonassociative geometry, as well as the algebraic noncommutative torus as an associative example.

math.QA↗

arXiv2003

On the Fock space for nonrelativistic anyon fields and braided tensor products

We realize the physical N-anyon Hilbert spaces, introduced previously via unitary representations of the group of diffeomorphisms of the plane, as N-fold braided-symmetric tensor products of the 1-particle Hilbert space. This perspective provides a convenient Fock space construction for nonrelativistic anyon quantum fields along the more usual lines of boson and fermion fields, but in a braided category. We see how essential physical information is thus encoded. In particular we show how the algebraic structure of our anyonic Fock space leads to a natural anyonic exclusion principle related to intermediate occupation number statistics, and obtain the partition function for an idealised gas of fixed anyonic vortices.

hep-th↗

arXiv2003

Noncommutative physics on Lie algebras, Z_2^n lattices and Clifford algebras

We survey noncommutative spacetimes with coordinates being enveloping algebras of Lie algebras. We also explain how to do differential geometry on noncommutative spaces that are obtained from commutative ones via a Moyal-product type cocycle twist, such as the noncommutative torus, $θ$-spaces and Clifford algebras. The latter are noncommutative deformations of the finite lattice $(\Z_2)^n$ and we compute their noncommutative de Rham cohomology and moduli of solutions of Maxwell's equations. We exactly quantize noncommutative U(1)-Yang-Mills theory on $\Z_2\times\Z_2$ in a path integral approach.

hep-th↗

arXiv2003

Classification of differentials on quantum doubles and finite noncommutative geometry

We discuss the construction of finite noncommutative geometries on Hopf algebras and finite groups in the `quantum groups approach'. We apply the author's previous classification theorem, implying that calculi in the factorisable case correspond to blocks in the dual, to classify differential calculi on the quantum codouble $D^*(G)=kG\lcocross k(G)$ of a finite group $G$. We give $D^*(S_3)$ as an example including its exterior algebra and lower cohomology. We also study the calculus on $D^*(\CA)$ induced from one on a general Hopf algebra $\CA$ in general and specialise to $D^*(G)=U(\cg)\lcocross k[G]$ as a noncommutative isometry group of an enveloping algebra $U(\cg)$ as a noncommutative space.

math.QA↗

arXiv2003

Classification of differentials and Cartan calculus on bicrossproducts

We provide the Cartan calculus for bicovariant differential forms on bicrossproduct quantum groups $k(M)\lrbicross kG$ associated to finite group factorizations $X=GM$ and a field $k$. The irreducible calculi are associated to certain conjugacy classes in $X$ and representations of isotropy groups. We find the full exterior algebras and show that they are inner by a bi-invariant 1-form $θ$ which is a generator in the noncommutative de Rham cohomology $H^1$. The special cases where one subgroup is normal are analysed. As an application, we study the noncommutative cohomology on the quantum codouble $D^*(S_3)\isom k(S_3)\lrbicross k\Z_6$ and the quantum double $D(S_3)=k(S_3)\lcross kS_3$, finding respectively a natural calculus and a unique calculus with $H^0=k.1$.

math.QA↗

arXiv2003

Noncommutative Riemannian and Spin Geometry of the Standard q-Sphere

We study the quantum sphere $C_q[S^2]$ as a quantum Riemannian manifold in the quantum frame bundle approach. We exhibit its 2-dimensional cotangent bundle as a direct sum $Ω^{0,1}\oplusΩ^{1,0}$ in a double complex. We find the natural metric, volume form, Hodge * operator, Laplace and Maxwell operators. We show that the q-monopole as spin connection induces a natural Levi-Civita type connection and find its Ricci curvature and q-Dirac operator $D$. We find the possibility of an antisymmetric volume form quantum correction to the Ricci curvature and Lichnerowicz-type formulae for $D^2$. We also remark on the geometric q-Borel-Weil-Bott construction.

math.QA↗

arXiv2002

Noncommutative geometry of angular momentum space U(su(2))

We study the standard angular momentum algebra $[x_i,x_j]=iλε_{ijk}x_k$ as a noncommutative manifold $R^3_λ$. We show that there is a natural 4D differential calculus and obtain its cohomology and Hodge * operator. We solve the spin 0 wave equation and some aspects of the Maxwell or electromagnetic theory including solutions for a uniform electric current density, and we find a natural Dirac operator. We embed $R^3_λ$ inside a 4D noncommutative spacetime which is the limit $q\to 1$ of q-Minkowski space and show that $R^3_λ$ has a natural quantum isometry group given by the quantum double $D(U(su(2)))$ as a singular limit of the $q$-Lorentz group. We view $\R^3_λ$ as a collection of all fuzzy spheres taken together. We also analyse the semiclassical limit via minimum uncertainty states $|j,θ,ϕ>$ approximating classical positions in polar coordinates.

hep-th↗

arXiv2002

Braided Lie algebras and bicovariant differential calculi over coquasitriangular Hopf algebras

We show that if $g_Γ$ is the quantum tangent space (or quantum Lie algebra in the sense of Woronowicz) of a bicovariant first order differential calculus over a coquasitriangular Hopf algebra $(A,r)$, then a certain extension of it is a braided Lie algebra in the category of $A$-comodules. This is used to show that the Woronowicz quantum universal enveloping algebra $U(g_Γ)$ is a bialgebra in the braided category of $A$-comodules. We show that this algebra is quadratic when the calculus is inner. Examples with this unexpected property include finite groups and quantum groups with their standard differential calculi. We also find a quantum Lie functor for coquasitriangular Hopf algebras, which has properties analogous to the classical one. This functor gives trivial results on standard quantum groups $O_q(G)$, but reasonable ones on examples closer to the classical case, such as the cotriangular Jordanian deformations. In addition, we show that split braided Lie algebras define `generalised-Lie algebras' in a different sense of deforming the adjoint representation. We construct these and their enveloping algebras for $O_q(SL_n)$, recovering the Witten algebra for $n=2$.

math.QA↗

arXiv2001

Braided Line and Counting Fixed Points of GL(d,F_q)

We interpret a recent formula for counting orbits of $GL(d,F_q)$ in terms of counting fixed points as addition in the affine braided line. The theory of such braided groups (or Hopf algebras in braided categories) allows us to obtain the inverse relationship, which turns out to be the same formula but with $q$ and $q^{-1}$ interchanged (a perfect duality between counting orbits and counting fixed points). In particular, the probability that an element of $GL(d,F_q)$ has no fixed points is found to be the order-$d$ truncated $q$-exponential of $-1/(q-1)$.

math.QA↗

arXiv2001

Noncommutative cohomology and electromagnetism on $C_q[SL_2]$ at roots of unity

We compute the noncommutative de Rham cohomology for the finite-dimensional q-deformed coordinate ring $C_q[SL_2]$ at odd roots of unity and with its standard 4-dimensional differential structure. We find that $H^1$ and $H^3$ have three additional modes beyond the generic $q$-case where they are 1-dimensional, while $H^2$ has six additional modes. We solve the spin-0 and Maxwell theory on $C_q[SL_2]$ including a complete picture of the self-dual and anti-self dual solutions and of Lorentz and temporal gauge fixing. The system behaves in fact like a noncompact space with self-propagating modes (i.e., in the absence of sources). We also solve with examples of `electric' and `magnetic' sources including the biinvariant element $θ\in H^1$ which we find can be viewed as a source in the local (Minkowski) time-direction (i.e. a uniform electric charge density).

math.QA↗

arXiv2001

Riemannian geometry of quantum groups and finite groups with nonuniversal differentials

We construct noncommutative `Riemannian manifold' structures on dual quasitriangular Hopf algebras such as $C_q[SU_2]$ with its standard bicovariant differential calculus, using the quantum frame bundle formalism introduced previously. The metric is provided by the braided-Killing form on the braided-Lie algebra on the tangent space and the $n$-bein by the Maurer-Cartan form. We also apply the theory to finite sets and in particular to finite group function algebras $C[G]$ with differential calculi and Killing forms determined by a conjugacy class. The case of the permutation group $C[S_3]$ is worked out in full detail and a unique torsion free and cotorsion free or `Levi-Civita' connection is obtained with noncommutative Ricci curvature essentially proportional to the metric (an Einstein space). We also construct Dirac operators in the metric background, including on finite groups such as $S_3$. In the process we clarify the construction of connections from gauge fields with nonuniversal calculi on quantum principal bundles of tensor product form.

math.QA↗

arXiv2001

Noncommutative Riemannian Geometry of the Alternating Group A_4

We study the noncommutative Riemannian geometry of the alternating group $A_4=(Z_2 \times Z_2)\cross Z_3$ using a recent formulation for finite groups. We find a unique `Levi-Civita' connection for the invariant metric, and find that it has Ricci-flat but nonzero Riemann curvature. We show that it is the unique Ricci-flat connection on $A_4$ with the standard framing (we solve the vacuum Einstein's equation). We also propose a natural Dirac operator for the associated spin connection and solve the Dirac equation. Some of our results hold for any finite group equipped with a cyclic conjugacy class of 4 elements. In this case the exterior algebra $Ω(A_4)$ has dimensions $1:4:8:11:12:12:11:8:4:1$ with top-form 9-dimensional. We also find the noncommutative cohomology $H^1(A_4)=C$.

math.QA↗

arXiv2001

$Z_2\times Z_2$ Lattice as a Connes-Lott-Quantum Group Model

We apply quantum group methods for noncommutative geometry to the $Z_2\times Z_2$ lattice to obtain a natural Dirac operator on this discrete space. This then leads to an interpretation of the Higgs fields as the discrete part of spacetime in the Connes-Lott formalism for elementary particle Lagrangians. The model provides a setting where both the quantum groups and the Connes approach to noncommutative geometry can be usefully combined, with some of Connes' axioms, notably the first-order condition, replaced by algebraic methods based on the group structure. The noncommutative geometry has nontrivial cohomology and moduli of flat connections, both of which we compute.

hep-th↗

arXiv2000

Clifford algebras obtained by twisting of group algebras

We investigate the construction and properties of Clifford algebras by a similar manner as our previous construction of the octonions, namely as a twisting of group algebras of Z_2^n by a cocycle. Our approach is more general than the usual one based on generators and relations. We obtain in particular the periodicity properties and a new construction of spinors in terms of left and right multiplication in the Clifford algebra.

math.QA↗

arXiv2000

Meaning of Noncommutative Geometry and the Planck-Scale Quantum Group

This is an introduction for nonspecialists to the noncommutative geometric approach to Planck scale physics coming out of quantum groups. The canonical role of the `Planck scale quantum group' $C[x]\bicross C[p]$ and its observable-state T-duality-like properties are explained. The general meaning of noncommutativity of position space as potentially a new force in Nature is explained as equivalent under quantum group Fourier transform to curvature in momentum space. More general quantum groups $C(G^\star)\bicross U(g)$ and $U_q(g)$ are also discussed. Finally, the generalisation from quantum groups to general quantum Riemannian geometry is outlined. The semiclassical limit of the latter is a theory with generalised non-symmetric metric $g_{μν}$ obeying $\nabla_μg_{νρ}-\nabla_νg_{μρ}=0$

hep-th↗