Another approach to topological descent theory

In the category Top of topological spaces and continuous functions, we prove that descent morphisms with respect to the class IE of continuous bijections are exactly the descent morphisms, providing a new characterization of the latter in terms of subfibrations IE(X) of the basic fibration given by Top/X which are, essentially, complete lattices. Also effective descent morphisms are characterized in terms of effective morphisms with respect to continuous bijections. For classes IE satisfying suitable conditions, we show that the class of effective descent morphisms coincides with the one of effective IE-descent morphisms.CMUC/FCT PRAXIS Projects 2/2.1/MAT/46/94, PCEX/P/MAT/46/9

Another Approach to Topological Descent Theory

In the category Top of topological spaces and continuous functions, we prove that surjective maps which are descent morphisms with respect to the class E of continuous bijections are exactly the descent morphisms, providing a new characterization of the latter in terms of subfibrations E(X) of the basic fibration given by Top/X which are, essentially, complete lattices. Also effective descent morphisms are characterized in terms of effective morphisms with respect to continuous bijections. For classes E satisfying suitable conditions, we show that the class of effective descent morphisms coincides with the one of effective E-descent morphisms

Quantum Field Theory and Differential Geometry

We introduce the historical development and physical idea behind topological Yang-Mills theory and explain how a physical framework describing subatomic physics can be used as a tool to study differential geometry. Further, we emphasize that this phenomenon demonstrates that the interrelation between physics and mathematics have come into a new stage.Comment: 29 pages, enlarged version, some typewritten mistakes have been corrected, the geometric descrition to BRST symmetry, the chain of descent equations and its application in TYM as well as an introduction to R-symmetry have been added, as required by mathematicia

Anomaly Inflow and Membrane Dynamics in the QCD Vacuum

Large $N_c$ and holographic arguments, as well as Monte Carlo results, suggest that the topological structure of the QCD vacuum is dominated by codimension-one membranes which appear as thin dipole layers of topological charge. Such membranes arise naturally as $D6$ branes in the holographic formulation of QCD based on IIA string theory. The polarizability of these membranes leads to a vacuum energy $\propto \theta^2$, providing the origin of nonzero topological susceptibility. Here we show that the axial U(1) anomaly can be formulated as anomaly inflow on the brane surfaces. A 4D gauge transformation at the brane surface separates into a 3D gauge transformation of components within the brane and the transformation of the transverse component. The in-brane gauge transformation induces currents of an effective Chern-Simons theory on the brane surface, while the transformation of the transverse component describes the transverse motion of the brane and is related to the Ramond-Ramond closed string field in the holographic formulation of QCD. The relation between the surface currents and the transverse motion of the brane is dictated by the descent equations of Yang-Mills theory.Comment: 22 pages, 3 figure

Observables in Topological Yang-Mills Theories

Using topological Yang-Mills theory as example, we discuss the definition and determination of observables in topological field theories (of Witten-type) within the superspace formulation proposed by Horne. This approach to the equivariant cohomology leads to a set of bi-descent equations involving the BRST and supersymmetry operators as well as the exterior derivative. This allows us to determine superspace expressions for all observables, and thereby to recover the Donaldson-Witten polynomials when choosing a Wess-Zumino-type gauge.Comment: 39 pages, Late