Knot Invariants and New Weight Systems from General 3D TFTs

We introduce and study the Wilson loops in a general 3D topological field theories (TFTs), and show that the expectation value of Wilson loops also gives knot invariants as in Chern-Simons theory. We study the TFTs within the Batalin-Vilkovisky (BV) and Alexandrov-Kontsevich-Schwarz-Zaboronsky (AKSZ) framework, and the Ward identities of these theories imply that the expectation value of the Wilson loop is a pairing of two dual constructions of (co)cycles of certain extended graph complex (extended from Kontsevich's graph complex to accommodate the Wilson loop). We also prove that there is an isomorphism between the same complex and certain extended Chevalley-Eilenberg complex of Hamiltonian vector fields. This isomorphism allows us to generalize the Lie algebra weight system for knots to weight systems associated with any homological vector field and its representations. As an example we construct knot invariants using holomorphic vector bundle over hyperKahler manifolds.Comment: 55 pages, typos correcte

The Virtue of Defects in 4D Gauge Theories and 2D CFTs

We advance a correspondence between the topological defect operators in Liouville and Toda conformal field theories - which we construct - and loop operators and domain wall operators in four dimensional N=2 supersymmetric gauge theories on S^4. Our computation of the correlation functions in Liouville/Toda theory in the presence of topological defect operators, which are supported on curves on the Riemann surface, yields the exact answer for the partition function of four dimensional gauge theories in the presence of various walls and loop operators; results which we can quantitatively substantiate with an independent gauge theory analysis. As an interesting outcome of this work for two dimensional conformal field theories, we prove that topological defect operators and the Verlinde loop operators are different descriptions of the same operators.Comment: 59 pages, latex; v2 corrections to some formula

The universal C*-algebra of the electromagnetic field II. Topological charges and spacelike linear fields

Conditions for the appearance of topological charges are studied in the framework of the universal C*-algebra of the electromagnetic field, which is represented in any theory describing electromagnetism. It is shown that non-trivial topological charges, described by pairs of fields localised in certain topologically non-trivial spacelike separated regions, can appear in regular representations of the algebra only if the fields depend non-linearly on the mollifying test functions. On the other hand, examples of regular vacuum representations with non-trivial topological charges are constructed, where the underlying field still satisfies a weakened form of "spacelike linearity". Such representations also appear in the presence of electric currents. The status of topological charges in theories with several types of electromagnetic fields, which appear in the short distance (scaling) limit of asymptotically free non-abelian gauge theories, is also briefly discussed.Comment: 24 pages, 2 figure

Gauge fields as composite boundary excitations

We investigate representations of the conformal group that describe "massless" particles in the interior and at the boundary of anti-de Sitter space. It turns out that massless gauge excitations in anti-de Sitter are gauge "current" operators at the boundary. Conversely, massless excitations at the boundary are topological singletons in the interior. These representations lie at the threshold of two "unitary bounds" that apply to any conformally invariant field theory. Gravity and Yang-Mills gauge symmetry in anti-De Sitter is translated to global translational symmetry and continuous $R$-symmetry of the boundary superconformal field theory.Comment: Latex 2 figures in one eps fil

Twisted Supersymmetric Gauge Theories and Orbifold Lattices

We examine the relation between twisted versions of the extended supersymmetric gauge theories and supersymmetric orbifold lattices. In particular, for the $\mathcal{N}=4$ SYM in $d=4$, we show that the continuum limit of orbifold lattice reproduces the twist introduced by Marcus, and the examples at lower dimensions are usually Blau-Thompson type. The orbifold lattice point group symmetry is a subgroup of the twisted Lorentz group, and the exact supersymmetry of the lattice is indeed the nilpotent scalar supersymmetry of the twisted versions. We also introduce twisting in terms of spin groups of finite point subgroups of $R$-symmetry and spacetime symmetry.Comment: 32 page