The second cohomology of sl(m|1) with coefficients in its enveloping algebra is trivial

Using techniques developed in a recent article by the authors, it is proved that the 2-cohomology of the Lie superalgebra sl(m|1); m > 1, with coefficients in its enveloping algebra is trivial. The obstacles in solving the analogous problem for sl(3|2) are also discussed.Comment: 15 pages, Latex, no figure

Cohomology of Lie superalgebras and of their generalizations

The cohomology groups of Lie superalgebras and, more generally, of color Lie algebras, are introduced and investigated. The main emphasis is on the case where the module of coefficients is non-trivial. Two general propositions are proved, which help to calculate the cohomology groups. Several examples are included to show the peculiarities of the super case. For L = sl(1|2), the cohomology groups H^1(L,V) and H^2(L,V), with V a finite-dimensional simple graded L-module, are determined, and the result is used to show that H^2(L,U(L)) (with U(L) the enveloping algebra of L) is trivial. This implies that the superalgebra U(L) does not admit of any non-trivial formal deformations (in the sense of Gerstenhaber). Garland's theory of universal central extensions of Lie algebras is generalized to the case of color Lie algebras.Comment: 50 pages, Latex, no figures. In the revised version the proof of Lemma 5.1 is greatly simplified, some references are added, and a pertinent result on sl(m|1) is announced. To appear in the Journal of Mathematical Physic

Finite dimensional representations of Uq(C(n+1))U_q(C(n+1)) at arbitrary qq

A method is developed to construct irreducible representations(irreps) of the quantum supergroup $U_q(C(n+1))$ in a systematic fashion. It is shown that every finite dimensional irrep of this quantum supergroup at generic $q$ is a deformation of a finite dimensional irrep of its underlying Lie superalgebra $C(n+1)$, and is essentially uniquely characterized by a highest weight. The character of the irrep is given. When $q$ is a root of unity, all irreps of $U_q(C(n+1))$ are finite dimensional; multiply atypical highest weight irreps and (semi)cyclic irreps also exist. As examples, all the highest weight and (semi)cyclic irreps of $U_q(C(2))$ are thoroughly studied.Comment: 21 page

Biconformal supergravity and the AdS/CFT conjecture

Biconformal supergravity models provide a new gauging of the superconformal group relevant to the Maldacena conjecture. Using the group quotient method to biconformally gauge SU(2,2|N), we generate a 16-dim superspace. We write the most general even- and odd-parity actions linear in the curvatures, the bosonic sector of which is known to descend to general relativity on a 4-dim manifold.Comment: 35 pages, adjusted group nomenclature, 1 reference and acknowledgements adde

Centre and Representations of U_q(sl(2|1)) at Roots of Unity

Quantum groups at roots of unity have the property that their centre is enlarged. Polynomial equations relate the standard deformed Casimir operators and the new central elements. These relations are important from a physical point of view since they correspond to relations among quantum expectation values of observables that have to be satisfied on all physical states. In this paper, we establish these relations in the case of the quantum Lie superalgebra U_q(sl(2|1)). In the course of the argument, we find and use a set of representations such that any relation satisfied on all the representations of the set is true in U_q(sl(2|1)). This set is a subset of the set of all the finite dimensional irreducible representations of U_q(sl(2|1)), that we classify and describe explicitly.Comment: Minor corrections, References added. LaTeX2e, 18 pages, also available at http://lapphp0.in2p3.fr/preplapp/psth/ENSLAPP583.ps.gz . To appear in J. Phys. A: Math. Ge

Cohomologies of the Poisson superalgebra

Cohomology spaces of the Poisson superalgebra realized on smooth Grassmann-valued functions with compact support on $R^{2n}$ ($C^{2n}) are investigated under suitable continuity restrictions on cochains. The first and second cohomology spaces in the trivial representation and the zeroth and first cohomology spaces in the adjoint representation of the Poisson superalgebra are found for the case of a constant nondegenerate Poisson superbracket for arbitrary n>0. The third cohomology space in the trivial representation and the second cohomology space in the adjoint representation of this superalgebra are found for arbitrary n>1.Comment: Comments: 40 pages, the text to appear in Theor. Math. Phys. supplemented by computation of the 3-rd trivial cohomolog

Strings from N=2N=2 Gauged Wess-Zumino-Witten Models

We present an algebraic approach to string theory. An embedding of $sl(2|1)$ in a super Lie algebra together with a grading on the Lie algebra determines a nilpotent subalgebra of the super Lie algebra. Chirally gauging this subalgebra in the corresponding Wess-Zumino-Witten model, breaks the affine symmetry of the Wess-Zumino-Witten model to some extension of the $N=2$ superconformal algebra. The extension is completely determined by the $sl(2|1)$ embedding. The realization of the superconformal algebra is determined by the grading. For a particular choice of grading, one obtains in this way, after twisting, the BRST structure of a string theory. We classify all embeddings of $sl(2|1)$ into Lie super algebras and give a detailed account of the branching of the adjoint representation. This provides an exhaustive classification and characterization of both all extended $N=2$ superconformal algebras and all string theories which can be obtained in this way.Comment: 50 pages, LaTe