On the Fermionic Frequencies of Circular Strings

We revisit the semiclassical computation of the fluctuation spectrum around different circular string solutions in AdS_5xS^5 and AdS_4xCP^3, starting from the Green-Schwarz action. It has been known that the results for these frequencies obtained from the algebraic curve and from the worldsheet computations sometimes do not agree. In particular, different methods give different results for the half-integer shifts in the mode numbers of the frequencies. We find that these discrepancies can be removed if one carefully takes into account the transition matrices in the spin bundle over the target space.Comment: 13 pages, 1 figur

Superconformal M2-branes and generalized Jordan triple systems

Three-dimensional conformal theories with six supersymmetries and SU(4) R-symmetry describing stacks of M2-branes are here proposed to be related to generalized Jordan triple systems. Writing the four-index structure constants in an appropriate form, the Chern-Simons part of the action immediately suggests a connection to such triple systems. In contrast to the previously considered three-algebras, the additional structure of a generalized Jordan triple system is associated to a graded Lie algebra, which corresponds to an extension of the gauge group. In this note we show that the whole theory with six manifest supersymmetries can be naturally expressed in terms of such a graded Lie algebra. Also the BLG theory with eight supersymmetries is included as a special case.Comment: 15 pages, v2 and v3: minor corrections and clarifications, references added, v2: section 4 extended, v3: published versio

On the structure of k-Lie algebras

We show that the structure constants of $k$-Lie algebras, $k>3$, with a positive definite metric are the sum of the volume forms of orthogonal $k$-planes. This generalizes the result for $k=3$ in arXiv:0804.2662 and arXiv:0804.3078, and confirms a conjecture in math/0211170.Comment: 4 pages, minor changes and a reference adde