Invariants from classical field theory

We introduce a method that generates invariant functions from perturbative classical field theories depending on external parameters. Applying our methods to several field theories such as abelian BF, Chern-Simons and 2-dimensional Yang-Mills theory, we obtain, respectively, the linking number for embedded submanifolds in compact varieties, the Gauss' and the second Milnor's invariant for links in S^3, and invariants under area-preserving diffeomorphisms for configurations of immersed planar curves.Comment: 20 pages, 1 figure, to appear in J. Math. Phy